As Egypt’s Red Sea town marks its 35th anniversary, El Gouna has been shaping a lifestyle rather than a resort. Recent celebrations, including the Taste El Gouna food festival, have highlighted a mature cultural identity, now matched by the launch of its first branded residential project, as Umesh Patel discovers…
How does the proverb “too many chefs spoil the broth” hold up when the kitchen is packed with world-renowned Michelin-starred chefs – who collectively hold 35 of those coveted stars, which, let’s be honest, look more like flowers – alongside a new generation of rising culinary talent?
The answer: the broth is in safe hands.
I’m in El Gouna for the town’s 35th anniversary celebrations, marked by the launch of the Taste El Gouna food festival and the announcement of its first branded residential project, La Maison Bleue Residences. Arriving at Hurghada airport feels unlike anywhere I’ve been before. The customs hall is crowded with taxi drivers, all holding name boards to assist passengers with their visas – though mine is conspicuously absent. Plan B it is.
By the time I clear immigration and step outside, the sun is tipping towards the horizon, sketching distant mountains against a pale amber sky. That same light follows the dusty road north to El Gouna, a 30-minute drive along the Red Sea coast and the setting for the weekend’s festival
Known as the “Venice of the Red Sea” El Gouna’s lagoons, islands and canals make it a natural stage for an event like this. Once the final home of Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor who became a global star in films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, the town more often hosts film festivals and art events. This weekend, though, the cultural spotlight shifts to food.
Gastronomy has long been part of the town’s DNA. You only have to take a walk along the waterfront and the scent of smoky fish mingles with fresh herbs and baking bread. Here you’ll find seafood grills, bistros and a broad church of different cuisines. Today, the region counts more than 100 restaurants, reflecting its growing reputation as a culinary destination.
Over four days in November, the festival centred on 35 local ingredients drawn from the Red Sea region. Among them is camel – a first for me – slow-cooked and barbecued, served in a steamed Japanese bao bun, with a texture and flavour oddly reminiscent of pulled pork. Unusual, but deliciously moreish, it’s a perfect example of the festival’s fusion cooking, taking local ingredients and blending them with different cuisines.
Taste El Gouna debuts an impressive line-up of international chefs. At the forefront is Norbert Niederkofler, the chef behind the three Michelin-starred and Green Star Atelier Moessmer in South Tyrol. His cooking is rooted in sustainability, biodiversity and seasonality, but also in restraint; he famously avoids olive oil and uses very little salt, convinced both can overpower the natural character of his ingredients. I first came across his work in the autumn, when he collaborated with Claude Bosi at Brooklands at The Peninsula in London.
Niederkofler is joined by fellow Michelin-starred chefs Himanshu Saini of Tresind Studio in Dubai, Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson of Pearl Morissette in Canada, and Fabrizio Mellino of Quattro Passi on the Amalfi Coast. Cooking alongside them is a new generation of chefs beginning to make their mark, including Ariel Hagen of Tuscany’s Saporium, Tamara Rigo from Atelier Moessmer, Sara Aqel of Dara Dining in Jordan and Turki Bin Hallabi from Saudi Arabia. Through workshops, they learn directly from their more established colleagues, exchanging ideas, techniques and inspiration.
The four-day festival is set across several venues, including Abu Tig Marina, The Smokery Beach and Villa Coconut. Over the weekend, menus focus on locally sourced and seasonal produce, guided by zero-waste principles.
The flagship dinner took place at Botanica, where Michelin-starred chefs prepared an impressive five-course gala menu as we dined alfresco, fending off the occasional mosquito. Highlights included grouper simmered with tomatoes and fig leaves, a deeply comforting hen consommé with sourdough pasta, a rich lamb ragù lasagna and duck haleem topped with foie gras, which I must confess I helped myself to more than once, as my neighbours generously donated theirs.
Botanica is one of El Gouna’s newest restaurants and the Middle East’s first hydroponic fine dining venue, where the seed-to-table concept is taken literally, with herbs and leaves grown on site using soil-free farming. It’s the culinary equivalent of dining inside the greenhouse at Kew Gardens, minus the compost and hydrangeas.
It is also at Botanica that Mohamed Amer, CEO of El Gouna, formally announces plans for La Maison Bleue Residences, a fully serviced seafront development inspired by the La Maison Bleue Hotel, recently awarded a Michelin Key, which carries through the hotel’s Mediterranean-influenced aesthetic and design.
On the final day of the festival, I’m enjoying a sticky date tart scented with spiced yansoon and toffee, topped with baladi citrus jam. It’s easily one of the best desserts I’ve eaten in a long while, thanks to Chef Rigo.
By this point, it’s clear the festival is about more than beautiful plates, exquisite flavours or the thrill of being photographed next to a celebrity chef. For those in the kitchen, it’s about curiosity, collaboration and learning, and for the next generation of chefs, the patience and practice needed to earn that first Michelin flower – I mean, star…
Umesh flew directly from London Gatwick to Hurghada, with easyJet. For more details on flight schedules and prices, visit the easyJet website.
Please visit El Gouna, for more information on the town’s restaurants and accommodation.
