InterContinental Riyadh serves up Mexican cuisine & culture
The InterContinental Riyadh hosted the Mexican Gastronomic Festival from Sept. 16 to 22.
Chef Aldo Servin, executive chef at the Traspatio restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico, was specially flown in to head the team of chefs at the hotel. Several authentic ingredients, including spices, were also brought to Riyadh to prepare Mexican dishes.
Tariq Dowidar, area general manager at IHG Government Hotels and general manager at InterContinental Riyadh, said he was happy to be able to bring to the Kingdom the Mexican cultural experience once more after a successful run in September last year. The food festival, which took place at Al-Bustan Restaurant from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., attracted a number of foodies from the capital who wanted to experience Mexican cuisine and culture.
In a speech during the opening ceremony, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Mexico in Saudi Arabia Eduardo Hector Moguel Flores highlighted the cultural heritage of Mexico, starting with its millenary history to its cuisine and mariachi music, which he said have attained the UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” status. Guests included Saudi officials, diplomats and members of the media. For the second time in a row, the Embassy of Mexico and the InterContinental Riyadh partnered to bring the mariachi band “Mariachi Semblanza” to perform live and entertain guests at the food festival.
“Just two days ago in Oud Square, the mariachi band gave a flashmob performance, captivating the attention of around 100 people, mainly Saudi youth,” said Flores. “The interest of the Saudi youth in the culture of other countries is tangible,” he added.
The InterContinental Riyadh is a luxury hotel with a nine-hole golf course in the heart of the Saudi capital. Guests staying in or visiting the InterContinental have the option to walk around the 40 hectares of exotic green grounds and relax in the lap of nature.