(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Representatives from the finest of Muscat's restaurants and food outlets gathered at the Al Bandar Hotel at Shangri-La's Barr al Jissah Resort & Spa, on Wednesday evening to formally launch the 12th Oman Today Restaurant Awards 2013.
Set in a theme reminiscent of a street with cafés on either side, the ballroom provided a magnificent setting for the launch of the awards.
A total of 97 restaurants have registered for the awards this year as compared to 99 last year.
Public voting for the awards starts on October 24 and will continue till November 24.
After November 24 the three outlets with the most votes in each category will become the finalists.
Finalists will be announced before the end of November.
The awards have grown in stature since they were instituted, with last year seeing over 394,000 public votes cast in just two months.
Participants will compete in a total of 14 categories. Following feedback from participating restaurants over the years, this year ‘Indian' category has been split into North and South and ‘Casual Dining' into Independent and Hotel.
Participating restaurants will give diners a voting form at the end of their meal and they can choose their favourite restaurant in each category.
Addressing the gathering, Saleh Zakwani, executive chairman, Apex Press and Publishing said, ''It gives me immense pleasure to see so many people today.''
Reminiscing the first year of the awards, he said, ''We just cannot compare today with what we had 12 years ago; things have grown by leaps and bounds.''
Coming on board for the first time, sponsoring the 12th Oman Today Restaurant Awards will be bank muscat Cards.
Co-sponsor Saraya Bandar Jissah has come on board for the fourth time while this is the eighth year for supporting sponsor, African & Eastern.
Tariq Atiq, AGM, Cards & eBanking, bank muscat whorepresented the bank at the launching ceremony said, ''Bank muscat is proud to be closely associated with the 12th Oman Today Restaurant Awards, which define a culinary benchmark for the hospitality sector in Oman. As the nation's leading banking partner, bank muscat attaches great importance to initiatives aimed at contributing to the country's progress and development in all arenas, including tourism. bank muscat remains committed to promoting the tourism sector, which is witnessing significant developments in the country."
''Time and again, bank muscat takes the lead in creating unique opportunities that enrich life for customers. The widest range of cards from bank muscat enhances a fine dining experience and contributes to promoting the brand Oman. bank muscat cards, which spell convenience and security, are the preferred mode of payment in all leading restaurants in Oman. We wish good luck to all the 97 restaurants participating and vying for the awards.''
Lee O'Donoghue, acting VP Sales and marketing of Saraya Bandar Jissah, said, ''This is our fourth year and we are very happy to be part of it. This event is very important to the hospitality industry, and helps strive for quality.''
He further said that it distinguishes the top ones. ''Also, it is a great exposure to Saraya Bandar Jissah,'' he added.
Sean Hennessey, general manager of African & Eastern, said, ''The experience has been terrific over the last many years and it is a great pleasure to be a part of the awards ceremony, which involves a cross-section of society.'' He said that such an event is great for the industry and expressed happiness over Oman Today Restaurant Awards getting bigger and better each year.
Judges will visit all finalists anonymously between December and February 2014.
The judges' votes will be collated and the winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Thursday, February 13 at Al Midan Amphitheatre, Shangri-La's Barr al Jissah Resort & Spa.
Participants
Buffet 7
Café 10
Far Eastern 7
North Indian 9
South Indian 6
Italian 5
Middle Eastern 5
Newcomer 12
Pub Food 6
Fine Dining 3
Casual Dining
(Independent) 20
Casual Dining (Hotel) 7
Restaurants could enter themselves into one of the above categories from September. Entries were accepted till Oct
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