The UAE’s food scene might centre around the glitz of Dubai’s rotating celebrity chefs, but the rest of the nation’s streets are also lined with sensational tastes.
From the intoxicating smells that waft from unassuming holes-in-the-wall to vibrant colours that form a melange on your plate, each dish tells a story – if you know where to find them.
In this series of guides, we speak to the experts – the tour guides, the nature-lovers and the artists – to unveil the UAE’s hidden gems.
In our last instalment, we speak to the foodies who have eaten their way around Dubai.
Now, we’ve cast the net out across Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with another set of chefs and food experts leading the way.
Russian borscht and vegan feasts in Abu Dhabi
For the founder of food website Best Bites UAE, Rachael Partington, it’s the small, family-run restaurants that form the backbone of the food scene in Abu Dhabi. And for those reasons, nowhere compares to Bandung.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
“This little slice of Indonesia is one of Abu Dhabi’s best hidden gems,” says Partington of the spot in Al Zahiyah. “It's a humble place that serves outstanding nasi goreng, which is a really flavourful accompaniment to the beef rendang.
“The squid in red chilli sauce and the lemon iced tea are super. What’s more, two people can eat well for under Dh100.”
For Abu Dhabi’s growing number of meat-free diners, Partington recommends Madinat Zayed’s Golden Spoon, a family affair led by Sahil Jairath and his parents.
“The menu is tremendous,” Partington says. “I particularly love the dahi bhalla. It’s a yoghurt-based dumpling dish that is simply delicious.
“Everything here is cooked with love from Mama Jairath’s own family recipes. It’s also incredibly pocket-friendly, which is just another reason to love it.”
Abu Dhabi isn’t particularly well known for its eastern European cuisine, but venture into a cluster of shops behind Hamna Street in Al Markayizah and you’ll be rewarded with borscht and plov aplenty at Russian House Kitchen, says Partington.
“Russian House Kitchen does exactly what it says on the tin – it serves excellent, home-style Russian food from scratch. There’s everything from freshly baked bread and pastries to superb borscht and jarkoe. I also love the chebureki, which is a deep-fried crispy pastry with seasoned ground beef and cheese.”
Partington’s final recommendation is Madinat Zayed’s Saigon House, a low-key Vietnamese eatery serving up authenticity in every bowl.
“I urge people to try the soft, pillowy banh bot loc tom, or tapioca shrimp dumplings,” she says. “Our team also love the pho, the coui goun fresh spring rolls and the banh xeo savoury pancake.”
Fujairah’s top Italian job and ‘one of the world’s best kebabs’
When it comes to identifying authenticity in the UAE, there’s only one person better to ask than someone born and raised eating the food – and that’s a chef born and raised eating the food.
And when it comes to Mediterranean-style seafood, Turkey’s Yunus Emre Aydin heads to Gonu Bar & Grill.
The executive chef at Dubai’s popular Italian restaurant Marea grew up on the Marmaris coast and when he wants a taste of home, the keen traveller hits the seaside spot in Fujairah’s Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort.
“You feel like you’re on the Mediterranean Sea with the exceptional views, the breeze, the sun and the food,” he says. “I’m super-impressed with the quality of the food.
“The Dibba oysters are as good as anywhere you’ll find while the mussel casserole is a delight.”
Fujairah’s shellfish dishes also stand out for Emirati chef Faisal Naser, who praises tiny pop-up Rushfit Mahar for theirs. “It’s a great little food truck where you can find the freshest seafood, especially in oysters and mussels,” he says about the truck located just off Hamzah Al Kufi Street.
“They offer different spices and sauces, great flavours, and it’s well worth the drive.
“I highly recommend the oyster plate, which is a signature dish.”
For meat eaters, Naser, who plans to take his Abu Dhabi restaurant Lento to Dubai in February, gives Iranian kebab shop Kabab Al Bastakiah the highest of praise. “It’s one of the best kebabs I’ve ever tasted,” he says of the restaurant near the Classic Cars Museum of Rugaylat Road.
“My favourite is the tikka lamb kofta kebab, served with freshly baked barbari, a traditional Persian bread. Grab a table on the terrace and enjoy.”
When it comes to high praise, Aydin has received his fair share since the sleek Italian restaurant arrived from New York in 2019. So when the man in charge of running the Dubai branch of the two Michelin-starred restaurant recommends a Fujairah Italian spot, diners should listen up.
“Sapore, which is also in the same hotel as Gonu, serves excellent Italian food,” he says. “For me, you can’t beat a simple margarita pizza, and Sapore’s is incredible.”
Arabian traditions thrive in two roadside RAK restaurants
Visitors and residents in Ras Al Khaimah have a wealth of Middle East foodie destinations to choose from. But when deciding the best, Naser is split between two.
Eshhafan Fareej, in Al Dhait South, is a charming, no-frills destination with a focus on tradition. “It’s just a great spot for authentic Arabic cuisine and the desserts everyone knows and loves,” he says. “Some of the best dishes include the sayadieh, machboos, rose sago and luqaimat.
“The restaurant itself is beautiful and champions traditional decor.”
Fighting for the position of top Mena restaurant is Weza, also in Al Dhait South, where Egyptian classics are served exactly as they have been for centuries. “I go to order the exact three things, because they are delicious: the kebda eskandarany, the stuffed pigeon and the traditional koshari. It’s an Egyptian staple and it’s very good.
“The colourful decor and interesting photography adorning the walls deserve a special mention.”
10 top restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
- Bandung, Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi
- Golden Spoon, Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi
- Russian House Kitchen, Al Markayizah, Abu Dhabi
- Saigon House, Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi
- Gonu Bar & Grill, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah
- Rashfat Mahar, Hamzah Al Kufi St, Fujairah
- Kabab Al Bastakiah, Rugaylat Road, Fujairah
- Sapore, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah
- Eshhafan Fareej, Al Dhait South, Ras Al Khaimah
- Weza, Al Dhait South, Ras Al Khaimah
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
More coverage from the Future Forum
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
