The latest restaurant to join the line-up on the second level of Mall of the Emirates – a few paces from Vox Cinemas, Din Tai Fung, Go Greek, Tribes, Farzi Cafe, et al – is Wicked Crab.
It opened in November, and is led by the team behind one of the UAE’s most popular seafood restaurants, Aprons & Hammers.
What to expect and where to sit
A true-blue surf and turf vibe is tough to channel in the middle of one of Dubai’s busiest malls, but Wicked Crab manages it all the same.
This is down to its neon orange signs, illuminated palm trees and seven surfboards doubling as wall art. The light wood floors, and chairs done up in cane or pops of teal and yellow, round up the cheery decor.
You can opt for couch seating around crescent-shaped booths, or table seating.
The menu
Deviating from the usually compact offerings by most surf and turf restaurants, the Wicked Crab menu boasts no fewer than 50 dishes.
These are categorised under small plates, salads, tacos, maki rolls, sandwiches, signature shellfish, large plates and seafood boils, plus sides, sauces, desserts and a children’s menu.
My dining partner and I start with the clam chowder (Dh45) and California rolls (Dh40), two classics that we hope will provide tantalising hints for the deliciousness that’s about to follow. And then we wait … but not for long.
You know that seemingly drawn-out waiting period after you order your first dish and it arrives piping hot from the kitchen? Well, that just does not happen at Wicked Crab. The dishes arrive no more than 90 seconds after we place our order.
A sip (bite?) of the chowder reveals a hearty creamy concoction full of clam meat, so full marks for this one. (Tip: get this to share if you want to try other things).
The rolls, however, leave much to be desired. Freshness is the USP of all things maki, and this dish is simply not. The sushi rice is dry, the tobiko flaking off unevenly from the eight pieces served, and the flavours of crab stick, mango and cucumber are undistinguishable.
Our next course, the crispy soft-shell crab sandwich (Dh75) is a blend of both the above experiences. It arrives in under two minutes of being ordered, but the black brioche bread is moist and moreish, the fried crab is indulgent, and the coleslaw, fries and sriracha mayo dip served on the side are on point.
Our final course redeems Wicked Crab and its parent company, Aprons & Hammers, to no end. The mixed bucket (Dh135) comes with half an Omani lobster, four tiger prawns and four blue crabs, all of which offer tender, tasty meat that can easily be eaten as is. But don’t!
The real highlight at this restaurant is its flavourful and innovative sauces. Of these there are six, and I highly recommend ordering more than one so it feels like each bite is a different dish.
Choose from tangy green harissa and lemon butter, buttery pepper cream and saffron cream, and spicy Cajun and garlic-chilli. Our favourites were the harissa and Cajun, although crabmeat goes superbly with the pepper cream as well.
The dish is served with a pair of gloves, a bib, an empty bucket (which is judiciously replaced several times, well before it gets to tipping point), a seafood pick and a mallet. That final tool needs employing for the blue crab, the sweetest meat of which lies in the claws.
Standout dish
The mixed bucket is indeed a fab mix of succulent, sweet seafood meat, although I might just go for the blue crab bucket the next time around.
While it takes a while to get through this dish if you want to extract every tender morsel, it’s the only time you’ll be waiting for your food at Wicked Crab, making it a speedy option if you have a movie to catch at Vox Cinemas next door.
A chat with the chef
Head chef Etienne Mieny is from South Africa, and has previously worked at Maison Mathis, Morah, Mamazonia and Wavehouse in Dubai. He describes his cooking style as fusion and says he loves working with live shellfish. “There is something about the freshness of live ingredients that can’t be replaced. I also love the way you need to eat crab, you have to use your hands and get messy; it's not just eating, it's feeding your soul.”
Price point and contact information
Small plates, salads and sides range from Dh20 to Dh65; tacos and maki rolls are Dh45 a pop; sandos go from Dh65 to Dh85; while the shellfish and seafood boils can set you back between Dh95 and Dh395.
Wicked Crab is on the second level of Mall of the Emirates. It seats 140 and tables are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The%20specs
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
EA Sports FC 24
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
The%20specs
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
