With more than a dozen restaurants and cafes now up and running at Yas Bay Waterfront, the area is expected to shine this winter.
Occupying pride of place along the winding, water-facing stretch of eateries is La Carnita, which opened its first outpost in the capital last November and, like its thumping Dubai outpost, serves modern Mexican cuisine in a vibrant setting.
Where to sit and what to expect
A table on the waterfront patio is a no-brainer during the cooler months. The space feels lush, fitted out with cushioned wicker armchairs and plenty of greenery. The potted plants theme also extends within, which has a more resto-lounge vibe complete with neon lighting, plush circular booths and funky wall art. The music can get a bit loud inside, but it’s all part of the fun-loving fiesta the restaurant aims to put on every day.
The menu
La Carnita serves traditional Mexican food adapted for regional tastes, rather than fast food-style Tex-Mex, which tends to be lavish in its use of cheese and cream. My dining companion and I begin our meal with a classic guacamole (Dh60), served with a plain and simple (and all the better for it) avocado mash. The dish stands out for the tortillas it is served with; contrary to the plain variety, the chef sprinkles the crispy corn tortillas with a tangy ancho chilli powder that pairs superbly with the hand-picked avocados. No lime needed.
Next, we sample a Mexican-style burrata (Dh90), in which the cheese is matched to great success with a chimichurri, chipotle and chilli and coriander oil base. The tanginess of the oil offsets the creaminess of the cheese to delectable effect.
Likewise, the sea bass ceviche (Dh60) is a piquant mix of jalapeno, cucumber, pumpkin seeds and blackened chilli in a citrus dressing. I only wish it were served over ice, or at least a touch colder than room temperature, for the citrusy freshness the fish is infused with to really shine through.
From the hot starters, we picked the eight-spice shrimp — a must for anyone ruing the lack of over-creamy options. I’m not sure what the octet of spices is meant to be, but you’ll never find me complaining about fresh shrimps doused in garlic cream and spicy brown butter.
We overlook the “main” mains (a mix of meat and seafood dishes) for the chef’s taco platter (Dh189 for 10 pieces). Of the ones we choose, the pollo fritto trumps the achiote chicken, although lovers of grilled chicken and pineapple (salsa) should still opt for the latter. The frito comes with sinful fried chicken and a peanut-lime hot sauce.
If you’re not counting your calories at this meal, opt for the fried taco shells or tostadas, which are far superior than the soft, plain and slightly stale-tasting variety.
Standout dish
Our third choice of taco, the vegetarian mushroom tostada, is the star of this Mexican meal. It is a crunchy feast all the way — from the tostada base and crisp mushrooms to the pea shoots, shallots and pickled chilli. These are all drizzled with fermented chilli crema, cotija cheese and a balsamic soy glaze. It’s messy to eat, but worth every lick.
A chat with the chef
Head chef Nilton Ceccarelli is half Brazilian, half Italian; studied to become a chef at Westminster College London; and has worked at Cafe Emm Soho and The Swan Covent Garden in the UK, and La Serre, Reform Social Grill and Lucky Voice in the UAE. He’s been in charge of La Carnita for the past three years.
Ceccarelli describes his cooking style as finding a balance and focusing on the basics. “My cardinal rule is to source good quality ingredients and then not ruin them," he says.
“It is important to follow the basics of cooking and I would also recommend having a taste as you cook — this ensures consistency, and that is one of my key attributes to success.”
The chef recommends mushroom tostada for vegetarians; carne asda for meat enthusiasts; and the sea bass fillet for seafood lovers. “Also, no meal at La Carnita is complete without our churros with cajeta caramel sauce,” he adds.
Price point and contact information
Cold starters range from Dh45 to Dh90; hot starters are from Dh35 to Dh65; and mains will set you back between Dh140 and Dh680 (for the 1.3-kilogram Tomahawk, called the Big Tommy Steak on the menu). Tacos can be ordered individually, and are priced at Dh22 a pop or Dh58 for a trio.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
