Taste of Dubai: How to save Dh500 or more at food festival this weekend


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Taste of Dubai is back this weekend, from Friday to Saturday.

While its regular venue – at the Media City Amphitheatre – may have changed to Skydive Dubai, the annual food festival will continue to offer visitors delicious dishes from top restaurants at a fraction of their usual cost.

This year's participating restaurants include newbies such as Indian fine-dining spot Atrangi by Ritu Dalmia and City Social by Jason Atherton; Michelin-starred and lauded venues such as Torno Subito, Akira Back, Hutong, Indya by Vineet, Jun's and The Artisan; as well as a sneak peek at chef Akmal Anuar's latest venture Osteria Funkcoolio.

The al fresco festival is a chance for discerning diners to sample top fare at heavily discounted rates, as restaurants have been given a menu format specifying only three price points: Dh25, Dh30 and Dh35. Of these, one must be a vegan dish and one must be child-friendly.

Pricing and diet considerations aside, organisers also require restaurants to create and serve a dish exclusive to Taste of Dubai this year, making the event a must-visit for true-blue foodies.

Here is our pick of the dishes that sound most delicious – and discounted.

Duck at Hutong

Save: Dh200+

The Chinese restaurant in the Dubai International Financial Centre is serving its signature roasted Peking duck with pancakes for Dh35. Albeit in bite-sized form here, the delicacy is Dh300 at the restaurant for two to three people.

Salmon fish cake at Rhodes W1

Save: Dh140

Salmon fish cake, Dh35. Photo: Rhodes W1
Salmon fish cake, Dh35. Photo: Rhodes W1

The tribute restaurant to late British chef Gary Rhodes is serving its salmon fish cake for Dh35, down from an original Dh175 for the full-sized dish. As in the restaurant, the festival version will be made with fresh and smoked salmon, mashed potato and spring onion.

Amberjack at Torno Subito

Save: Dh110

Italian master chef Massimo Bottura will serve his Michelin-starred smoked amberjack with compressed sweet melon and Sorrento lemon sauce for Dh30 at Taste of Dubai, down from Dh140 at the W Dubai restaurant.

Tuna tacos at Akira Back

Save: Dh100

Truffle tuna taco, Dh30. Photo: Akira Back
Truffle tuna taco, Dh30. Photo: Akira Back

The eponymous restaurant of Michelin-lauded Korean-American chef Akira Back is a go-to for high-end celebrations in the UAE. At Taste of Dubai, visitors can sample its popular truffle tuna tacos for a mere Dh30, down from Dh130 at The Palm Jumeirah venue.

Potstickers at Jun's

Save: Dh60

The tribute restaurant to late British chef Gary Rhodes is serving its salmon fish cake for Dh35, down from an original Dh175 for the full-sized dish. As in the restaurant, the festival version will be made with fresh and smoked salmon, mashed potato and spring onion.

Guacamole tradicional at Maya

Save: Dh50

If you're feeling like Mexican, Maya by chef Richard Sandoval is on site, serving its signature freshly mixed guacamole for Dh30. Ordering it at the Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa spot will set you back Dh80.

Nashi pear crumble at City Social

Save: Dh30

Acclaimed British chef Jason Atherton's restaurant is making its debut at the festival with one of its signature sweet treats for Dh30 – half the price if ordered at the high-rise Grosvenor House venue.

Chole bhature at Atrangi

Save: Dh30

Celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia will serve the popular Indian dish at her first Taste of Dubai outing, for 50 per cent less than its original cost, so Dh30 instead of Dh60.

Food – and savings – aside, Taste of Dubai has various culinary-themed activities, from celebrity chef masterclasses to mum-and-child cooking workshops and an interactive coffee-making stand. Live entertainment is also on the cards, as well as carnival-style games, activities and bouncy castles to keep the little ones one busy.

Taste of Dubai runs from Friday to Saturday at Skydive Dubai; entry fees start at Dh75 a person; more information is available at tasteofdubaifestival.com

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199

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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 specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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UAE-based players

Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim

Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout

Adidas @adidaswomen

Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills

Balmain @balmain

Burberry @burberry

ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics

Dior @dior

H&M @hm

Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop

KKW @kkwbeauty

Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics

MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics

Michael Kors @michaelkors

NARS @narsissist

Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen

NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics

Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta

Ouai Hair @theouai

Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices

Prada @prada

Revolve @revolve

Uniqlo @uniqlo

Warby Parker @warbyparker

Zara @zara

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km

Price: from Dh362,500

On sale: now

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

While you're here
What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

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List of alleged parties

 May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members

May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party

Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff

Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson

Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party

Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters

Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz

Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party

Updated: February 22, 2024, 11:25 AM`