The National's Taste Test series takes you inside the latest restaurants just before they open their doors, and ask chefs what dishes they would recommend and what makes them special, for you to then order (or, indeed, avoid).
Here we get a preview of the menu at Late Eatery, a full-service restaurant that opens in Dubai on Thursday.
Inside Late Eatery
If you live in Dubai South, like I do, the new restaurant is a bit of a trek all the way up north to Al Khawaneej, a predominantly Emirati locale bordering Sharjah. It sits within Valley 77, an up-and-coming culinary destination filled with food trucks and other eateries. It's a little bit like Last Exit, albeit more modern in look and feel.
While most brands occupy small sites, Late Eatery is a full-blown restaurant, with airy interiors, natural light, olive green tones and natural design elements such as wood and stone.
The highlight, though, is the expertise of Aadel Ouaoua who has been tapped to create an international menu. The French chef is known for his work at RSVP, a Michelin-lauded French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Boxpark, at the other end of town.
“I like moving from one place to another,” Ouaoua tells The National, adding he still consults with RSVP but is adamant about wanting to “further explore”. His broad experience working in Europe and Asia is reflected in the menu at Late Eatery, but with a touch of local flavours via ingredients popular in the emirate, from saffron to beetroot.
You can have escargot for starter and move on to a main of robata steak with teriyaki sauce. There's hummus on the menu too, as well as flatbreads.
“This restaurant will cater to the local population in nearby neighbourhoods,” he predicts. However, those who don't live around would still do well to sample the new restaurant – and enjoy a mini-road trip in the process.
When it opens on Thursday, Ouaoua recommends ordering the following dishes.
Labneh with beetroot and hazelnuts
“This is a very simple dish that's perfect during the summer,” says Ouaoua. “It's basically labneh and baby beetroot. There's olive oil and roasted hazelnuts, as well as a bit of honey in there for a touch of sweetness.” It is served with thinly sliced sourdough.
Taste test: I'm not a big fan of beetroot's earthy taste, but the creamy labneh perfectly masks it. Although on the heavier side, the dish is a good start that can complement most of the mains on Ouaoua's menu. The labneh provides a cool and fresh base, the beetroot delivers crunch, while the roasted hazelnuts add depth to the otherwise simplistic flavour, tied together by an olive oil drizzle.
Charred red pepper with feta
“The capsicum is cooked nicely in a charcoal oven to give it the smoky flavour. I use a special olive oil from Spain,” says the chef. “We add bits of feta cheese on top, as well as roasted pistachio and herbs.”
Taste test: I am partial to red bell pepper, but what Ouaoua does in the charcoal oven made it even more divine. The freshness is apparent upon the first bite, while the smokiness adds a lot of character to the dish. The salty tang from the crumbled feta cheese creates a delightful contrast, with the nuts and herbs elevating its texture. This can be easily eaten with sourdough, too.
Robata steak with teriyaki sauce
“We don't marinade the tenderloin; we only put salt and pepper,” says Ouaoua. “This dish is also cooked in charcoal at very high temperatures, which gives it a smoky flavour.” The chef explains he uses Japanese techniques to cut the tenderloin, which plays a key role in the end result.
Taste test: The flavour combination of smokiness (from the robata cooking) and sweetness (from the teriyaki sauce) is superlative. Despite its smoky essence, the meat is perfectly tender, and the sauce complements the cut beautifully with its touch of umami. Ouaoua also served another sauce, a green oil concoction he says has a “secret ingredient”. I would happily buy bottles of its smoky goodness.
Truffle flatbread
“I like my pizzas really, really thin,” says Ouaoua, as the flatbread is served. “The toppings are simple: Parmesan, cream and truffle – both paste and shavings.”
Taste test: Even after very generous servings of the other dishes, I still had a few too many slices of the flatbread. I normally brush off truffle, but this time I embraced it in its full glory. The bed of cream is perfectly salty with the Parmesan doing the heavy lifting. The punchy taste of the truffle is enough, too – there is no need to add any other topping or spice.
HAJJAN
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
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
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
Avatar%20(2009)
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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
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.
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
The%20specs
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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
RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
Read more about the coronavirus
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company%20Profile
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Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Celta Vigo v Villarreal (midnight kick-off UAE)
Saturday Sevilla v Real Sociedad (4pm), Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao (7.15pm), Granada v Barcelona (9.30pm), Osasuna v Real Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Levante v Eibar (4pm), Cadiz v Alaves (7.15pm), Elche v Getafe (9.30pm), Real Valladolid v Valencia (midnight)
Monday Huesca v Real Betis (midnight)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)