Nuri on Yas Bay Waterfront serves Korean barbecue in keeping with the UAE's fascination for K-food. Photo: Nuri Grill & Bar
Nuri on Yas Bay Waterfront serves Korean barbecue in keeping with the UAE's fascination for K-food. Photo: Nuri Grill & Bar
Nuri on Yas Bay Waterfront serves Korean barbecue in keeping with the UAE's fascination for K-food. Photo: Nuri Grill & Bar
Nuri on Yas Bay Waterfront serves Korean barbecue in keeping with the UAE's fascination for K-food. Photo: Nuri Grill & Bar

Diner’s delight: How Abu Dhabi is making a mark on the global food map


Panna Munyal
  • English
  • Arabic

“Nothing short of remarkable.” That’s how chef Andrew Lee describes Abu Dhabi’s dining scene in 2024.

He should know. Lee has been helming Hakkasan in Emirates Palace since the Cantonese restaurant's inception in the UAE capital. In the 14 years since he took up the reins of what is, arguably, one of the city's most popular restaurants, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi has won and retained a prestigious Michelin star; created a dish that was served at Hakkasan outposts all over the world for Chinese New Year; and – in something of a culinary coup – flown down Tala Bashmi, the region’s most successful female chef.

The collaboration with Bashmi was but one of the many multi-chef or so-called “four-hands meals” increasingly available to foodies living in and visiting Abu Dhabi.

Chef Andrew Lee and Bahraini chef Tala Bashmi served a meal that incorporated Chinese and Middle Eastern flavours at Hakkasan Abu Dhabi. Photo: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Chef Andrew Lee and Bahraini chef Tala Bashmi served a meal that incorporated Chinese and Middle Eastern flavours at Hakkasan Abu Dhabi. Photo: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental

In April, chef Kelvin Cheung of Jun’s fame collaborated with Dai Pai Dong’s chef Dong at Rosewood Abu Dhabi. In September, French chef Nicolas Isnard will serve a limited-time meal alongside chef Ludovic Turac at his first restaurant in the UAE, Bord Eau at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri.

High-profile chefs aside, at least three of Dubai’s most popular restaurants are set to open their doors to Abu Dhabi diners in the coming weeks and months. These include: 3 Fils, Mena’s Best Restaurant of 2022, at The Abu Dhabi Edition in Al Bateen; New York import SushiSamba at Etihad Towers, both of which are slated for Q4; and Pincode by celebrity Indian chef Kunal Kapur, which will open at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in September.

As Kapur notes: “I’m amazed by how Abu Dhabi mixes old traditions with modern life, and now it’s getting interested in different styles of cooking, including new ways of making traditional dishes.”

Hanar, by the Kurdish brothers behind ramen restaurant Daikan, meanwhile, is already in its soft-launch phase at Yas Bay and offers traditional dishes of Mesopotamia.

“The past few years have seen a stream of world-class sporting, musical and artistic events come to Abu Dhabi. The city is booming with tourists, residents, visitors and new businesses and – from our point of view – there has never been a better time to invest and open a venue here,” say Hanar co-founders Bilal and Salih Elmascan.

Hanar, by the owners of Daikan, serves dishes inspired by Mesopotamia. Photo: Hanar
Hanar, by the owners of Daikan, serves dishes inspired by Mesopotamia. Photo: Hanar

New restaurants aside, the Cultural Foundation in the capital has already welcomed a culinary school by the world’s most celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse, and will also have an outpost of Le Cordon Bleu at The Grove on Saadiyat Island by early next year.

These are but a handful of many examples showing how Abu Dhabi has, finally, come into its own when catering to local and international foodies.

What’s in it for the diner?

As more chefs and restaurants seek to make a name for themselves on the capital’s culinary circuit, the one demographic that stands to benefit the most is the diner.

When Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Talea by Antonio Guida at Emirates Palace invited chef Daniele Cason from Tokyo’s Pizza Bar on 38th for a four-hands meal, for example, the menu was replete with dishes a diner would not otherwise have an opportunity to sample. Bashmi’s collaboration with Hakkasan at the same hotel, meanwhile, offered diners a blend of Chinese and Middle Eastern flavour profiles.

Michael Koth, general manager of Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, says: “Abu Dhabi is creating a thriving and diverse culinary scene, from using locally sourced ingredients in new restaurants to offering small but sophisticated haute cuisine. Furthermore, we are witnessing new recipes that blend various cultures in a single dish, leaving many people spellbound.”

Indeed, as The National’s reviews of Nuri and Toto noted, the former’s flair for Korean barbecue and the latter’s retro-style fine-dining Italian dishes were nothing short of culinary magic.

Sauteed prawns with black venere rice and stracciatella. Photo: Toto Abu Dhabi
Sauteed prawns with black venere rice and stracciatella. Photo: Toto Abu Dhabi

Fans of Mediterranean fare can sample treats such as fried feta filo and wild bass carpaccio at Mika in Yas Marina; and seafood bouillabaisse at Flamingo Room, helmed by Dubai-based South African restaurateur Natasha Sideris.

Indigenous flavours, too, are coming into their own. MouzMari is an Argentinian steakhouse with an Emirati twist, which translates to dishes such as ceviche using Abu Dhabi’s renowned muhammar fish and Wagyu tenderloin complemented by an innovative side of steamed corn swimming in a cheese sauce.

And when Erth won its Michelin star, the Emirati-inspired restaurant curated a new menu, comprising such locally inspired delicacies as beetroot salad with Emirati chami cheese and braised lamb machboos with fragrant spiced rice.

Another knock-on effect of Abu Dhabi’s bid to raise the food stakes is the formation of culinary communities around the capital. From Yas Bay and Yas Marina, to Mamsha Al Saadiyat and Al Qana, several areas are now veritable food hubs.

Older restaurants reinvigorated

The push to up the capital’s food game also benefits restaurants that have been around for a long time.

The Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi might have only four starred restaurants on its list, but it also shone a spotlight on more than 40 others via its Bib Gourmand and Michelin-select categories, from budget Malaysian venue Kopitiam by Chandy’s, to Lebanese-Armenian restaurant Almayass, which first opened in Beirut in 1996.

As a result, some eateries that have been around for years now are back on the discerning diner’s radar, from Fishmarket at InterContinental Abu Dhabi and Finz at Beach Rotana to Meylasin Al Muneera and Hoi An at the Shangri-La.

Being Michelin-selected not only helps to spark a renewed interest among residents, but also attracts gastro-tourists.

Elsewhere, hidden gems are being unearthed by initiatives such as Urban Treasures by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. This year's list included venues that are decades old, such as Alfarah Restaurant that was established in 1998, and Alareesh Restaurant that was founded in 1990.

As Abu Dhabi resident and self-proclaimed foodie Hani Masri notes: “I am more attuned to foodie news coming out of the capital now than I ever was before. Earlier, special occasions meant making a trip to the latest or hottest restaurant in Dubai, but now we have the menus of the world on our own doorstep.”

Perhaps chef Bashmi is on to something when she says: “While Dubai held the culinary crown for a while, Abu Dhabi is on its way to catching up.”

UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEquestrian%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdullah%20Humaid%20Al%20Muhairi%2C%20Abdullah%20Al%20Marri%2C%20Omar%20Al%20Marzooqi%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Suwaidi%2C%20and%20Ali%20Al%20Karbi%20(four%20to%20be%20selected).%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EJudo%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Narmandakh%20Bayanmunkh%20(66kg)%2C%20Nugzari%20Tatalashvili%20(81kg)%2C%20Aram%20Grigorian%20(90kg)%2C%20Dzhafar%20Kostoev%20(100kg)%2C%20Magomedomar%20Magomedomarov%20(%2B100kg)%3B%20women's%20Khorloodoi%20Bishrelt%20(52kg).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECycling%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESafia%20Al%20Sayegh%20(women's%20road%20race).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESwimming%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Yousef%20Rashid%20Al%20Matroushi%20(100m%20freestyle)%3B%20women%3A%20Maha%20Abdullah%20Al%20Shehi%20(200m%20freestyle).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAthletics%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMaryam%20Mohammed%20Al%20Farsi%20(women's%20100%20metres).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

Arsenal's pre-season fixtures

Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney

Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney

Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai

July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing

July 29 v Benfica in London

July 30 v Sevilla in London

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

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If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

THREE
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'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Updated: August 06, 2024, 3:36 PM`