The capital has been buzzing with activity ever since the launch of the Abu Dhabi Culinary Festival – and its most recent activity offers a delicious way to explore the city’s food scene.
The Hidden Gems Scavenger Hunt is a digital interactive game that will take place until Tuesday, December 15. Created in partnership with Best Bites Abu Dhabi, the aim is to introduce hungry adventurers to some of the city’s most authentic restaurants.
How it works
Participants have to download the GooseChase App on Android or iOS, and search for Hidden Gems – Best Bites. They can then sign up as a team (of up to four people) or as an individual. Once in the game, they have to visit the city’s secret hot spots and order three recommended dishes. There are “missions” like taking pictures of the three dishes, answering a trivia question about the restaurant, capturing video or selfies, tagging the group on social media and posting a GPS check-in. Taking part in these challenges puts them into the draw for weekly prizes.
The scavengers can also keep an eye out for email blasts from Best Bites that will provide opportunities to earn extra points.
In the end, the five teams with the most points will go into a draw to win a grand prize. Some of the prizes include fine dining experiences, mall vouchers, products and staycations.
A call to support local businesses
There are 22 hidden gems listed in the scavenger hunt. Some examples are Al Dharfra, the seafood restaurant in Al Mina; Kabul Afghanistan, the popular Afghani restaurant and West to West Kitchen which serves Caribbean food. According to Rachael Partington, managing director at Best Bites Abu Dhabi, the restaurants have been chosen with care, being ones that serve interesting, well-executed food and having an engaging staff.
“The Hidden Gems list was formulated out of a huge list of restaurants that we know offer great food and will create a buzz for true foodies. These restaurants are the beating heart of Abu Dhabi’s culinary scene and deserve to be showcased. We also believe that sometimes people aren’t sure what to order when they get to these places, which is why we decided to choose three dishes we believe offer a variety for everyone to enjoy and to tell the story of the restaurant.”
These restaurants are the beating heart of Abu Dhabi's culinary scene and deserve to be showcased
Examples of the dishes waiting to be explored are the chicken agashe, a lightly marinated chicken barbecue dish from Sudanese eatery Al Mufraka, Bosnian kebabs from Bosnian Hut, and the Spanish tortilla at Ole! Espana.
There is also the added benefit of supporting local establishments which Partington says is “more important than ever”.
“Small restaurants like this have very little (if any) marketing budget and are struggling in this market like all the restaurants in town. We hope that being part of the Hidden Gems campaign will open people’s minds to trying these little places again in future,” she says
“We also wanted to recognise the truly excellent skills of chefs and staff in these places: some of what they serve every day is just glorious and we’re so happy to give them a shout-out. Even if you don’t want to join (the hunt), do go and see what makes these places so special.”
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
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Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
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31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
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Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
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- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
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
