If you’re in the mood for a tasty new dish, here’s a look at some restaurants that have recently popped up or are slated to open in Dubai soon – plus one delicious chef-led dinner. Bon appetite.
Australian favourite Oporto is coming to Dubai in March
Aussies craving a little taste of home will rejoice to know restaurant chain Oporto has announced it will open its first UAE branch in Dubai Festival City Mall in March.
Although the exact date is yet to be announced, residents can soon sink their teeth into the Portuguese-style burgers and flame-grilled chicken that the restaurant is known for.
The famed Bondi Burger, created in 1986 by Oporto’s founder and Portuguese immigrant Antonio Cerqueira, will also be on the menu, and comprises a flame-grilled chicken breast fillet burger doused in the restaurant’s signature chilli sauce. Also on the must-try list are its whole, half chicken or quarter chicken boxes and creamy Prego sauce. Pair these with the restaurant’s chips for a hearty meal.
Sanderson’s expands to Dubai with delicious community initiatives
After years of delighting residents in Abu Dhabi, home-grown restaurant Sanderson's branched out into Dubai’s Sustainable City on Sunday, February 14.
The restaurant is known for its laid-back vibe and a focus on nutritious, sustainable and wholesome food, and it will be bringing that ethos to its second branch.
On the menu are dishes such as the tropical smoothie bowl and pan-roasted sea bass with zaatar, crushed baby potatoes, pickled beetroot and yoghurt dill sauce, all of which are made from scratch using seasonal ingredients.
Moreover, the restaurant will offer a range of activities for the community in the months to come, from a menu dedicated to cyclists at the Al Qudra track to ladies’ night cooking classes, as well as a play area and cooking classes for children.
Lucky Fish to make a splash at Palm Jumeirah’s West Beach
It’s already home to a wealth of new dining concepts – from Koko Bay to Senor Pico – and Palm Jumeriah will soon have another noteworthy addition to its culinary scene.
Mediterranean restaurant Lucky Fish will be opening this month, with a menu inspired by the flavours of the ocean, and highlighting Italian, French and Spanish flavours.
The restaurant will work with local fisherman and present a daily display of fresh seafood on ice, with an emphasis on local and seasonal varieties. Guests can enjoy the food inside with the whimsical shabby-chic interiors – complete with elegant 19th-century chandeliers – or enjoy views of the Dubai skyline from the beach cabanas outside.
Have a vegan shawarma at Ila Restaurant and Cafe
Mezze aside, vegan Middle Eastern food can often be hard to find. But that’s exactly what newcomer Ila Restaurant and Cafe, which recently opened at Al Seef district in Dubai, offers.
The restaurant specialises in classic Middle Eastern cuisine: think cold and hot mezze, sandwiches, tagine, manakish, grills, salads and classic breakfast. But, in keeping with changing customer behaviour, it has also partnered with Just Vegan to launch a wide-ranging vegan menu. From “chicken” pasta and nuggets to “meat” avocado burgers and even shawarmas, there are plenty of plant-based options to choose between.
You can enjoy it all from the contemporary two-level restaurant that offers views of the Dubai Creek.
Hop over to Twenty9 for international dishes and sky-high views
If you can’t quite stick to any one cuisine, Millennium Place Barsha Heights has just launched Twenty9, which has something for everyone.
On the menu are popular dishes across cuisines, from a selection of mezze items, salads and shish tawook, to Wagyu sliders, fish tacos, grilled prawns and even a barbecue station.
The restaurant has been created to encapsulate “relaxed formality”, meaning it will feature modern, contemporary designs and friendly service. Its 29th-floor location guarantees spectacular views.
Savour a one-off degustation menu by star chef Gal Ben-Moshe
If you’re looking to treat yourself to a unique culinary offering this month, chef Gal Ben-Moshe, who helms the Michelin-starred restaurant Prism in Germany, will team up with local chefs Nick Alvis and Scott Price to serve a six-course degustation menu on Thursday, February 25. It will take place at Folly by Nick and Scott.
Ben-Moshe is known for pushing the boundaries of Levantine cuisine. At the one-off dinner, diners can expect mutton tartare, grilled red mullet and roast pigeon with beetroot and baharat, plus signature Folly dishes such as crispy hen’s egg, cod fillet with bulghur wheat and beef sirloin. A chocolate mousse with smoked dates by Ben-Moshe, and rhubarb and custard will end the evening on a sweet note.
The dinner takes place at 7pm and is priced at Dh850 per person. To book, call 04 430 8535.
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Read more:
Live to eat: 3 recipes to elevate rice, beetroot and chicken soup
CZN Burak reopens after Covid-19 breaches: what has changed?
Where to find the best takeaway pancakes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
More on animal trafficking
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
The specs: 2018 Ford F-150
Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Company%20Profile
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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.
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
