When it comes to food, nothing quite says opulence like a garnishing of gold.
With the UAE being home to some truly exquisite fine-dining establishments, gilded dishes and drinks form a common sight on menus.
It is a bit surprising, especially since the glittering material doesn’t offer anything in terms of taste. Edible gold, which is usually 23- to 24-karat, and served crushed as a powder for garnishing or pounded into a fine sheet, is flavourless.
That has done little to slow its demand, with a number of restaurants launching new dishes or limited-edition items for that extra wow factor.
Thinking of getting a taste of opulence? Check out these UAE dishes that are, well, worth their weight in gold.
The dishes can be seen in the gallery above.
22-karat gold O'vada pao from O’Pao
You can now elevate your pao with a touch of gold at O'Pao. The Indian outlet in Karama, Dubai, is now serving 22-karat gold O'vada pao sliders, priced at Dh99 – a jump from the majority of the eatery's Dh10 to Dh20 menu options.
The pao is served in a carved wooden box, with a side of theatre by way of liquid nitrogen, along with a portion of sweet potato fries and mint lemonade.
The vegetarian vada pao is filled with cheese and French truffle butter and topped with mint mayonnaise. The vada, a seasoned potato dumpling, is then wrapped in 22-karat gold leaf.
24-karat gold burrata from Marea Dubai
The DIFC haunt is the latest to launch a glittering offering, and there really is something about a golden burrata that screams Dubai.
The newly launched dish comprises handmade burrata flown in from southern Italy, coated with 24-karat gold leaf and accompanied by fresh tomatoes, Taggiasca olive oil and salsa verde, all for Dh220.
Glittering dim sum from Hakkasan Abu Dhabi
Hakkasan has long been known as a king of luxury Cantonese food. Its Abu Dhabi branch, located at Emirates Palace, serves up a gold leaf har gau as part of its supreme dim sum platter, priced at Dh135.
Earlier this year, the Dubai branch, located at Atlantis, The Palm also launched a limited-edition gold-coated duck, in celebration of the Chinese Golden Week. The duck is no longer available, but it’s well worth keeping an eye out to see whether the dish, part of a three-course meal priced at Dh418 per person, will make a reappearance.
Armani Golden Cappuccino from Armani Hotel Dubai
The hotel’s gilded drink, available at Armani/Lounge, is made from Arabic beans and 23-karat gold. The “luxury in a cup”, as they call it, goes for Dh80.
Gold striploin steak from Doors Freestyle Grill
The steakhouse has something for guests who want to “dine like royalty” – a succulent striploin steak coated in a fine sheet of gold. The extravagant dish is yours to carve up for Dh786. The restaurant can also add gold on to other dishes upon request.
Black Diamond sundae from Scoopi Cafe
The cafe located on Jumeirah Beach Road offers what may well be the UAE’s most extravagant dessert. The Black Diamond sundae is made with vanilla bean ice cream from Madagascar, saffron from Iran, rare black truffles from Italy and 23-karat gold edible flakes and powder, all served in a Versace bowl with a Versace spoon – which you get to keep. It’s little wonder this ostentatious dish is priced at Dh3,000.
Gold offerings from Emirates Palace
Edible gold seems to be something of a theme at this luxury hotel in the capital. Le Cafe, within the hotel, is known for its gold-topped chocolates and ice cream cones, while the Emirates Palace cappuccino (Dh69) also has a sprinkling of 23-karat gold flakes.
Sticky date pudding from Ce La Vi Dubai
The luxurious Singaporean restaurant that opened on level 54 of the Address Sky View hotel earlier this year has a number of tempting options, including the black truffle sushi rice risotto and roasted black cod. Round off your meal with their sticky date pudding (Dh65), made with medjool dates, candied walnuts, brown butter ice cream and hot toffee sauce. And a sprinkling of gold, of course.
Everything at 24 Karat Dubai
Those looking to elevate their food can head down to 24 Karat Dubai, which offers diners the chance to have gold sprinkled on any of their dishes. Each dish comes with two price tags, one for the normal version and one for the gold version.
A strawberry tart from Shimmers
Those looking for a luxe sweet treat can head over to the Mediterranean restaurant in Jumeirah Mina A'Salam. The strawberry tart there comes with orange blossom cream, a Modena balsamic vinegar reduction and a touch of gold. It is priced at Dh64.
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Naga
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
6.30pm: Liwa Oaisi Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
