At San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles, a glass wall separates the open kitchen from diners, and chefs can be seen pulling dough into long strips using their hands.
Every twist, stretch and fold looks performative.
This humble shack nestled in a basement in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers, is not a Michelin-recommended restaurant, nor is it part of the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list – both of these award-conferring culinary bodies made their UAE debut last year.
It is, however, one of the hidden gems in the area and exactly the kind of establishment World of Mouth aims to highlight on its platform.
The restaurant guide, founded by Helsinki-based food writer Kenneth Nars, has a simple agenda – collate trusted recommendations from chefs, restaurateurs, critics and foodies on the best dining spots around the world.
San Wan, which opened early this year, serves affordable dishes from northern China. Here, seven pieces of chicken wantons are Dh26, and traditional biang biang noodles cost Dh41.
World of Mouth's list is not based on a strict guideline, as in the Michelin Guide. Instead, hand-picked culinary experts are encouraged to dish out their personal recommendations “without the noise of ratings or advertising”.
“World of Mouth is made by people who care – that's why I've never been disappointed with the recommendations in the guide,” says Santiago Lastra, one of the platform's experts and the chef-patron of Michelin-starred restaurant Kol in London.
Other experts in the mix include Danish chef Rene Redzepi of Noma – previously voted World's Best Restaurant for four consecutive years between 2010 and 2014 – in Copenhagen, Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur in France and Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.
Food influencer Hani Al Malki, who is also known as the Bedouin Foodie, is also part of the World of Mouth community, as is Philip Rosenthal of Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil.
These experts cannot recommend their own venues and no restaurant can pay its way on to the platform, which is refreshingly ad-free.
Currently, World of Mouth has more than 10,000 recommendations in 2,000 cities, with about 75,000 users on the free mobile application.
Mena restaurants on the platform
The arrival of the Michelin Guide in Dubai and Abu Dhabi has stirred the simmering pot of the UAE's food scene, which is only projected to become more competitive in the coming years.
There's also the World's 50 Best, now in its second year, putting restaurants in this part of the world on the map for gastro-tourists.
There are now 122 restaurants across the Mena region mentioned on the World of Mouth platform.
While the list has its share of award-winning restaurants, such as Tresind Studio, which recently clinched two Michelin stars, plus 3 Fils, Boca, Orfali Bros and Moonrise, true to the platform's aim, these big names sit alongside casual dining venues. Think Big T BBQ Kitchen in Al Quoz; Streetery Food Hall in JLT, which features a set of kiosks serving street food from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia; and Niri in Abu Dhabi recommended by envelope-pushing Bahraini chef Tala Bashmi.
Other restaurants from the UAE capital include Brauhaus, Almayass, Otoro and Villa Toscana.
Each recommendation includes a short review from an expert, as well as a link to its website, address, contact details and operating hours.
One recommendation by Bedouin Foodie Al Malki is Rivas Restaurant. “It is hidden inside a small neighbourhood mall near Burj Al Arab. The food is exquisite. The grills are done to perfection. Everything they have there tastes like home cooking,” he writes, calling it the best Persian restaurant in Dubai.
These heartfelt and personalised reviews are the main selling point of World of Mouth, whose rather relaxed curation of venues allows it to include cities where the Michelin Guide and other culinary award organisations are not yet present.
The platform also has 10 restaurants in Lebanon, across Beirut, Ain Jdideh, Deir Mar Youssef, Antelias and Baouchriyeh in Mount Lebanon, including seafood venue Feluka and local favourite Tawlet.
There are two restaurants from Egypt – El Sid Restaurant in Cairo and famous breakfast spot Mohamed Ahmed Restaurant in Alexandria, which has been serving diners since 1957.
A lot of the guide's contributing foodies and experts go intentionally deep into each city's offerings. For example, the guide mentions a fish market restaurant in the island of South Sitra in Bahrain, where guests shop freshly caught seafood and ask the chef for a personalised meal.
Morocco has 22 restaurants, with most in Marrakech. Mohamed El Baroudi, who is the academy chair for North and West Africa for the World's 50 Best group, has a few recommended spots in the city, including Sahbi Sahbi, which he lauds for its traditional Moroccan family dishes. Notably, the restaurant is not part of Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
