One of the best things about living in the UAE is that you can enjoy cuisine from all around the world without venturing too far from home. We’ve eaten our way through (too many) local restaurants to find the most unusual dishes. Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of choice for adventurous eaters but we’ve narrowed it down to 16 you must try – if you are brave enough.
Beef heart
Don’t be fooled by the seemingly stingy portion when you order this offally good “anticuchos” from stylish Peruvian restaurant Coya at the swish Restaurant Pavilion, next to the Four Seasons Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. The two skewers of “tradicional” beef heart are as rich and dense as they are meagrely proportioned. Served with aji rocoto (a tangy Peruvian pepper) and parsley, and seasoned to perfection, the skewers have to be one of the must-try options on Coya’s impressive menu.
• Dh40 for two skewers at Coya, Restaurant Village, Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Beach. Call 04 316 9600
* Adam Workman
Fried baby birds
I found fried, whole baby sparrows on the menu at Byblos Sur Mer and couldn’t resist. They’re considered a delicacy in Lebanon, where people dig in and eat the whole bird – head, bones and all. At Byblos, the chefs clean the inside of the birds, remove the heads (thankfully) and sauté them in a sweet, pomegranate-infused sauce. Eating a whole sparrow can’t be that different from eating a chicken leg, I thought. But when they arrived at our table, I couldn’t bring myself to crunch into one. My husband didn’t hesitate. He bit into a headless body and, after removing a bone from his mouth, said simply: “These are actually quite good. Tastes like chicken.”
• Dh140 for six birds at Byblos Sur Mer, InterContinental Abu Dhabi. Call 02 418 2541
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Kopi luwak
I think most expensive things are silly. And that’s exactly what I thought when I first read about Kopi Luwak. A coffee that costs Dh180 per “experience”? That Indonesians produce by feeding the ripest coffee cherries to civets (a nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa) and later collecting the partially digested beans? Insanity. In my mind, no cup of coffee could justify the cost. And then I was served some, while taking a rest from cycling down a volcano in Bali in 2012. Was it worth it? Well, I nearly bankrupted myself buying three bags. Those are long gone, as is my memory of the exquisite, intense and transformative flavour of all those valuable sips it produced. But if you are a coffee fan, this is one cup you have to try.
• Kopi Luwak is available in Abu Dhabi at Vertigo Café, Liwa Street (under the Eclipse Hotel), Al Markaziyah (02 626 1884), and at Icons Coffee Couture (04 321 4330) in Downtown Dubai's Souk Al Bahar
* Ann Marie McQueen
Natto roll
Maybe we should have listened as our server steered us away from the natto roll at Zuma Abu Dhabi. We had inquired about it mainly because of its appealingly low price. “Very traditional Japanese,” he said – so of course we insisted on one. Natto, in fact, is a slimy, pungent soybean product you would charitably describe as “unusual”. To make it, soybeans are fermented with Bacillus subtilis – a bacterium found in soil and in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and some animals. This is an old-school delicacy of Japan, served at Zuma inside a simple sushi roll. I won’t be ordering again – but kudos to Zuma for offering something so authentic and unexpected.
• Dh24 at Zuma Abu Dhabi (02 401 5900); Dh25 at Zuma Dubai (04 425 5660)
* Spencer Davis-VanNess
Sea cucumber
These marine animals live on the ocean floor, surviving on a diet of seabed debris. Considered a delicacy in many Asian countries, the cylindrical bodies (complete with fleshy “spikes” that look like legs) resemble, well, something you don’t want to eat. Several years after stumbling upon a sea cucumber washed up on a Florida beach, I came face to body with one on my plate in Abu Dhabi. It looked and smelled exactly like the one I had found on the seashore. It’s slimy, slug-like and has an off-putting odour, but it doesn’t have much flavour. Like tofu, sea cucumbers take on the flavours of the sauce they are cooked in. Our waiter told me sea cucumbers are believed to help ease arthritis.
• Braised dried sea cucumber with shiitake mushrooms in abalone juice, Dh180 at Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 509 8503
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Ostrich
Ostrich isn’t such an unusual meat in the western world, but there aren’t many of these flightless fellas cruising the highways of the UAE. There are hearty helpings of the big bird at Emirates Palace’s splendid alfresco spot BBQ Al Qasr, however, via its table-side mini-barbecue, which serves up skewers cooked and plated as you watch. The stomach-swelling skewers are heavy, gamey and succulent, replete with a generous side of barbecued vegetables. Healthy-living bonus: despite being classified as red meat, ostrich is actually lower in fat than chicken or turkey, and very high in protein.
• Dh270 for two skewers at BBQ Al Qasr, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 690 7999
* Adam Workman
Lamb organs
Chefs from Boulevard Kitchen pride themselves on using every bit of the lambs that come through their doors. You’ll find minced lamb bread, three different kinds of lamb sausage and lamb kebabs on the menu. But as part of the restaurant’s nose-to-tail concept – where nothing is wasted – the chefs also serve up lamb tongue (alone or in a salad), brain, kidney, heart, liver and lamb “fries” (testicles). While I haven’t tried the “fries” (yet), I have eaten a rooster testicle. At Boulevard Kitchen, you can try their lamb board, piled with samples of lamb-tongue salad, sausage, liver, kidney, heart and, of course, those famous “fries”.
• Dh74 for the lamb board. Boulevard Kitchen, Manzil Downtown Dubai. Call 04 428 5888
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Herring salad
More than the vintage Soviet set-up, one of the reasons why I love taking friends to the Russian Kitchen House is to see their reactions when tasting the herring salad. This staple of the Russian table sometimes goes under an evocative nickname that translates to “herring under a fur coat”. Not only is it wildly colourful, the dish is a riot of flavours and textures. The sweetness of the beetroot is offset by the tang of the carrots, before being bulldozed by mayonnaise-soaked pickled herring. I like to think this ingenious dish was first made from leftovers that lay in a fridge in a faraway Russian village. Whatever its origins, it remains fresh, vibrant and a conversation starter.
• Dh20 at the Russian Kitchen House in Abu Dhabi, behind The Russian Embassy, Tourist Club. Call 02 674 4342
* Saeed Saeed
Haggis
I consider myself a proud Scotsman, but my affection for my country does not extend to its national dish – haggis. It’s made from the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, minced up with onions, oatmeal, suet, spices and stock, then stuffed inside a sheep’s stomach (an artificial casing is often used these days) and boiled. The first – and last – time I had haggis was in 1998, while watching Scotland play Brazil in the World Cup. It was horrible – we lost the match 2-1. The Haggis was almost as bad as the result. The nutty, offal-y taste was not nice. Nor was the oatmeal-y, offal-y texture. Before you tuck in, consider that even the Americans – who gave us deep-fried butter – draw the line at haggis. They banned food containing sheep’s lung in 1971. Why? Because it is sheep’s lung. You don’t need any other reason. Still want to try it? Several British restaurants in the UAE will serve it next week in honour of Burn’s Night – the celebration of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet – on January 25.
* Liam Cairney
Raspberries 1.1
Heinz Beck, who runs the only restaurant in Rome with three Michelin stars, has brought some of the molecular gastronomy he’s famous for to Social by Heinz Beck in Dubai. This signature dessert includes 11 forms of raspberries in one dish. You’ll get them in fresh form, gelatin, cream, sugar (sugar mixed with raspberry purée and dried in the oven), frozen with liquid nitrogen, biscuit (made with almond and raspberries, cooked in the oven for 36 hours), sorbet, meringue, sponge, chocolate and crystallised. Beck says, “I love raspberries and I like to experiment with them. Raspberries 1.1 is about enjoying this fruit in 11 different consistencies.”
• Dh60 at Social by Heinz Beck, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. Call 04 818 2222
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Century egg
Don’t be fooled by the name of this Chinese dish – the preserved portion in question isn’t actually 100 years old, although it is probably well past the regular sell-by date normally afforded to raw eggs. Never fear, it is perfectly safe to eat after the curing process, which increases the egg’s alkaline levels and turns it black over the course of several weeks or even months. At Noodle Bowl, the excellent little restaurant in Zayed Sports City’s Bowling Centre, slices of century egg are served submerged in a rice porridge of chicken congee, which makes the dark egg a little less obvious. Don’t be put off by the blackened appearance: the flavour is actually not much stronger than a regular hard-boiled egg, especially when paired with the congee.
• Dh29 at Noodle Bowl, Zayed Sports City Bowling Centre. Call 02 447 2405
* Adam Workman
Genfo
The menu describes it as an “Ethiopian porridge type of dish served for breakfast”. Since that may sound a bit vague, a better way to describe this dish is as a solidified porridge presented shaped like a volcano, and filled with melted butter laced with pasty berbere, a spice mix normally found in the Horn of Africa. The best way to eat it is to grab a spoonful of the porridge and dip it in the berbere. Then quickly follow up with a spoonful of cold yogurt, which is served on the side. It is usually eaten at breakfast, but the restaurant will gladly make it at other times upon request.
• Dh25 at Taste of Ethiopia, behind The Russian Embassy, Tourist Club. Call 02 666 4014
* Saeed Saeed
Jisheed
Among the many authentic Emirati dishes served up at Seven Sands restaurant in Jumeirah is jisheed – better known as shark. It’s important to note that the shark served up here is a fully grown version sourced daily from the local fish market. The meat is used in its entirety and the restaurant does not use any species that are overfished. For this dish, chefs mince the shark and serve a heaping, flaky mound of it atop a bed of white rice. It’s infused with dried lemon, turmeric and bezar spice, resulting in multiple layers of flavour. I loved it.
• Dh45 at Seven Sands Restaurant, Jumeirah Beach. Call 04 551 6652
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Camel pizza
No list of unusual foods would be complete without mentioning camel. While it’s not so rare to see camel burgers on menus, eating camel still shocks many newcomers to the UAE. For an authentically Emirati experience, head to Osha Emirati restaurant in Masdar City and order the camel pizza. The eight-slice pie comes with a crispy, thin crust; a simple red sauce; lots of mozzarella cheese; and a generous helping of minced camel meat. For the most part, it tastes similar to any standard sausage pizza – but the meat has a stronger and slightly gamier taste than any other sausage I’ve sampled. Try it – just to say you did.
• Dh55 at Osha Emirati Restaurant, Masdar City. Call 02 555 3575
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Kangaroo
This is one for meat lovers who are game to try something new. “Game” is the operative word here, as each bite will give your jaw a workout – it is very chewy. In terms of taste and texture, kangaroo is not so far removed from a hearty steak, but it definitely packs a more potent punch. Hence the welcome addition of the sweet potato fritter and pak-choi to offer some balance.
• Dh160 at Bushman's Restaurant and Bar, Anantara The Palm, Dubai. Call 04 567 8304
* Saeed Saeed
Spaghetti ice cream
Squeamish diners will be pleased to learn that not all of our most unusual dishes tread the fine line between stimulating the gag reflex and the taste buds. Ice cream is available in a rainbow of flavours nowadays, but Dolce Cafe hasn’t added the taste of spindly pasta to that ever-expanding list. Instead, this dish comprises homemade vanilla ice cream pressed through a potato ricer to resemble curls of spaghetti, replacing bolognese with the infinitely sweeter strawberry sauce, garnished with almond biscuit crumbs and a tagada candy drizzle. We’re glad to report the non-traditional appearance didn’t detract from the taste of a classic dish with a unique twist.
• Dh35 at Dolce Cafe, Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal. Call 02 818 8282
* Adam Workman
