A slice of New Orleans is coming to the desert.
The Louisiana city is probably best known for jazz music, but the distinct cuisine you’ll find at Nola Eatery & Social House has come to define the city: gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp po’boys, beignets, muffulettas, boudin sausages, bananas fosters, crawfish étouffée, turtle soup, chargrilled oysters and so much more. It’s tough to find those famous dishes outside of Louisiana, much less in the Middle East.
That’s exactly what inspired owner and managing director Alex Economides to open a New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Dubai.
“New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and arguably the funkiest city in the United States,” says Economides. “We wanted to create a unique concept that stands out among typical Dubai venues so we came up with a concept recreating the vibe of decadent 1920s New Orleans. Nola is a New Orleans-inspired venue offering southern American food with a healthier, more modern take.”
The restaurant is filled with vintage decor and seats 300 guests in a lively, casual atmosphere. On the weekends, a live saxophonist fills the restaurant with New Orleans jazz music.
But, as with any restaurant, the food takes centre stage. And Nola’s head chef, Nikolas Tsimidakis, was determined to get the menu right. “I did a lot of research and studied many chefs from New Orleans,” he says. “I gained a lot of inspiration from chefs John Folse, Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme. We had many food tastings to get the right taste in each and every dish on the menu.”
Economides and Tsimidakis spent weeks in New Orleans sampling the cuisine.
“Chef Nikolas and I travelled to New Orleans to immerse ourselves and our five senses into the gastronomic scene,” says Economides.
“We walked away with a mountain of unforgettable experience and newly forged relationships with some of the most prominent chefs in the New Orleans culinary scene.” Tsimidakis, who was previously the executive chef at Majestic Hotel Tower in Dubai, says: “I spent weeks sampling the most authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine New Orleans has to offer. We met with some of the biggest chefs to gain inspiration, bought their books and did a lot of research to learn the authentic style. Then I mixed it with my own interpretation.”
To appeal to a wider range of palates, the menu – which took six months to develop – includes interpretations of famous New Orleans dishes as well as those from across the southern US. You’ll find Louisiana crab cakes; seafood jambalaya; muffuletta sandwiches; Creole meatballs; Bayou shrimp beignets; and a turkey burger covered in the restaurant’s signature relish.
You’ll also find empanadas stuffed with spicy black eyed peas and mozzarella; a hot spinach cheese dip served with a French baguette and prawn tagliolini.
If you’re serving up southern American food, you better have fried chicken and waffles on the menu. Nola’s version is a healthier oven-baked (not fried) Cajun cornflake-crusted chicken served with a courgette and Parmesan waffle.
“New Orleans cuisine consists of the most exciting flavours you can find in the US,” says Economides. It was spawned from French, Spanish and Italian immigrants with Caribbean influences. It’s hot, vibrant and satisfying.”
He’s confident the restaurant – and the chef – will win over guests looking for a unique experience. “Chef Nikolas possesses an incredible mixture of experience, charisma, and foresight,” he says. “Our diners are going to love him and what he creates for them.”
• Nola Eatery & Social House is in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Cluster P, connected to Armada Blue Bay Hotel. It is open daily for lunch and dinner from 12pm to 1.30am. The bar is open until 3am. Call 04 399 8155
sjohnson@thenational.ae
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Rating: 5/5
