We’re only into March and the UAE has already seen an influx of new culinary destinations that will entice even the most discerning diners. From fine dining concepts to street food eats, there’s no shortage of new concepts to tantalise the taste buds. Here’s a look at some of restaurants that have opened so far in the UAE this year.
In Dubai
Hutong
January was off to a good start as award-winning contemporary Northern Chinese restaurant Hutong opened its doors in Dubai’s DIFC. After its success in London, New York, Miami and its home country Hong Kong, the restaurant is all set to serve up its signature dishes like its roast duck, soft-shell crab with red chilli and Peking duck with pancakes to UAE foodies. It also introduced some dishes exclusive to the Dubai restaurant include the Suen Cai Yu (sea bass and pickled cabbage crispy dumpling) and hamour fillet, locally sourced and served in a chilli broth. Meanwhile, the interiors of the licensed restaurant are inspired by the Silk Road, complete with a wishing tree and lotus shaped lamps.
The restaurant has also since launched a business lunch priced at Dh125, available from Sunday to Thursday from 12pm-2.30pm.
Pokai
After its success as a delivery-only concept, Pokai opened its first restaurant in Dubai Internet City. The Hawaiian poke bown concept offers residents six signature bowls like the spicy tuna tartare, beef teriyaki and tropical salmon, all featuring fresh vegetables, meats, and natural flavours like ponzu, teriyaki, yuzu and more. Those willing to get more adventurous can opt for the customisable bowls, and choose between varieties of healthy ingredients. Also on the menu are salads, soups, and dessert (try a date pudding pot or a gluten-free avocado brownie). Prices for the poke bowls start at Dh49.
Nostos
February saw the launch of Nostos, a family-friendly restaurant, in Barsha Heights’ Mercure Dubai. The casual eatery offers foodies an authentic Greek dining experience with traditional dishes like souvlaki, moussaka, kleftiko, flame-grilled meat, seafood wraps and more. Customers can also tuck into soups and salads, and try appetisers such as fava beans with octopus, stuffed calamari with feta cheese, and rustic Spetsofai spicy beef sausage with peppers and garlic. Mains include the delicious-sounding Mosharaki Kokinisto beef casserole and Pikilia Thalasinon platter (a mix of grilled prawns, mussels, battered cod, grilled sea bass and a green salad). For dessert, the much-loved Loukoumades dumplings make an appearance, with toppings like Nutella, honey, coconut and ice cream available.
Masala Bazaar
In February, licensed concept Masala Bazaar opened at the Park Regis Kris Kin hotel, Bur Dubai, offering foodies traditional Indian fare from the North to the South, and the East to the West of the country. On the varied menu is the murgh malai kofta (chicken dumplings) from the Northwest, Chingri Malai curry (prawns in coconut and mustard sauce) from the Northeast, Teen Mirch Murgh (tangy, sweet chicken) from the Southwest and Hyderabad mutton chop (lamb chops) from the Southeast. Foodies can explore the myriad flavours of the country, all while seated in the comfort of the restaurant’s classy interiors that pay tribute to the country, with colourful murals and dimly lit lanterns.
Kanteen
Those looking for a late-night hot spot featuring lively music, Japanese bites and a party ambience will be glad to hear about the launch of Kanteen. The restaurant and lounge which opened in Millennium Place, Dubai Marina, offers robatayaki, with vegetable, meat and seafood options, as well as starters like the miso soup, gyoza, tartare tacos and crab crispy rice cakes. There’s also a selection of tempuras, maki rolls, sashimi and sushi. Finally, one can end the meal on a sweet note with treats like the yuzu cheesecake lollipop, popcorn snickers and black sesame ice cream.
Bite Me Burger Co. and Get Plucked
Popular British brands Bite Me Burger Co. and Get Plucked, which have been operating as ghost restaurants in Dubai, recently launched a permanent, dine-in restaurant together in Gate Avenue, DIFC, giving gourmet burgers a lot to be excited about.
Bite Me Burger Co. serves beef, chicken, duck, lamb and veggie mini burgers with signature sauces, and guests are sure to get a kick out of flavours such as the (non-alcoholic) Bloody Mary and Jack Daniels burger. Meanwhile, vegetarians can try out the Vegan Me, a chickpea patty with tahini, or the Vegetari Anne (with a portobello mushroom patty and Brie).
Get Plucked, on the other hand, is known for its cheekily-named chicken burgers, wings and popcorn bites and sides. And, of course, Instagram-worthy chicken cones.
Paros
The restaurant inspired by “Mediterranean hedonism and bohemian luxury” opened on the 46th floor of the new Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers on February 23, offering mesmerising views of Dubai’s skyline. Residents heading to the rooftop restaurant can expect a menu with influences from Southern Europe, and the Middle East, with dishes like cheese saganaki, smoked eggplant salad, grilled octopus with rock salt and mashed chickpea, moussaka and Greek-style Keftedes making an appearance. Meanwhile, a selection of flatbreads, skewers, sandwiches, burgers and mezze platters will ensure no one leaves hungry. The licensed concept will also have a resident DJ playing beats come evening.
In Abu Dhabi
Forever Rose Cafe
Home-grown luxury florist Forever Rose made waves earlier this year when it launched its first Forever Rose Cafe in The Galleria Mall, Al Maryah, Abu Dhabi. The unique selling point of the cafe? Everything from the furniture to the cutlery is illustrated in black and white, giving the impression that customers are stepping into a 2D drawing. The dainty, Instagram-haven serves a number of sweets and coffees in keeping with its floral themes like the rose, saffron and pistachio milk cakes, tarts and mousses. When it comes to beverages, items to try out include the orchid latte, rose and lavender lemonades, lavender latte and, the cafe's signature drink, the Forever Rose latte.
Shala
In a first for Abu Dhabi, a beach lounge opened in Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi that aims to combine farm-to-table food with holistic living and mindfulness. Shala, which derives its name from the Sanskrit word for home, is a Bohemian chic concept, complete with dreamcatches, white fabrics and wicker lanterns. The menu is intriguingly divided into four sections, following an elemental theme of Fire, Earth, Water and Air, with dishes like smashed avocado with banana chips, grilled lamb chops and salsa verde, vegan tartare and roasted cauliflower with labneh, zatar and pomegranate. The concept also aims to conduct wellness workshops and exercise sessions in the future.
Fouquet's
One of the most awaited openings in the capital, the UAE outpost of French restaurant Fouquet opened in Louvre Abu Dhabi on February 3. With the menu being designed by Michelin-lauded Pierre Gagnaire, foodies certainly have a lot to look forward to including his famous tuna tataki. Other dishes to tuck into include the burgundy snails with garlic and prawns with avocado and pink grapefruit for starters, beef tartare, sole meuniere and fish 'n' chips for mains and a millefeuille for dessert.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch
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.”
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
