A true smorgasbord

The vast range of authentic ethnic cuisines offered here deserves to be celebrated

The wealth of options for Filipino food is just part of the culinary opportunities in the UAE. Lauren Lancaster / The National

An underappreciated aspect of life here is that each expatriate community brought their food with them. Often for a handful of dirhams, one can choose between restaurants specialising in dozens of ethnic cuisines, knowing the food is authentic because most of the customers are from the relevant country.

We listed yesterday some of the UAE's best Philippine restaurants. However the wealth of culinary options is almost limitless, whether you seek an Indian thali, Lebanese tabouleh, Afghan dal, Syrian shawarma, Brazilian steaks, Japanese sushi, Ethiopian wat and injera ... suffice to say the list of possibilities is far longer than the space allocated for this editorial.

Those who travel a lot know the disappointment that often accompanies trying a cuisine outside its country of origin, where the meal is dumbed down for foreign tastes. That dynamic is almost entirely absent here, to the enormous benefit of all foodies in this country. It ought to be fully celebrated.