Spinach and mushroom dim sum from Royal Orchid. Robert Garratt / The National
Spinach and mushroom dim sum from Royal Orchid. Robert Garratt / The National

Taste of Dubai – the five best things



We went, we ate, we conquered. And now, after loosening our belts and no inconsequential amount of internal debate, we here offer a highly subject list of our favourites eats at Taste of Dubai.

Vegetarian black pudding from The Scene

When we tucked into this, a passerby remarked “it looks like black pudding, but a funny black pudding”. Precisely, all that dark, naughty blood-sausage taste, without an abattoir in sight – and less than half the calories, one suspects. Who knows how they do it, but this was the surprise eat of the day. Nice mustardy-mayo sauce, too.

Wild mushroom kulcha with truffle oil from Tresind

Wow, this was so good we had to order two. A wrapped pastry style starter snack, loaded with earthy seasoned mushroom and a strong stench of truffle oil. Delicious. The amitsari chana kulcha, with lentils inside instead, was also rather scrumptious.

Empanadas at Gaucho

Best known as a steakhouse, Gaucho’s quick empanada bites were a great snack/starter. Soft and puffy rather than fried and crispy on the outside, the filling of cheese and caramelised onion gave a sweet, spicy kick.

Savoury pancakes from Sobahn

Authentic Asian street food at its best, Korean restaurant Sobahn’s freshly made pajeon dish – a casual pancake-like dish loaded with spring onion and more – were delicious, served with a jerking spicy relish.

Spinach and mushroom dim sum from Royal Orchid

We tried the dim sum at a few different competing eateries, but this chain Asian eatery stood out a mile with it’s neat offering. Wrapped in a green spinach pastry, and loaded with mushrooms, it somehow felt light and airy but filling all at the same time.

• Taste of Dubai closed today (Saturday March 14) at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

rgarratt@thenational.ae

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4/5

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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

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2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
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CHAMPIONS TROPHY 

2025: Pakistan; 2029: India  

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
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yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

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Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

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