BAED
ALZUHR
(AFTERNOON)
Midday sees the sun well overhead and your
stomach likely growling — the street-food stalls’
sumptuous smells certainly contribute to that.
If you were going to grab a quick snack, the
ever-revolving display towers of meat may
spin you in the direction of a shawarma, but
consider: The majority of the country’s border
stretches along the Persian Gulf. Seafood has
a particularly prominent place in the country’s
palate, and is subsequently done very well.
Case in point: Those in Abu Dhabi should
seek out the Al Mina Fish Market. Colorful
rows of scaly saltwater denizens adorn the
stalls perused by wholesalers, but for lunch
purposes, your order should be smaller. Select
the fresh fish, crab or prawns that appeal to you,
then a short stroll over are counters dedicated
to gutting and filleting. Then, right next door are
the small canteens devoted to cooking your
catch. With a nominal fee at each stop, it’s quite
possibly the freshest meal you can enjoy in the
entire country at the cost of pocket change.
For a more opulent experience, the polar
opposite of Al Mina is Pierchic. Jutting out
over Dubai’s water atop a private pier, fresh,
sustainably sourced seafood is transformed into
luxe works of art with Mediterranean flavors.
While this venue is renowned as a romantic
dinner spot, the benefit of enjoying lunch here
is sparse crowds — making for an intimate
experience. For a less luxurious (though equally
delicious) lunch option in Dubai, a simple walk
down the beach will deliver you to Bu Qtair.
Grilled tiger prawns
Formerly a seafood shack plopped onto the
beach, the restaurant now boasts an actual
brick-and-mortar building housing throngs
of patrons eager to enjoy the secret masala
curry sauce. While this flavor might always
have seemed destined to be coveted, no doubt
the raving endorsement from the late Anthony
Bourdain helped.
Finally, if your taste buds would prefer your
afternoon treat to be sweet instead of fishy,
you can’t go wrong with an order of karak
and lugaimat. Karak is a black tea brewed
with spices and cream — and easily bought
from any roadside stop. Lugaimat are fried
dough balls (if your mind jumps to donut holes,
you’re not wrong) drenched in date syrup or
rose-flavored honey. Individually they’re treats,
collectively they’re taste bud decadence; the
perfect midday pick-me-up.
Fresh seafood at a fish market
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