Photos: Dates, friendly waiter, homemade pita bread, vegetable plate, stuffed vine leaves, hummus and falafel.
Usually, food plays a big part in our vacation planning. It is so important to our enjoyment that there are countries we no longer visit because we just don’t care for the local cuisine. When considering the UAE, our focus was entirely on visiting dear friends, so on this occasion, I didn’t think much about the food until I arrived, when it quickly became apparent that Abu Dhabi would be one of those wonderful destinations where it is hard to find a bad meal.
On our first day there, my friend, Nicola, took me to a grocery store. I love visiting foreign supermarkets, which give a unique insight into a country. In this one, I admired the six different kinds of eggplant, and the bakery’s “Arabian sweets” looked so tasty that we bought some to take camping. The number of different types and styles of figs was also intriguing (those from Iran were most expensive).
While it is illegal for Muslims to purchase pork or alcohol in the UAE, some stores offer special areas marked, “For non Muslims only,” where one can buy pork products. The government also runs special stores where non-Muslims may acquire alcohol, which can also be found on the menu of many western restaurants.
On the restaurant front, Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer the full spectrum of international cuisine. The local food is heavily influenced by Lebanon, and though we had many fabulous meals on this vacation– both in expensive restaurants and on the street – our favorite dinner was at a restaurant called the Lebanese Flower.
When we pulled up to this bustling cafe, there was a minor traffic jam in the parking lot, and we soon noted the brisk take out business. Given the crowd outside, we were surprised to be seated in the dining room without waiting. What followed was a wonderful feast of Lebanese treats, pictured above. Total cost for four adults was just under US$30.