eG Foodblog: arbuclo - Dubai is a long way from Montana, baby!

[arbuclo]

Fascinating blog, and I love the pictures of the markets. Very cute kitties, too.

I'm wondering if perhaps the lock on the refrigerator is to protect Muslims from roving bandits who will stuff a piece of pork in there with your Halal ingredients, which would make everything inedible. Have you seen any stories of such bandits in the newspapers?

←

LOL, good one! I'll keep my eye out for any such stories.

[arbuclo]

Wow,t hat is very interesting.  So, they won't sell alcohol to the muslims that want it, or do the muslims just avoid alcohol in general?  I know lots of jewish folk who sometimes indulge in pork, so, I figure there must be some muslims who want alcohol, but do they have to go to a black market for it, or just pretend they aren't muslim when they buy?

←

Yeah, Muslims aren't allowed to get a license to buy alcohol. However, that license only seems to be checked at the liquor store (and even then you can still buy but you have to pay cash, wink wink). I've seen Muslims in traditional attire drinking alcohol in bars too, but then again, this is liberal Dubai.

[arbuclo]

Ooops, meant to add this link regarding Australian native pepperberry above in case there were enquiring minds...

[gingerly]

didn't the locking mechanism on fridges start out as a safety feature to prevent children and possibly some of those smart dogs/cats from shutting themselves in?

enjoying reading along

[jhlurie]

Good lord that's a lot of kebabs. What's the daily foot traffic in this place, do you know?

[chefzadi]

artbuclo-

Are there any open air food markets in Dubai? Street food? If so please post.

[rajsuman]

Hi arbuclo,

I've spent a major part of my life in Dubai, so I'm really excited to see the pics. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time there. It's a fabulous place, especially for foodies - there's nothing you can't get. I'm only just back from a visit to Dubai (my parents live there) and I still can't help being envious when I see your photos. Looking forward to your blog - hope to see many more pictures!

Suman

Edited February 19, 2005 by rajsuman (log)

[M. Lucia]

Oh, I am so excited!

If you need someone to read arabic, I will be happy to help, and I know there are many other arabic speakers on the forum also.

The grocery store Goodies looks just like where I used to grocery shop in Beirut (Monoprix). It makes grocery shopping so much fun, all the produce is so beautiful, everything is made fresh, and there is nothing like Arab sweets!

Some things I might hope to see:

dates (which varieties are available?)

dairy shop (different types of labne, cheeses, shanklish)

sweets, foul, etc.

what are the traditional foods of the area?

and traditional eating customs?

what is the indonesian/imported labor influence on the cuisine?

[jhlurie]

This is just a reminder that we also have a lovely Middle East & Africa board, which we hope this Foodblog draws you to further explore.

Sneaky, aren't we?

[Verjuice]

arbuclo,

I'm Emirati (-blooded and raised, but American born) and after eight years in the States, I've decided to move back home. The first thing (literally) that I intend to do once I arrive is make a trip to Carrefour and head to the bakery where they sell the most underrated, most wonderful nammoura and basbousa for practically nothing. You must try it sometime and let us know what you think! And let me know if it's as good as I remember...

Back when I was in high school in Abu Dhabi, the cool kids would brag about sneaking out of the house at night to hang out by the docks at the Corniche or the Marina and smuggle in cases of Amstel light or Jim Beam. And the locals that I know who drink at home just get their non-Muslim friends and colleagues to buy liquor for them. It's a pain in the ass, but all it really means is that you have to stockpile like mad.

And Marlboros were twenty cents a pack (this was the mid 90s). God knows where these particular ones were manufactured.

I remember when Snapple starting selling their drinks in the Emirates back in the early 90s and the Arabic labels (probably produced in nearby Jebel Ali) actually read "Is Nipple". Wonder if they ever did anything to change that; it went on for years.

By the way, I too have spent a fair bit of time in Montana and Alaska!

Edited February 19, 2005 by Verjuice (log)

[chefzadi]

artbuclo

**Separate sort of hidden place in the supermarket to get pork products. (Anything containing pork even potato chips and some things you just wouldn't think of as immediately having pork are tucked away so as not to offend Muslims.) Actually this Carrefour didn't seem to sell any pork products.

Interesting you should mention that. Pork seems to the last line that even urbanized, cosmopolitan Muslims will cross.

[therese]

Fantastic pics, arbuclo. Keep 'em coming.

And an aside re life for ex-pats living in the Mid East---have you read "Women of Sand and Myrrh"?

[torakris]

This is fascinating! Those pictures of the shops are gorgeous, looks very similar to Japan (but much cheaper! ) especially with the trimming and individual wrapping of the fruit.

Carrefour is my favorite store in Japan too!

They have somethings you can buy from the barels but they seem to be getting less and less as the Japanese don't seem to be familiar with this concept....

[fou de Bassan]

This is great! I am looking forward to more marvelous food pics. Thanks for taking this on.

[Susan in FL]

This is absolutely wonderful. The pictures are gorgeous. I am so pleased to meet you, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the blog.

[snowangel]

Back to the gas. Does someone deliver? Do you have a guage on the tank so you have an idea of when you are almost out? Up at our cabin, we are lucky to have a 250 gallon tank with a guage, so we know when we need to have the gas man come and gas it up.

[andiesenji]

I would absolutely love to be turned loose in those markets. I would need a truck to haul everything home.........

Your photos are awesome - that is, I am completely awed by them.

Edited February 20, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Abra]

I agree, the photos are fab - but all the signs are in English! What's up with that?

I hope you will be able to post a few recipes, and it would be fun to have a little cook-along so we can taste what your local food is like. It's one cuisine I've never seen at all here. We do have Lebanese, so I know what that is, but I'm assuming that there's a lot of variation from that theme.

[arbuclo]

didn't the locking mechanism on fridges start out as a safety feature to prevent children and possibly some of those smart dogs/cats from shutting themselves in?

No idea! Would they really climb into a running fridge? I'd never heard of a locking fridge til I moved here. Any fridge experts out there? How 'bout you, therese, having researched fridges for your reno?

[arbuclo]

         

Good lord that's a lot of kebabs.  What's the daily foot traffic in this place, do you know?

I really have no idea how many people they'd serve in a day. Goodies is in a big and popular shopping mall. Also there were a lot of people wandering through and they'd only just opened for the day, so it looked like it'd be busy from the get go. I was only in there briefly one other time and it was busy then too.

[arbuclo]

artbuclo-

Are there any open air food markets in Dubai? Street food? If so please post. 

←

Dubai doesn't like too many open air food markets since it gets so hot! I'm very new here and haven't seen any roadside food carts like you might find in Bangkok. However my guide book says there are a few around. I'll see if I can get to one. According to the book, the stands primarily serve shwarma. (Here's a funny story about shwarma: web link.)

As for buying food supplies at open air markets, not many of those either. I went to a fish and veg one a couple weeks ago. I only bought some dates and figs because you have to buy big amounts of stuff and with the 2 of us... There's supposed to be a wholesale fruit and veg market, though it may be under cover. Haven't been there yet either.

Anyway, I'll see if I can post some pics this week!

[arbuclo]

Hi arbuclo,

I've spent a major part of my life in Dubai, so I'm really excited to see the pics. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time there. It's a fabulous place, especially for foodies - there's nothing you can't get. I'm only just back from a visit to Dubai (my parents live there) and I still can't help being envious when I see your photos. Looking forward to your blog - hope to see many more pictures!

Suman

←

Yeah, a local expert! Maybe you can help me out since I'm so new. Where should I go to show people a real Dubai food experience? And do you have any comments about open air markets?

[arbuclo]

Oh, I am so excited!

If you need someone to read arabic, I will be happy to help, and I know there are many other arabic speakers on the forum also.

The grocery store Goodies looks just like where I used to grocery shop in Beirut (Monoprix). It makes grocery shopping so much fun, all the produce is so beautiful, everything is made fresh, and there is nothing like Arab sweets!

Some things I might hope to see:

dates (which varieties are available?)

dairy shop (different types of labne, cheeses, shanklish)

sweets, foul, etc.

what are the traditional foods of the area?

and traditional eating customs?

what is the indonesian/imported labor influence on the cuisine?

←

I almost took pictures of the Middle Eastern cheeses at Carrefour yesterday. I just get a bit wary of taking pictures when there are a lot of people around since there are various groups of people here that don't want their picture taken for reasons of law or religion. But the selection at this Carrefour wasn't that extensive, anyway.

Verjuice and Suman, do you have a feel regarding how the imported labour have influenced the cuisine here? My thoughts so far are that restaurants and cafes here are reasonably right down the line as far as a particular cuisine. For instance, you go to an Italian place or an Indian or Japanese one; there aren't many fusions. The local labour, though, has influenced the food by causing demand in the shops for their local foods and also, of course, there are cafes and restaurants that serve their homeland cuisine.

Traditional eating customs...hmmm, eating with the left hand only? Since there's such a varying ethnicity here it doesn't seem to be a big deal that everyone eat only with their left hand in public.

Oh, and yes, all the signs are in English, though there's usually Arabic too. I have been speaking to some colleagues and other westerners that have been here awhile and it's unusual, apparently, to find westerners that speak and read Arabic. The locals are well versed in English and take pride in it. Therefore with all this English around there's not a huge incentive for busy expats to learn much Arabic.

[arbuclo]

arbuclo,

I'm Emirati (-blooded and raised, but American born) and after eight years in the States, I've decided to move back home. The first thing (literally) that I intend to do once I arrive is make a trip to Carrefour and head to the bakery where they sell the most underrated, most wonderful nammoura and basbousa for practically nothing. You must try it sometime and let us know what you think! And let me know if it's as good as I remember...

Back when I was in high school in Abu Dhabi, the cool kids would brag about sneaking out of the house at night to hang out by the docks at the Corniche or the Marina and smuggle in cases of Amstel light or Jim Beam. And the locals that I know who drink at home just get their non-Muslim friends and colleagues to buy liquor for them. It's a pain in the ass, but all it really means is that you have to stockpile like mad.

And Marlboros were twenty cents a pack (this was the mid 90s). God knows where these particular ones were manufactured.

I remember when Snapple starting selling their drinks in the Emirates back in the early 90s and the Arabic labels (probably produced in nearby Jebel Ali) actually read "Is Nipple". Wonder if they ever did anything to change that; it went on for years.

By the way, I too have spent a fair bit of time in Montana and Alaska!

←

Wow, you'll be just down the road from me, how cool! Can't believe you've spent a fair amount of time in Montana AND Alaska too. No one does that! I'm hoping you'll be able to help me out with some of these excellent questions people are askin.

Uh, I'm pretty sure Snapple is labeled as Snapple. I'd have noticed for sure if it said Is Nipple. Hilarious!

[edited for typo]

Edited February 20, 2005 by arbuclo (log)

[arbuclo]

Fantastic pics, arbuclo. Keep 'em coming.

And an aside re life for ex-pats living in the Mid East---have you read "Women of Sand and Myrrh"?

←

Oh, I haven't! Will write that down to read. Thanks. Currently I'm reading "Beard on Food" which looks particularly odd when I'm reading it while exercising at the gym!