Marwan Al Awadi and Eve Jaso host Mornings with Marwan & Eve on 104.8 Channel 4 FM. Marwan is Emirati, Eve is half Iraqi, half Polish although she grew up in the UK and moved to the UAE in April 2012. They share their favourite spots in the capital
Which local restaurant serves the best cuisine from your home country?
Marwan: Definitely Bayt Al Mandi, a takeaway and restaurant behind Al Mohairy Centre. There’s also a place called Sofrat Istanbul, which makes amazing kebabs by the metre for AED 200. You can order three metres of kebabs!
Bayt Al Mandi. Daily 11am-midnight. Behind Fatima supermarket, close to Lebanese Flower, Khalidiya. Contact: 02 633 7713.
Sofrat Istanbul, off Al Falah (9th Street), next to Al Diar Palm Hotel, Al Dhafrah Contact: 02 677 7767.
Where do you buy speciality groceries from your home country?
Eve: As I was born in the UK my favourite supermarket is Tesco, which is similar to Carrefour. You can buy Tesco’s own products in Choithrams, which makes home feel that bit closer.
Choithrams. Daily 9am-11.30pm. Opposite Sheraton Khalidiya. Contact: 02 666 0610 www.choithram.com
What’s your favourite local café?
Marwan: Il Caffè di Roma, an Italian café that is popular with Emiratis. I also love the coffee in Le Boulanger.
Il Caffè di Roma. Daily 7am-1.30pm. Next to Premiere Motors Limited, opposite the women and children’s park, Khalidiya. Contact: 02 491 6683.
Le Boulanger Beach Café. Daily 9am-2am. Various branches including on Khaleej Al Arabi Street (30th) near Zayed Sports City. Contact: 02 441 8000 or 02 441 4199.
Can you recommend a family day out?
Eve: I recommend Yas Island, which has so many fun things to do day and night. You can have fun on the waterslides at Yas Waterworld, drive the hottest cars and get on Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest rollercoaster, in Ferrari World. Yas Mall has the best shopping in the area and you can also get a feel for the high life by the yachts in Yas Marina or spot a celebrity in the Italian restaurant Cipriani.
Marwan: Kayaking in the mangroves is also great fun when it’s not too hot.
Contact: [email protected] www.yasisland.ae
Which local bands or singers do you follow?
Eve: Hollaphonic are good friends of ours and we love to hear their new sounds. I also like listening to Hamdan Al Abri, the frontman of the soul band ABRI, especially live. The Moroccan/Dutch rap artist TwoTone is doing a great job too – he did well in the iTunes Middle East Chart last year.
Which local blogger do you follow?
Eve: My favourite blogger buddy is www.hudabeauty.com as Huda constantly updates us ladies on new styles and the best products and beauty treatments. I adore her updates and posts and learn so much from her 15-second videos; they’re a great inspiration.
Which website or app do you recommend for residents?
Marwan: We use the Visit Abu Dhabi app, which you can download for free via www.visitabudhabi.ae or from the App Store. It’s helped us to discover new places and saved us when we’ve been lost.
What advice would you give to someone new to Abu Dhabi?
Eve: Wear comfortable shoes, get your map app ready and explore. Emirates Palace is the perfect location for some great Instagram shots, too.
