Money konscious meals
Reviewed by: Kara Martin
As corny as it is to swap the letter ‘c’ for a ‘k’, Najda Street eatery Oriental Korner is still very much an Abu Dhabi Week recommendation. The venue’s two floor spread is a plain and simple place to sit and eat (and perform English and Tagalog karaoke). But set five-star fussiness aside for an evening of fantastically filling Filipino and Chinese dishes, plus the most amazing budget menu in town.
Food loving Filipinos will insist you try Sinigang – a tamarind infused stew packed with meat, tomato, taro, okra, onion and leafy bits – and after sampling it – we insist you try it too. Pair the addictive sour soup with everything else you order thereafter; fresh, fat boiled shrimps still in the shell, a generous heap of egg fried rice and yummy eggplant omelette, to be exact. To drink, go for the lightly syrupy Sago-Gulaman with tapioca balls and jellies to wash it all down.
If you have a little extra to spare (in both the gut and the wallet), try the Halo Halo – it’s the best we’ve sampled in the city. Roughly translated as ‘mix-mix’, it’s a layered sundae piled high with sweet exotic fruit and jellies, ice cream, and pretty much anything left over in the cupboard (sometimes you’ll find red beans, sweet corn and corn flakes floating in it). It’s child food, made to satisfy even grown up stomachs. Order the Regular rather than Deluxe to spare a stomach ache however.
When we next find nothing more than lint and a twenty dirham note in our pockets, we know exactly where to go. Empty pockets or not, Abu Dhabi Week will definitely be eating in this
corner again.
What? Oriental Korner
Where? Al Mariah Complex, Al Najda St. (6th)
Cost: AED 144 filled four hungry people to the brim!
Why? For simple and superb home-cooked food at a steal
Why not? Not if you’re looking for atmosphere. But don’t let that stop you; order it to go
We say: They’re okay with us (and our wallets)
Contact: 02 671 6783
