NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has embarked on a culinary adventure through a series of films where he explores the heart and soul of Abu Dhabi's street food scene. From traditional Emirati dishes to Middle Eastern favourites, he's savouring every bite and sharing his discoveries through Google reviews.
Diving headfirst into the heart of Abu Dhabi's foodie-favourite street food spots, each episode of "Shaq's Abu Dhabi Street Food Journey," sees the larger-than-life personality immersed in the city as he discovers Abu Dhabi’s diverse street food scene, explores eight different foodie hotspots, while leaving his own food reviews.
Shaq first visits Al Dhafra restaurant, an authentic Emirati cuisine spot, with a group of locals, where he’s introduced to lamb ghouzi (a traditional Emirati rice dish). Shaq marvels at the mix of meat, rice and spices, and attributes the ingredient’s “teamwork” to making this a highlight dish. In upcoming episodes, he likens the tasty, sweet luqaimat (sweet dough balls with date syrup) at Luqaimat and Chebab to “mini basketballs” and gives his taste buds a more familiar treat at Mo’s Joint with their takeaway Classic Burger, giving a shout-out to its special Abu Dhabi sauce as “the MVP.”
But Shaq doesn't just eat the food – he gets in on the action! Inspired by the city's culinary creativity, he heads to Beit El Khetyar and creates a giant shawarma, a limited edition “Shaqwarma” that’s sure to satisfy even the biggest appetites.
Shaq's infectious enthusiasm and adventurous spirit match the melting pot of flavours and characters that define Abu Dhabi's street food scene. With each bite, he uncovers different cultural influences that make this city's Emirati and Middle Eastern street food scene so unique.
Shaq also shares humorous and insightful commentary about his culinary adventures in Al Sultan Sweets (a crowd favourite Arabic sweets shop), India Palace Restaurant. (authentic Indian cuisine), Bu Tafish (a traditional seafood dining establishment since 1968) and Seashell (Abu Dhabi’s unique twist on fast food favourites).
A supersized NBA superstar partnered with a city steeped in a rich culinary street food heritage. Together, Shaquille O’Neal and Abu Dhabi make a truly unbeatable team.
