Off The Hook Seafood Restaurant, the leading family-oriented dining venue is continuing its aggressive expansion in the Middle East with the opening of its fourth branch in Dubai at Dubai Festival City today, June 5. This is the 11th overall in the UAE.
Off The Hook which was founded as a small business venture in 2016 by eight friends has now grown to 5 branches in Abu Dhabi, 1 each in Al Ain and Sharjah, and 4 in Dubai. More branches will be opening soon in Ras Al Khaimah’s Manar Mall and Fujairah.
Another breakthrough is already in the works, as the well-loved restaurant, famous for its OTH signature sauce, is slated to open its first branch outside the UAE by the 3rd quarter of 2022 in Qatar.
These developments are part of the company’s vision to continuously grow its footprint throughout the rest of the Emirates and eventually towards the neighboring GCC countries.
“The restaurant and dining industry has always been a great opportunity for investment. But, more importantly, it affords establishments like Off The Hook the chance to bring people together as a community,” said Rolly Brucales, the amicable managing partner of Off The Hook.
“We remain steadfast in our goal to expand not just in the UAE but to the rest of the GCC as well. Our vision is to be a world-class seafood restaurant of choice and a trusted brand in the GCC by 2024.”
“As we embark on further expanding the brand, we look forward to onboarding like-minded individuals bringing the Off The Hook brand to more places and more people who seek to satisfy their taste buds and interact in a wholesome, friendly atmosphere.”
Follow OTH on Facebook and Instagram to get updated on their latest offering.
We’re living in a time where we see the usually-typical things evolving into something special. Street foods used to live by their name as “cheap foods sold on streets;” Salted egg was once just the salted egg we commonly buy from the market. These past few years, street foods are being repurposed as a special concept, and the salted egg has become a premium flavor of sorts.
Tuyo (dried herring in English) is no different.
What used to be a “poor man’s dish” is continuously elevating its concept into a gourmet.
We, Filipino expats in UAE are often “persecuted” by our neighbors for frying Tuyo because its strong fishy smell reaches the next door. Other nationalities find it too stench they would either knock and call you out or the building security.
A locally-produced brand
Shanice Gourmet, a Dubai-based licensed business, changes the way we eat Tuyo and Dulong. With these delicacies carefully packed in jars, we don’t need to worry about what neighbors would say anymore.
We tried both the Gourmet Tuyo and Gourmet Dulong over the weekend and they’re really satisfying.
We also tried the Chili Garlic Oil and Garlic Confit and we love them all.
Special dishes with Gourmet Tuyo and Gourmet Dulong
Gourmet Tuyo and Gourmet Dulong are specially prepared as ready-to-eat goods so we can munch on them straight from the jar. Just add a cup of steaming hot rice and we’re good.
The Gourmet Dulong on top of steamed Jasmine rice, with cherry tomatoes and parsley.
I’d be honest, it was strange in the first bite, but it gets better as you keep going. I didn’t know that Dilis or Dulong would taste good in a gourmet recipe. I can’t put in words how satisfying this is. I’ve had more rice than usual because of this.
If there’s one thing I think this dish can add to it… the extra crunch. I mean, if it can preserve its crunchiness for a longer time, it would be perfect.
If you are like my wife who loves to explore, you can make something special like Aglio Olio Tuyo.
My wife’s Aglio Olio Tuyo
My wife is very picky when it comes to Gourmet Tuyo. So far she has tried Tapa King’s and Neri’s – both from the Philippines. So it’s good news to have found something as good and is made just right here in the UAE. According to her, the flavor of Shanice’s blended really well with her pasta recipe.
Unlike other Gourmet Tuyo in jars, these ones are skinless.The ingredients
Look at these other recipes or food concepts from Shanice Gourmet on Instagram:
Prices of goods are continuously rising and many of us may have no idea where this trend will lead us. Experts expect that inflation is going to be worse in the coming months. Stocks and even cryptocurrencies seem to be unpredictable.
Add to that, the growing financial obligations of OFWs with regards to paying OWWA memberships, Pag-ibig, SSS, insurance and the PhilHealth contribution among others.
With all of these things in the horizon, I believe we need to revisit our behavior towards handling money – regardless of how much we earn monthly.
Money Talks UAE is back
Next month, the proponents of financial advocacy within the Filipino community in the UAE will be back to encourage us once again to be mindful about these money matters, and to be resourceful about our investment plans.
Money Talks UAE (MTUA) is 2-day event happening on July 16 and 17.
Here are the topics, schedule and venue:
Day 1 MTUAE Conference – July 16
These talks are happening at Emirates Aviation in Garhoud, Deira, Dubai:
“BUILDING YOUR FUTURE” – Learn best practices in building your financial future by Randell Tiongson
“BEYOND 2022” – Philippine Investment Growth Prospects by Rex Mendoza
“THE 7pm to 1am PRINCIPLE” – how to build your business while employed as the same time by Carlo Ople
Event starts at 1pm and ends 5pm.
Day 2 Side Events – July 17
These side events will be done at Hyatt Place, Murraqqabat, Deira, Dubai:
Strategic investing and portfolio management by Rex Mendoza (9:30am to 12:00nn)
Growing your money the non-traditional way by Carlo Ople (2:00pm to 4:30pm)
MTUAE Conference Day 1 – AED300 Early bird rate – AED179
Day 2 side events – AED 300 (or AED150 each) Early bird rate AED199
Early bird rates are available until June 16 only.
“Para sa kinabukasan”
Randell Tiongson always emphasizes that money is behavioral. How you manage your money, no matter how big or small you have, defines your future and your financial freedom. It is indeed not about how much you earn, it’s about how much you save (or invest). He’s been in and out of UAE for countless times already and he never fails to share principles and relatable nuggets of wisdom in becoming better steward of money.
In addition to the financial experts from the Philippines. Dubai-based investors and business gurus Ben Lebig, Rolly Brucales and Dr. Marjy Jane Alvero, will also grace the event at resource panelists.
This event is also a good opportunity to meet & connect with like-minded people when it comes to money. As they say, your future is defined by the people you meet, the books you read, and, let me add… the seminars you attend.
You can start by joining and following Money Talks UAE group on Facebook for more updates.
This summer, when the temperature rises up to 49 degrees celsius, many outdoor sports go indoors. Running, though, don’t just settle for an indoor gym or stadium. In the UAE, they run inside the malls.
Here are some running events happening around malls in Dubai for the whole summer of 2022:
DXB Snow Run
When: June 11
Registration is AED169 (+ extra fees) for all distances
Participants for the Mall Runs 1-5 will get a running bib, a finisher medal, and a limited edition t-shirt. Timings and certificates are also included.
Families, novice and advanced runners are welcome to join the run to be held at the ground level of the Wafi Mall. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners across all categories.
Families, novice and advanced runners are welcome to join the run to be held at the ground level of the City Centre Mirdif. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners across all categories
Families, novice and advanced runners are welcome to join the run to be held at the ground level of the Wafi Mall. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners across all categories.
7-time NBA champion and Lakers legend, Robert Horry, talks to us about the game, the evolution of the NBA, and the basketball landscape in the UAE. He also shared some valuable advice for youngsters who are dreaming of making it big in basketball.
Ikea announced on their social media and on their website they are launching Filipino-themed dining experience with selected “favorite authentic” dishes from May 24 to 26 only.
The dishes to be featured will be:
Chicken Menudo
Chicken is not the usual meat Filipinos use in Menudo, so this is very intriguing.
Bistek Tagalog
When you say bistek, it’s often combined with rice. Having fries with it does make it less of a Bistek Tagalog.
Filipino-style Chicken Barbecue
This should come with that street barbecue dip sauce to make it ‘Filipino-style’
Beef Pares
Leche Flan
Thee arnibal looks good
Buko Pandan
The glassy coconut meat in the picture is tempting.
This is NOT the first time that Ikea UAE served Filipino dishes. For years now, we’ve been enjoying Arroz Caldo on their breakfast menu.
It’s interesting to find out if these dishes go well with fries and not the usual Filipino “signature” jasmine RICE. Let’s see how it goes.
I discovered a new men’s clothing line online that does not only focus on selling apparel but also on giving extra value to customers through their creative content. They do so by sharing words of encouragement that promote good vibes on their website, on social media, and even on the product accessories themselves.
Zallers.com, born in the UAE, is an online store offering an elegant collection of casual men’s apparel like t-shirts, chinos, Bermuda shorts, and some cool accessories. While you can see their product categories by type, colour or size, you can also browse by mood – chillout, energetic, creative, and all day.
The products were carefully curated. Zallers puts a premium on quality and fitting. Being a t-shirt designer myself, I know one quality shirt when I see one.
Value on the small details
I ordered some items last week and I love what I got.
The shirt is 100% organic cotton – same quality I used in my old t-shirt business.“Consider donating this product to a new home when finished with. Sharing is caring”
These value even in littlest details tells so much how detail-focused this brand is.
Repurposing the packaging
Most packaging from any items we order often ends up in the trash. With Zallers committed to bringing a positive impact to the planet, they provide customers with reusable canisters, so you don’t have to throw them away after opening.
This was how I received my order – they’re inside a cloth drawstring bag (photo below). According to the website, 95% of their packaging is reusable. It reduces the amount of packaging that ends in the garbage.The quality drawstring bag that contains the chino when deliveredThe shirt and the belt goes into these reusable canistersCustomer can use this sticker to put a new label to the repurposed container
Let’s play TAG
Even these tags have a purpose. They tell customers to collect them instead of throwing them away. Essentially, encouraging customers to give their packaging a second life.
Tribe mentality
They call their customers their tribe. And with that mentality, they share content that are either helpful or simply something to make one smile. They share ideas, habits, and bits and pieces of their journey on how they’re doing business – many of which also from the people who inspires them to make it happen.
As the website says, their target audience is broad and much more about mood and way of living. Zallers targets men in the 20s to 40s age group who are looking for high-quality everyday apparel.
I belong to the tribe. The simple designs match my style and it looks classy when I wear them (Okay my wife says 🥲).
“For the bottoms, both chinos and Bermudas are great comfort and quality and for the t-shirts, we have 3 types (to help you to choose), the cotton plus ones are more tick but are our premium T-shirts made 100% organic cotton. The cool & comfort ones are slightly more light, made of 100% organic cotton too, and are amazingly soft. The lightweight is very light made with cotton/elastane/polyester, has more body shape style, and is perfect for hot days.”
zallers.com
I love the light grey shirt and dark blue chino for my typical outdoor stroll.
Spotify playlist
All businesses are already on social media for sure, but how many brands have we seen have Spotify playlists? There are a few, but Zallers, so far is the first online store I know.
Do check out their playlist here – created just as how they categorize their apparel.
Visit zallers.com to browse through their collection – ideal for you or as a gift. Also, learn more about their amazing story of how they were born in the UAE.
For the first time ever, the NBA announced in an email broadcast, that they are bringing the games to the UAE. In a rematch of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, the Atlanta Hawks host the Milwaukee Bucks at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on October 6 and 8, 2022.
Tickets and other info are yet to be revealed, but you can pre-register your interest on this link.
Fellow basketball fans will get a chance to see NBA superstars in action up close in these couple of pre-season matches. Atlanta will be led by All-star Trae Young, along with Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and John Collins among others. Milwaukee, who is currently playing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, will be bannered by MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, Serge Ibaka and Jrue Holiday.
As the new One Health Pass registration comes into effect starting May 3, 2022, here’s a list of countries whose vaccination cards and certificates are recognized and accepted by IATF:
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
British Virgin Island
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Iran
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Macau SAR
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Oman
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Romania
Samoa
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Thailand
Timor Leste
Tunisia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Vietnam
The list above is updated as of 4th May 2022. Please always check with OHP Portal for more updates. You may also follow BOQ on Twitter for updates on accepted foreign vaccination certificates:
Updated List of Accepted Foreign Vaccination Certificates as of APRIL 28, 2022#IATF#BOQCares
