Snack with Shaq across Abu Dhabi’s street food scene

The NBA star swaps the court for cuisine in a new series of street food films.

Abu Dhabi is already known for its world-class restaurants, many of which are up for awards at the FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi 2024. But beyond fancy, fine dining, the capital’s street food offerings are just as incredible. Now, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal is exploring all the goods himself.

Shaq has teamed up with Visit Abu Dhabi for an exciting new series exploring the capital’s street food scene. And the first episode of this new eight-part series called Shaq’s Abu Dhabi Street Food Journey, sees the NBA star hanging out with a group of local boys at Al Dhafra Restaurant. This restaurant is a beloved spot for authentic Emirati cuisine in Abu Dhabi, where Shaq is introduced to lamb ghouzi — a traditional rice dish mixed with meat and spices. Eating it in the true Emirati way — ditching the cutlery — he couldn’t help but rave about the flavours, quipping that he had to slow down to savour every bite.

But Shaq’s food adventure won’t stop there. The series is set to showcase a variety of stops across Abu Dhabi. In the upcoming episodes, he’ll be seen trying luqaimat and chebab from Luqaimat, the classic burger from Mo’s Joint along with visits to Al Sultan Sweets, Bu Tafish, India Palace Restaurant, and the capital’s favourite Seashell restaurant.

While Shaq’s devouring one delicious dish after the other, he’s also going behind the scenes to discover the creation of these culinary masterpieces. One episode will see Shaq visiting the capital’s famous Beit El Khetyar, where he makes a giant shawarma called the Shaqwarma.

So sit back and relax and wait for the next episode — or better yet, use the basketball legend’s videos as a Shaq-approved tasting tour. With the global star shining a spotlight on these culinary gems, queues are expected to get longer.

GO: Visit www.visitabudhabi.com for more information.