You can learn a great deal about a culture by eating its food. A region’s cuisine is an integral part of what distinguishes one from another, and it should be celebrated accordingly. Entrepreneur Mo Abedin wishes to highlight cuisines across the United Arab Emirates and beyond with his brand SAUCEBEAST.
SAUCEBEAST is a weekly Instagram show where Mo Abedin meets with amazing chefs, home cooks, and also showcases restaurants all around the UAE. He’s passionate about highlighting people who make fantastic food and bringing new people to their restaurants. He’s recently eaten an entire Alaskan King Crab in Dubai, a 60 year old beef broth noodle bowl in Bangkok, and a whole rotisserie lamb in Šibenik, Croatia. “I’m always excited to try a new food, even if many people would find it exotic, gross, or weird,” Abedin said. “I have an eccentric palette and will try anything once.” His videos feature him eating and providing tasting notes for the food, as well as talking to the creators of the dishes. You can also watch some of his most popular videos on SAUCEBEAST’s YouTube channel. “I hope I can encourage my viewers to be more adventurous when it comes to food. There’s so much out there to explore, and you really do yourself a disservice when you eat the same few meals over and over again.”
If you’re wondering where Abedin gets his authority on food, he’s also the Co-Owner of a Thai restaurant called Sticky Rice in Dubai. Sticky Rice is a passion project between Abedin and his mother, Amena. Abedin was born in Bangkok, Thailand, but his family soon moved to Dubai. For over 20 years since then, his mother has been serving Thai food to the residents. The restaurant run by the pair regularly has a waiting list and is one of the most popular Thai places in the city. “We aim to respect Thai cuisine while still making items you can’t find anywhere else,” Mo Abedin said. “We make traditional curry pastes and only use fresh herbs. If we can’t get the ingredients to something, we’ll take it off the menu for a while rather than going halfway.”
Mo Abedin is passionate about food, and he enjoys it both as a chef and a consumer. Watching SAUCEBEAST is a great way to learn more about cuisines found in UAE and discover new dishes to try next time you’re on the hunt for something to new to eat.
