Shaquille O’Neal, fondly known as Shaq by basketball fans around the world, is on a tour of Abu Dhabi’s street food. The campaign will be showcased in a series of videos which will be released periodically across Visit Abu Dhabi’s social media platforms.
The sporting legend swaps the court for cuisine leaving trails of personalised food reviews as he visits some of Abu Dhabi’s iconic street food spots. From traditional Emirati dishes to Middle Eastern favourites, he’s savouring every bite and sharing his discoveries through Google reviews.
Each episode of ‘Street Bites with Shaq‘ sees his larger-than-life personality immersed in the city as he explores eight different foodie hotspots.
In the first episode, Shaq visits Al Dhafra restaurant, an authentic Emirati cuisine spot, with a group of Emirati locals, where he’s introduced to lamb ghouzi (a traditional Emirati rice dish).
Shaq is seen marvelling at the mix of meat, rice and spices, and attributes the ingredient’s “teamwork” to making this a highlight dish.
In the episodes to come, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi teases Shaq’s journey into traditional Emirati and Middle Eastern food.
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Viewers will see Shaq comparing luqaimat (sweet dough balls with date syrup) from Luqaimat and Chebab to “mini basketballs”. He will also be seen visiting Mo’s Joint, where he tries their takeaway Classic Burger, giving a shout-out to its special Abu Dhabi sauce as “the MVP.”
To immerse his personality into Abu Dhabi’s street food culture, 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 aims to satisfy even the biggest appetites.
Shaq’s infectious enthusiasm and adventurous spirit aim to match the melting pot of flavours that define Abu Dhabi’s street food scene. With each bite, he uncovers different cultural influences that make the city’s street food scene so different.
Shaq’s 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) aims to make the series a charming quest into the world of Abu Dhabi’s street food.
