People placing order at McDonald´s at around 3am.
People placing order at McDonald´s at around 3am.

Night owls' fast-food feast before home



DUBAI // At 2.45am on a Wednesday, the wrong end of a "school night", Mariphie Sollorano and three of her friends were the only customers at McDonald's on Jumeira Beach Road.

Some patrons of the fast-food restaurant had just returned from a day on the beach; others had returned from Ice Land water park in Ras Al Khaimah.

Although most were lucky to have an afternoon shift that day, Ms Sollorano had to report for work at 9am.

"I didn't want to go out at first but I'm here as the result of peer pressure," the Filipina said, pointing at her friend Leih Falqueza. "She's always the one who's up to no good."

Yet Ms Sollorano, 31, who works as a sales representative at Sun and Sand Sports, had no regrets about giving in to temptation.

"It's been a great day and, going back, I wouldn't have changed my mind," she said. "I can get by with just six hours of sleep, and only three hours is OK once in a while. We're still young, after all."

At first, Ms Sollorano and her friends were the only customers, but as the clock struck 3am and the clubs closed Dubai's young crowd began to peek in.

Roaa Ikink was among them. She dived into her cheeseburger and fries after enjoying a night out at the Dubai Marine Resort and Spa next door. At nearly 4am, she said nothing could be more satisfying.

Mrs Ikink, 24, a housewife, had early business ahead of her. After dropping off her two children at a nursery at 7.30am, she had to be at a beauty salon to model their cosmetic products only 30 minutes later.

With less than four hours to go before this busy day began, she was determined to take a power nap and make it to her demonstration.

"If I have at least an hour or two of sleep, then I'll be fine - as long as there's also a Red Bull in the mix," Mrs Ikink said.

This kind of schedule is not unusual for the young Yemeni, who says she goes out at least five times a week.

A shisha addict, Mrs Ikink says she usually saves clubbing for the weekend and spends her weekday evenings in cafes. Her husband, who is from Holland, spends most of his time at work.

"The most important thing is that the place we go to has shisha," she said. "My husband is always busy at meetings and events, so I get bored and go out to kill time.

"This is what's wonderful about Dubai nightlife. You have so many options well into the night, whether you want to go out and dance or relax at a cafe."

Of McDonald's 97 branches across the UAE, 61 operate around the clock or have extended working hours, meaning they close between 2am and 4am. The chain is popular among the younger crowd for satisfying after-party cravings.

Mazen Sous, a McDonald's representative, said restaurants that are close to key attractions, on motorways on main commuting roads, have the highest after-midnight sales, especially on weekends.

While customers early on that Wednesday morning came in patches, they were streaming through the door on Friday night.

Tina Rouss, from Lebanon, had just come back from celebrating her friend's birthday at Loca and Malecon, a bar and nightclub also at the Dubai Marine Resort.

Although zaatar w zeit is the young Lebanese woman's most preferred late-night meal because it "reminds me of home", her reasons for choosing McDonald's were simple.

"It's open, cheap and tastes good," Ms Rouss said.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

Dubai World Cup Carnival card

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m

The National selections:

6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register. 

4) The campaign uses the hashtag  #donate_hope

The Two Popes

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce 

Four out of five stars

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

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While you're here
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

The%20specs
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Match info

Costa Rica 0

Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')

Key fixtures from January 5-7

Watford v Bristol City

Liverpool v Everton

Brighton v Crystal Palace

Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan

Coventry v Stoke City

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

Manchester United v Derby

Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom

Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon

Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City

Manchester City v Burnley

Shrewsbury v West Ham United

Wolves v Swansea City

Newcastle United v Luton Town

Fulham v Southampton

Norwich City v Chelsea

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

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