By Carielle Catajay
ABU DHABI: Rice is life. Who doesn’t love rice? Most Filipinos can’t live without rice and cannot imagine sitting down to a meal that doesn’t have it.
Rice also remains the staple of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) no matter where they may be.
But have you ever heard of a restaurant that never runs out of unique-flavored rice? If it is rice that you crave and you want it with a twist, look no further. Rice Overdose serves boiled, fried and grilled food; and all meals come with unlimited flavored rice of your choice – Adobo, Beef Steak, Bagoong, Garlic and Plain rice, hence the restaurant’s slogan: “The higher the dosage, the better!”
The authentic Filipino restaurant has been serving meals since July 2015 and is known for flavored rice and a wide variety of dishes as well as more familiar favorites like T-bone Steak and Beef Pares.
It is the second venture for OFW couple, Joseph Ronald Calara and Maria Eleanor Calara, together with their business partner Mohammed Alqahtani.
Last September, Rice Overdose merged with The Filipino Kitchen Restaurant (TFKR,) the couple’s first restaurant. Rice Overdose now offers dishes from TFKR and if you’re looking for classic flavors, try some of their signature dishes like Chicken Inasal, Beef Steak, Spring Roll, Chicken Adobo and Bulalo which are now most of the best-sellers in Rice Overdose.
The rotating menu also includes group meals namely, Seafood Overdose, Grilled Overdose and Meat Overdose that will satisfy your peers’ or family’s craving at only Dh165 per group.
You may also relish an all-day, five-main-course buffet every Thursday, Friday and Saturday including dessert for as low as Dh29.
Lastly, if you want a unique style of dining in which food is served on banana leaves and diners eat with bare hands, try their themed boodle fights namely, Army’s Platoon, The General, Airforce Battalion and Marine Special Force. Boodle fights range from Dh199 to Dh319. You are also entitled to enjoy an hour of karaoke if you avail of either Airforce Battalion or Marine Special Force, but this is on reservation basis only.
Catherine Arda, supervisor of Rice Overdose Restaurant, told The Filipino Times that due to customers’ demand and since Filipinos love music, their team decided to tie up Boodle Fight with karaoke. They also have two function rooms and have party packages.
“Usually every weekend, our customers are from the other emirates – mostly Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain,” Arda said.
She added, “People are asking if we’ll branch out to Dubai because most of our customers are travelling from there just to eat here.”
Rice Overdose Restaurant’s unmistakable dining experience is open daily from 10am to 12mn and is also valid for take-away and home delivery. Visit them today at Twin Tower Building, Hamdan Street, (across from Sun & Sands) Abu Dhabi. For inquiries or reservation, you may call them at 02 6220068 or 052 177 5697. (Photos by One Carlo Diaz)
