Enjoy mouth-watering Asia Cup ties with lip-smacking cuisines

Mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter

The Asia Cup fever has already gripped the UAE and with the three potential India-Pakistan clashes in line, aficionados are going haywire with euphoria. The prospect of watching three potential clashes between the arch-rivals within a fortnight is driving the fans crazy. India-Pakistan matches are the most viewed sporting event on the planet.

Everybody wants to make it memorable. They want to see their stars sweating it out in the sweltering heat compounded by a pressure-cooker situation to salvage the pride of their respective countries. But watching it alone like a couch potato does not augur well for these cricket-mad fans. They want to see the action transpiring with as much intensity as it’s being played with.

They are looking for the venues where they can see the history being made with their counterparts. Where even a dot ball is cheered and it involves some gentle bickering and bantering but of course not a fight.

The Indian and Pakistani fans are looking for place where they can get a chance to roast each other on every boundary, every wicket and sixes, leave alone the result but in an amicable ambiance. To cater to the demands of such crazy fans, many restaurants, hotels and cafés have set up giant screens for an uninterrupted and immersive experience.

So if you are looking for such places, we have listed a few of them here, where you can spend a lazy summer afternoon sipping on juices and ordering your favourite cuisines from an a la carte menu. On top of the list, comes the name of Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan’s Flying Catches to catch the action live on Al Hudeiba Street – Jumeirah. One big screen and five LED TV sets have been set up with a surround sound system in the 3000-square foot property to connect with the community.

“We at Flying Catches offer unlimited starters and drinks with just for Dhs149 per person for the first three hours. After that on every order, fans will get a 20 per cent discount,” said Abhijeet, GM, Flying Catches.

Freddy’s Restro Café is another perfect place for an immersive experience to watch games on the big screen that too without spending anything if one does not wish to. Fans can go to any of the six Freddy’s sports lounges in Bur Dubai, Deira, Karama, Dubai Investment Park and Ajman for a phenomenal experience.

“We are showing the matches in all six Freddy’s lounges. Most of our customers are Asians, so we have not put any condition for a minimum spend. Anyone can come enjoy the games. We are also offering discount to mark the occasion,” said Praveen Shetty, CEO, Fortune Group.

“We have also given the jerseys of each participating nation to our staff, with Freddy’s name on it and a slogan ‘May I help you?,” he informed.

For an elevated experience of watching the games and connecting with the community over leisure, Old Castello in Jumeirah can be a perfect destination for the fans.

“We are delighted to welcome the guests to come and root for their teams in our state-of- the-art restaurant. We have a cap of a minimum of Dhs120. “We are not offering any package. One can take whatever he likes. There is nothing like that guests have to take only whatever is included in the package,” said Pradeep Kumar, Head Operations.

Last but not the least, there is one place in the UAE where one can enjoy the match on a big screen with unlimited refreshments absolutely free. A huge screen has been set up in the private residence of Anis Sajan for showcasing the India–Pakistan match.

“We are hosting the live screening of India-Pakistan match on Sept.2. It is open for all the Indian-Pakistani fans. We will have a stadium like atmosphere. “We will have dhol-wala, face printing, bantering and a lot more. You can live your passion. I love cricket from the bottom of my heart and when it comes to cricket, my business takes a back seat,” apprised Anis.