Photos by Nicole Lopez del Carril/Graphic by Joaquin Kunkel

Back in an era marked by Sama Tower, the old Downtown Campus and The Gazelle in its nascent stage, NYU Abu Dhabi students called their self-imposed isolation the Sama bubble. It was all too easy for students to spend long hours running up and down staircases to each other’s rooms without ever seeing sunlight. Occasionally, someone would get fed up and wander down Electra Street past Butt Sweet House, satisfy a late night shawarma-craving at Foodlands or relax post-exam with an avocado and mango smoothie.

With the university’s transition to the Saadiyat campus, the bubble has become a desert island of its own, and students parched for spice and sauce have to make the ever-so-dreadful taxi journey to the city. If you are a freshman reading this, you’re probably thinking: How do I know where to go? A senior once told me about this place with great Lebanese food, but does it exist? Will I be able to find it? Will my 30 AED go to waste?

Two weeks ago, I visited Abu Dhabi for a week after nearly two years away. Although many of my favorite places are closed or changed — R.I.P. Al Ekram — I was introduced to new restaurants and cafes by fellow students. In the spirit of a #tbt and my recent trip, here are two new AD secrets.

If you are like me, an Asian cuisine newbie, hot pot is a great place to try out new flavors, vegetables, sauces and textures.

Hot pot is a traditional dish in many East Asian countries and consists of a hot simmering pot of broth that you dip different meats, fish, vegetables, mushrooms and noodles in to cook them while sitting around the table. Hot pot is usually eaten with a dipping sauce made of ingredients of your choosing.

Vegetarian-friendly, Qian Zhou Hot Pot is a great place to have vegetables often not seen in the Middle East, including bok choi and black fungus, a delicious Chinese mushroom. Try tofu skin for a crunchy alternative to meat, or ask for their regular thin-stripped beef. Other favorites include fish balls and vermicelli noodles.

Note: I would recommend going with someone who knows the art of making a good dipping sauce, like senior Cole Tanigawa-Lau was able to show me — it is really the most important aspect of your hot pot experience. The buffet at Qian Zhou Hot Pot offers more than 30 dipping sauce ingredients to choose from. They are all intriguing, but it can also be dangerous to mix and match. It is very easy to go wrong, so a general rule is to stick with flavors you know, or experiment with smaller quantities and many bowls. Two favorites are the peanut sauce or, alternatively, a lighter sauce with a base of fish and dipping sauces, lemon juice, onions, garlic and cilantro. Either way – you’re in for a treat and quite the experience.

Qian Zhou Hot Pot is located near the intersection of Electra Sreet. and Najda Street, walking on Najda away from the Corniche.Here is a convenient map from Google to help you find it.

Having lived in Jordan for almost two years, there is nothing I love more than some delicious Levantine food, and Syrian cuisine really takes the cake. If you are a freshman or sophomore and have not been privy to the deliciousness that is Syrian food, you are really missing out.

Al Liwan’s décor is certainly not your typical modern Abu Dhabi style. In fact, the restaurant is one of the few places where the decorations feel organic and not forced or artificial. This quaint and intimate restaurant transports you to the similar low-key hipster restaurants of Ashrafiyeh in Beirut. The mint green walls are colored with memories from travelers past who have filled stomachs and shared moments.

For Levantine classics, try their fatteh betanjan, a spectacular yoghurt and eggplant dip, or their beetroot moutabal in a neon shade of pink. Other favorites are the ginger beef and sahleb, a milky-sweet drink made from an orchid flower, courtesy of the Ottoman Empire’s past domination across the Middle East.

Al Liwan is located across from La Brioche on Najda Street.Here is a convenient map from Google to help you find it.

We ate our way outside of Sama, voraciously attacking the city and seeking new places to fill stomachs, share memories and make the city just a little more our own.

If you’re reading this, I challenge you to take next Friday morning off, grab a few friends and hit the town before it gets too hot to do so. Get out of your taxi at a random location, walk around, have karak tea in a hole-in-the-wall spot, try that fried dough ball or wrap or curry. When you find a gem, map it and tell people about it. Share your Abu Dhabi, because the best thing the community can give each other is nourishment in times of capstone, worries, studies and stress. So nourish each other and share your #ADSecret.