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Liam Collens

@itsliamcollens.bsky.social
116 followers 40 following 1.3K posts

Restaurant critic in Dubai, Trinidadian, home in Piemonte. Less interested in the plate than why the place exists. Co-author, The Rise of Indian Food

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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
What are we reading? My next two reads just arrived.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Cauliflower has had the best rebrand of any vegetable in my lifetime. It used to be the thing boiled to death buried at the edge of a plate, unloved. Now it turns up whole, roasted, priced like a main course as the token vegetarian dish. I credit diet fads to its rise. Keto, Atkins, paleo.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I managed to slip away for 40 minutes to fold myself into this Tom Yum soup. Spicy, sharp and sings of lemongrass. The kind of comfort food that you could dab behind your ears.
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Reposted by Liam Collens
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 29/08/2026
When it comes to how women want to live, Ina Garten’s advice is simple: “Do exactly what feels right to you.” On “The Interview,” the cookbook author and host spoke about learning to trust her instincts, why she says she’s lucky to be in a field “where women excel” and more. trib.al/hv6dZCC
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Amused Bouche 09 is the monthly newsletter that looks back on the last 30 days. This issue talks about people dancing on bars during industry nights, the accolades ghosting the restaurants that crave them and where I’ve eaten in Dubai during August. liamcollens.substack.com/p/amused-bou...
liamcollens.substack.com
Amused Bouche 09: Reward Those Who Turn Up When Times Are Hard
Bite-sized if not biting commentary. In this issue: dancing on bars, awards in absentia and restaurant wine at retail.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
An afternoon in Deira, Dubai.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I spent an afternoon discovering Afghan cuisine. Both what it is and what it isn’t. liamcollens.substack.com/p/afghan-kab...
liamcollens.substack.com
Afghan Kabab Village, Dubai: ‘The mutton karahi reads like Braille for the teeth’
Uninvited Opinion. Two hours after we sat down, I lay prostrate across a carpet, rubbing my stomach through mutton-induced gastric contractions as my head metabolises it all.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It’s called coffee.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Preconceptions led me to believe that this mutton karahi was going to be spicy, bold, and fiery in the style that I know from Pakistani food. However, Afghan cuisine seems much more subtle, balanced, and comforting. I spent a lot of time gnawing meat away from these bones.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Today was my first time in an Afghan restaurant. I knew bolani and mantu. Things you learn from TV, but nothing else. What surprised me was what it wasn't more than what it was. I'd assumed it would sit nearer to Pakistani food. Hot, heavily spiced and loud. It isn't!
An Afghan feast of different dishes. Special Nisar charsi karahi half
Mutton pulao
Afghani bolani
Afghani mantu
Afghani palak water small water small drinks drinks
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Growing up in the Caribbean taught me to look for where cultures mingle. Two years ago, Trèsind Studio and Gucci Osteria brought India and Italy together for one dinner. I wondered where they’d find common ground. The answer came course by course, plate by plate. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Tresind Studio x Gucci Osteria
Dubai continues to show the world that it's a world-class destination for creative cooking, eye-catching collaborations and a progressive melting pot for all things delicious.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
I write about food for a living and one of the hardest people I have to feed is my own son. He asked for this pizza the other day and then, unusually, actually ate a couple of slices. A small victory. There is a real difference between introducing kids to good food and persuading them to eat it.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
open.substack.com
Amused Bouche 08
Bite-sized if not biting commentary. In this issue: nobody wants a mixed verdict, eating through a 49C Dubai summer and saying goodbye to a one-eyed cat.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
ONE YEAR LATER. A community created guide to the best eats in Cairo, a city remarkably underestimated for its food scene. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Eat Like a Local in Cairo: The Best Street Food, Cafes and Restaurants As Recommended by Locals
Forget the guides, this is where locals in Cairo really go to eat. Discover Cairo’s best street food and more, from shawerma buns to koshary, with locals revealing their favourite places to eat.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Today - there’s no room in the middle, eats and saying goodbye to our one-eyed girl open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Amused Bouche 08
Bite-sized if not biting commentary. In this issue: nobody wants a mixed verdict, eating through a 49C Dubai summer and saying goodbye to a one-eyed cat.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Last night’s Sicilian-in-direction dinner. Aubergine balls in a tomato anchovy orzo.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
3 years ago I reviewed a restaurant before it had opened. In this week’s write up, I went back. I ask whether ROW on 45 changed, whether it Refined the Work as promised but more importantly to me, the act of getting a second look and writing about it on my terms. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
ROW on 45, Dubai — Restaurant Revisited.
Three years after finding a great restaurant hiding inside an overworked one, has ROW on 45 done the work it promises?
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Reposted by Liam Collens
Shawn Hennessey ☀️🍷 @sevillatapas.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Ok Bluesky pals, up for a challenge? Thanks to Jim's article on making Sevilla's famous Anchovy Toast with Condensed Milk, I've decided to dedicate the next @bitesizesevilla.bsky.social article to this topic and I would like to include some of your homemade efforts, along with your opinion.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
I’m thinking about buying a rice cooker. Does anyone have advice on what to look for and, even better, any good ones?
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Humba is a Filipino chicken dish slowly simmered in a savory, tangy, and sweet sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and spices — a bit like an adobo. Here Naimas takes the humble humba and stuffs it full inside an empanada with a thin shortcrust type pastry and a bright chimichurri ♥️
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Birds are making a nest inside our outdoor lamp shade 🥹
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Norway and Cabo Verde epitomised the spirit of the tournament to me. We lose more than just games now that they are gone.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Look I was never one for Ann Widecombe’s politics but it sounds like she died in the worst possible way, and she didn’t deserve that.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Nigel Farage: Man of the People 🙄
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Happy Weekend all. Cheers.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Meh wine. Life’s too short.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Sorry, the police opened a murder investigation into Ann Widecombe’s death?! Really? Wow.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Some restaurants work because they meet the mood of the neighbourhood. Taqueria Freedah for your consideration. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Taqueria Freedah, Dubai restaurant review. “It runs both hot and cold.”
Uninvited Opinion. At Taqueria Freedah, the room is warm, the beer is cold and the off-menu item is worth the sweat.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
I think about my friends in Trinidad who grew up hiding themselves, afraid of bullying and worse. They couldn't wait to leave so they could just be.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Never has Belgium trended so hard online. And I'm here for it.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
KITCHEN CLEAR OUT DAY
static.klipy.com
Munsters: Lily's Smoky Cleaning
ALT: Munsters: Lily's Smoky Cleaning
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
I’m convinced the difference between a good Airbnb and a great one is often the kitchen. What’s the one thing you’ve found in an Airbnb kitchen that made you think, “Someone has actually thought this through”?
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Not everything needs an essay, which is why I put out these bite-sized Amused Bouches. This month: ⚽ The biggest World Cup culture clash isn't on the pitch 🍹 A three Michelin-starred restaurant is having more fun 🇵🇹 Portuguese wine deserves your money and attention Check out the link ⬇
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
The #WorldCup is creating millions of tiny culture clashes. American tipping culture is increasingly one! So if you disagree with a country’s customs, do you respect them because you’re a guest, or ignore them because you think they’re wrong, especially if it comes at a cost?
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
June in the UAE 🥵 Someone always says 'we just need to get to September'. The problem is that businesses still have to survive July and August.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
There is a brewing optimism about September in Dubai and the restaurants bouncing back. Honestly? I’m worried. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Something for the Weekend: The Long Dark Summer
My son is waiting for his friends to return in September. So are Dubai’s restaurants. Neither of them knows if they will.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Do not — repeat, DO NOT — change lanes going into and exiting a roundabout.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Ah, peace at last… www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
US says it struck Iran targets after attack on cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz
Strikes against military facilities were in response to drone attack a day earlier on a cargo vessel
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Venezuela is a tremendous country. A place that kindled my love of travel. The place where I first started to travel without parents and family. Its lived under the crushing boot of dictators for decades and now it suffers under rubble. It breaks my heart to see these earthquake scenes.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Friend, fellow writer and Dubai restaurant sage Pallavi is looking for your vote for her Google Maps collection of standout 10 best Indian bites in Karama and Bur Dubai. I trust Pallavi’s judgement on where to eat anywhere. Your vote would mean a lot to her. www.visitdubai.com/en/things-to...
visitdubai.com
Pallavi Sangtani | Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition
Travel to India, one street snack at a time, while roaming through Karama and Bur Dubai.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Bacon fried egg and brown sauce bagel for the woman who made me a dad. Happy Father’s Day folks.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
So much editing today
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Golden hour in Dubai.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Has anyone tried this blending red wine experiment?
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
My son is being a real brat today 🫠
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
ONE YEAR LATER, it is the article most quoted back to me, and people still tag me in their bread courses. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Bread is not a course, so please stop serving it as one.
Bread is only ever a side dish, no matter what you do it.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
My search for Hainanese chicken rice utopia in Dubai. open.substack.com/pub/liamcoll...
open.substack.com
Tong Fong Fatt, Dubai restaurant review. "My Hunt for Chicken Rice Perfection."
Uninvited Opinion. My quest for an incomparable Hainanese chicken rice continues. Al Barsha gestures towards a credible, if imperfect, sanctuary.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I am three chapters into Bonfire of the Murdochs right now.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A clever dish - fruit with the texture of tuna sashimi in a kiwi aguachile. 📍 Trèsind Studio, Dubai.
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Liam Collens @itsliamcollens.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I do wonder if Gwyneth Paltrow enjoys this spate of attention she's conjured. Because that seems to be her whole brand.
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