Watan-Social media users have been circulating a controversial video from inside a restaurant in Dubai, showcasing an appetizer dish made from a single medium-sized tomato priced at $200, equivalent to 750 Saudi riyals.
This sparked controversy due to the simplicity of the dish’s ingredients and its excessively high price. Activists described the tomato appetizer as the “world’s most expensive tomato.”
In the circulated video, a restaurant waiter is seen cutting the tomato into long slices in a distinctive manner, arranging them to resemble an octopus. He then adds a type of white cream, spices, and drizzles a bit of olive oil on top.
مطعم في دبي يقدم حبه طماطم ب 200 دولار يعني 750﷼
مشروعي القادم كرتون طمام وكشك وخذلك فلووووووس 💵💵💵🍅🍅 pic.twitter.com/iHrfy0400u
— الكوتش عمار (@3m__1) December 25, 2023
Activists’ Mockery: “Cucumber with Crocodile Tears”
The widely circulated video elicited a range of reactions from activists, with many expressing mockery and frustration due to the high price of the dish compared to its simple ingredients.
A Twitter user sarcastically commented, “Organic tomatoes watered with the tears of a sad crocodile who lost its mother in mysterious circumstances.”
In a similar vein, “Fatima” added, “Certainly, the tomatoes are grown on the surface of the moon, with no special flavor, and they melt in the mouth like marshmallows.”
An account under the name “Abu Raed” remarked, “Maybe the restaurant is leased for a million dollars monthly, meaning they need at least 5,000 tomatoes a month to cover the rent and the rest for employee salaries and profit.”
“Isa Abu Suleiman” said, “With 750 riyals, I can fill the fridge with vegetables, fruits, and chicken, and still have some left.”