A multi-faceted personality, Mo Abedin, adorns many hats, juggling them brilliantly between his passion for food, toys, and comics. We spoke with the Dubai-based entrepreneur on his versatile career as a restaurateur, food influencer, and comic creator.
Mo Abedin
Q: Mr. Abedin, please tell us briefly about yourself.
A: I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, to an Emirati father and Thai mother. We moved to Dubai, UAE, a couple of years after I was born. I graduated from Dubai Men’s College – Higher Colleges of Technology with a Bachelor in Business Administration – Applied Science degree.
Q: What inspired you to enter the culinary world?
A: My biggest inspiration is my mother, Amena Rakkuson. From a very young age, I watched my mother work from the family kitchen, as she lovingly prepared authentic Thai food to satiate the cravings of the Dubai based Thai community. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, watching my mother cook, and gained a lot of inspiration from her drive and passion. It was natural for me to develop a passion for food, especially Thai.
Q: Please tell us about your restaurant, Sticky Rice.
A: Sticky Rice, situated in Jumeirah Village Circle, is a bona fide Thai restaurant that I run with my mother as a Head Chef. Most of the ingredients are flown in from Bangkok, as we believe in using only fresh ingredients. Our menu includes several traditional dishes, including the Hoi Pad Prik Pow, Tom Yum, and Thai red and green curries. We have also reinvented the classics – Thai bubble tea and soft serve coconut ice cream with a modern twist of flavors, which have become a hit with our patrons.
Q: What is the most important factor in running a restaurant successfully?
A: Authenticity and just keeping it real have honestly been the key to our success. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the community for the past two years, and they have been nothing but supportive towards Mama and Sticky Rice. Most people seek us out for a taste of home and others to be instantly transported back to Thailand, and they know that Mama has that gift to take them there with her food.
Q: Tell us about Saucebeast.
A: My wife and I are incredibly passionate about food and love to explore different cuisines on our travels. We decided to create @Saucebeast to showcase the incredible dishes and highlight the interesting journeys of chefs and home-based cooks around the world.
Q: What advice would you give to upcoming food influencers?
A: I wouldn’t really call myself an influencer. I prefer to be called a vlogger since the content I create tries to establish a connection between people and the different cuisines worldwide while also sharing my own personal food experiences. But the advice I would give anyone on social media trying to create a platform is to be genuine and really focus on things that you love and are passionate about.
Q: Lastly, how did you diversify from food to the comic industry?
A: Since childhood, I have loved toys and comics. I forayed into the comic industry 18 years ago with the development and creation of “Raiiken,” a comic book that merges the worlds of Japanese and Roman mythologies. With more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, the comic has developed a cult following with fans eagerly awaiting the release of the first issue.
