Bosky Dutia and Sami al Salmi know food. She can cook a killer samosa and he can garnish the simplest of food and it will taste amazing. Both competitive home cooks, it was an easy decision when they decided to create the Facebook-based Oman Restaurant Review — a community with a following of over 20,000 and whose daily activities include rating and exchanging information about the food scene in Oman.
Sami and Bosky worked hard from the ground up to have an inclusive, cohesive and user-friendly community. If there’s something both of them are proud of, it’s the authenticity of their members and the real-life basis of the reviews which are quite easy to circumvent now with the advent of fake accounts proliferating the digital world.
As an Omani-Expat duo, they wanted to provide well-rounded reviews — she, coming from the perspective of the expats that make up almost half of the population, and he, as an Omani, looks at things from a local perspective.
To sit down with both of them to talk about food can last for hours and the friendly banter usually lead to amazing discoveries — like where to find the best biryani, the most mouth-watering shuwa, or simply, the latest continental, Asian, European or Arabic-themed restaurants.
Oman Daily Observer caught up with these foodies to learn more about the community they foster and what they hope it will accomplish in the still growing food scene of Oman.
Can you tell us how Oman Restaurant Review came about?
Sami: It was founded in August 2014. Oman Restaurant Review was just a fun idea to help connect diners with restaurants. We felt that there was a huge disconnect between them and we were hoping to help customers achieve a better experience.
Bosky: Adding to what Sami said, I believe food runs in our veins. We started off just discussing various restaurants and their offerings with friends and family. It then culminated into doing more — creating a platform where like-minded foodies could connect, discuss and share their honest experiences.
Can you tell us about its structure and the admins that run it? How many members do the group have?
Sami: So it’s just both of us as admins. Our Facebook group is based on honest, straightforward reviews and advice from not only us but each member who is a part of the group. We have over 21,000 genuine members currently and we hope we continue to grow organically as we have in the past 5 years.
Bosky: It’s not about numbers for us. We are more interested in quality than quantity. We want more people who engage, review and participate within the group. Our structure is simple, we want your honest opinions in a non-derogatory way at all times.
How does one become a member? And are there specific house rules one has to abide by?
Sami: All you need to do is join! We usually check if members are based in Oman and are not spammers! Although we now have vast numbers, we vet people before approving a ‘join request’. About the rules — we use simple common sense as directives such as be genuine, be polite and add as much information as you can so as to help other members. We also encourage all members to respect other opinions as each dining experience is unique.
Bosky: As usual he said it all!
What makes ORR different from other restaurant review sites and apps ?
Bosky: We’re homegrown! Over the years, we have developed relationships with our members and them with each other. I believe it works better on a trust basis.
Sami: ORR is a one-stop solution. You can find restaurants; read authentic reviews; get contact details; discover a lot of different offers and contests at the same time. We try to keep our members’ best interests in mind at all times.
Tell us what a day is like for an ORR admin?
Bosky and Sami: It’s really busy! We have divided our tasks and reviews to find respite. On a daily basis, there’s usually a few questions but the reviews vary based on the day. Weekends and holidays see more reviews compared to weekdays. For a review to be approved, all a member needs to do is simply add the restaurant name, location, details on their meal, a few pictures and the pricing to give other members an opportunity to visualise their dining experience.
What do you like for members of the group to keep on doing?
Bosky and Sami: Respect each other’s opinions and experiences. It is very important to remember that no two members are the same and even if it is the same restaurant and the same dishes, their experience can be poles apart.
What do you want them to stop doing?
Bosky and Sami: Talking about unregistered businesses is a big no-no! Also, we encourage and insist on using proper positive language and energy to review a negative experience. This helps restaurants build confidence to improve.
How do you see the group in the next five years?
Sami: The next five years are going to be a challenge! As the group expands, more people feel confident enough to build new platforms to share their experiences. It doesn’t intimidate me as I enjoy these new challengers that push me to work harder and grow stronger.
Bosky: Honestly, I didn’t think we’d get this far, but kudos to our members for helping us to flourish. We always think of them as our 21,000 plus other admins who keep us in check. So I’m definitely happy to just see us continue to grow.
What do you think is missing in the food scene in Oman?
Bosky and Sami: We’ve been saying this since 2014! Oman’s market needs new authentic cuisines from the around the world. After five years, we believe that the market is ripe and people are ready to experiment with food. Our connect between restauranteurs and diners has encouraged investors to franchise in Oman and for owners to bring in new concepts to the Sultanate.
What’s the greatest challenge you guys have to overcome as a group (or as admins)?
Bosky and Sami: Ensuring authenticity of reviews and making sure we continue to exist as a group that is advertisement free bar special offers from restaurants. We do this so as to not dilute the member’s group experience. We also try to keep the members aware of the nation’s cyber laws.
Anything you’d like to add?
Bosky and Sami: It had been a true pleasure to be one of the voices that helps the F&B community within the Sultanate to raise their standards and offer people stellar dining experiences. A big shoutout to all restaurants in Oman for being so receptive! At the same time, hats off to our lovely members who have made this a fun and productive journey.
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