If you’ve thought about visiting Dubai, have you wondered what the food is like there? I know we never hear about Emirati food, so you probably have no idea what to expect.
If you’re not an adventurous diner, you’ll be relieved to know that for the most part, you’ll find a lot of the same foods and even some restaurants we have in the US. I remember seeing a Popeye’s chicken, and I even visited an iHOP. LOL! Don’t judge me! I’m a pancake lover, and my family wanted to check it out. Plus, after visiting Dubai twice in 2 months, I thought eating at iHOP was no longer taboo. LOL! What was different? Well, instead of a side of bacon you could get a side of baked beans. Hey – you know they don’t eat pork! But for real, unless you have the palate of a 5 year old, I wouldn’t waste my meal time on any of the American chain restaurants if your time in Dubai is limited. You’d be missing out on so much more.
There are not a whole lot of Emirati restaurants in Dubai, but I found an excellent one (that has since closed) The chef served us a whole buffet of delicious food, including camel burgers. I felt so bad for the camel, but I took a bite since he had already sacrificed his life for us. It tasted like a turkey burger. I also took an authentic Emirati cooking class while I was there on my second visit. One of the dishes I learned to cook was similar to a chicken and dumplings dish, but with flavors like cumin, coriander and saffron. This was a couple of years ago when I still ate chicken. Anyway, it was amazing. I came home and made the dish for my family and they loved it! It’s safe to say I love Emirati food.
I especially appreciate the wide variety of healthy options available when visiting Dubai. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet at our hotel each morning, which was complete with offerings from all around the world. That means plenty of healthy options, since that’s the way most countries eat. Fresh fruits and veggies, cooked and raw, all for breakfast. Roasted eggplant and hummus, olives, fruit salad with passionfruit and dragon fruit. I was in heaven.
I’m told by the ladies in my group that there’s a delicious soul food restaurant in Dubai. Because I’m looking to experience other flavors, I didn’t check it out. But I think it was called Aunt or Momma something. I’m sure you can find it via Google. There’s also a lot of European options available throughout the restaurants in Dubai. I had a brick oven pizza at a place in the mall, and it was quite scrumptious. And let’s not forget about brunch. I remember when I lived in Saudi as a teen, we would go to the most elaborate brunch at a hotel on Fridays. I mean a spread fit for royalty. In the Middle East, brunch is a half day affair, and may even extend into the early evening complete with a dj and full party. Wear your loose pants because you’re expected to eat your weight in delicious food for brunch. Every Friday, and at some places, Saturday too.
Let me not forget the phenomenal Asian food. I love Asian food, but it has to be truly authentic. I guess you could say I’m an Asian food snob. So when I got to Dubai and had some truly out of this world flavors to hit my tongue, I fell in love with Asian food all over again. There’s something about the way the wok chars all the fresh vegetables, and the fragrant fresh garlic and ginger. That panda restaurant will just never do it for me. LOL!
If the food in Dubai is a concern for you, you’ll find that basically there’s something for everyone. And honestly, if I had to eat at restaurants in Dubai for the rest of my life, I’d be quite happy about that.
