The
Trillionare Life
Explore Dubai's Best Foods
Some of the best local dishes and drinks to try during your visit to this Middle Eastern foodie oasis
1. Luqaimat
These hot dumplings have a similar taste and texture to doughnuts. Cafés make fresh batches daily, served with a sticky date sauce and topped with sesame seeds. Local Bites Café in Jumeirah is a good place to try them, mid-morning with some hot coffee.
2. Margoogat
This meaty, tomato-based stew is full of heat, cooked with turmeric, cumin and bezar (a local garam masala-like spice mixture). Different variations can be found across the city, made with chicken or lamb, and some simply made with baby marrow and potato. The chicken margoogat dish at Aseelah in the Radisson Blu Hotel is a must-try, along with the restaurant’s exciting menu of other traditional and experimental dishes.
3. Knafeh
Originally from Palestine, this pastry dish has become a firm favourite with locals in the UAE. Made of sour cheese, crisp sugar syrup and dough, it’s best served immediately after being made. One of the most popular places to try it is Qwaider Al Nabulsi in Deira. During Ramadan, orders for this dessert can reach in to the thousands per day, as people request it for iftar – the meal eaten by Muslims at sundown to break their fast.
4. Chebab
These delicious Emirati-style pancakes are normally served at breakfast time. They’re crammed full of sour cheese and sweet date syrup, then heated. The cooking process causes the sweet and sour elements to combine, with a flavour that’s a little like a rich, boozy Swiss fondue. Tasty ones are served at Logma.
5. Khubz
Avoid shop-bought versions of this classic Arabic bread, and instead try it at a bakery or restaurant where they’re making it fresh. It’s perfect with fresh hummus and mutabal (aubergine dip). For a theatrical display, see the Arabian Tea House, which has a glass window to their bread kitchen.
6. Machboos
Machboos is a rice-based dish, it often goes by the name of kabsa. Kabsa originated in Saudi Arabia but is a traditional dish across many countries in the middle east. The dish is made from basmati rice, cooked in an abundance of flavourful spices with meat. Chicken and lamb are both popular options.
The dish is cooked in one pot making clean up a little easier! It seems like a complicated dish, usually because of a long ingredient list as it involves a lot of spices, but it’s actually pretty easy once you’ve got everything prepared.