Dubai is an adventurer’s delight. It’s no wonder why visitors troop in their thousands every year (holiday season or not) to explore. Dubai always makes appearances in most adventurers’ list of places to visit.
Dubai is intriguing. Not just for the glitz and glamor of the wonderful buildings and towns to explore and the serene hotels and breathtaking beaches and resorts and not just for the exotic souks scattered across the old and new Dubai.
An impressive importance of the rich cultural heritage of Dubai lies in her authentic Emirati cuisines. From corner shops, drive-through kiosks to restaurants, Dubai is blessed with fabulous authentic meals.
There’s a popular saying that goes “When in Rome, behave like the Romans.” If you happen to visit, you should make time to look out for where to eat Emirati food in Dubai.
Thankfully, I have looked up some of these places myself and curated some of the best authentic Emirati food in Dubai you can munch on.
But before jumping into all that…
A Background to Authentic Emirati Food In Dubai
Before Dubai, and the UAE in general, became what it is today, it was surrounded by desert lands. Albeit, it was occupied by people who focused on subsistence farming, fishing, and pearl diving as far back as the 7th Century.
As time went by, Dubai and other parts of the UAE became a centralized hub for trade. This drew merchants from all over the world to sell their wares there. And as they came to the Arabian Gulf, they brought their cuisines with them.
Over time, these meals played a significant role in how Dubai’s traditional Emirati cuisines were shaped. Before the creation of the UAE in the late ‘60s, these meals have long pre-existed and have been making the rounds in Dubai.
These meals are an impressive blend of Indian, Persian, Bedouin, Pakistani, Peruvian, Ethiopian, Iranian dishes. However, it takes a different turn as they are sauced and spiced with the best of spices you can only find at the spices souk in Dubai.
Basically, you may recognize a meal from the appearance. But the taste is definitely going to be different. Your taste buds are going to be permeated with something new, crispy, and fresh.
It should be noted that most visitors have little idea about Emirati meals. Typically, most of these meals are home cooked. So, having a taste of these delicious meals would require you to get an invite to someone’s home for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But not everyone can experience such luxury. Who says you can’t enjoy them at local cuisine restaurants?
Mainly, these meals are somewhat determined by the seasons. So, one would expect various rice varieties, wheat, and vegetables during the cooler months. However, during the hotter periods, camel meat, goat meat, lamb meat, dates, and fresh fishes from the gulf are what to be expected.
With the increasing demand for Emirati meals, more eateries and restaurants are beginning to open up to the idea.
Best Emirati Food In Dubai and Where to Eat Them
Dubai is home to several authentic Emirati meals. We will look at some of them and where to eat Emirati food in Dubai.
Emirati Breakfast Platter & Jesheed
This is an authentic Emirati food served in the morning. Most natives from Dubai enjoy this classic cuisine in their homes. Then again, if you happen to skip breakfast, you can have this for brunch, and it will probably last you till dinnertime.
This meal consists of Balalit—an infusion of scrambled eggs and vermicelli. It also features Chebab or Emirati pancakes, Kavisa, and Jasheed. Jesheed is a mixture of crumbled baby shark prepared with onion and rich Arabian spices. It is served along with white rice and oil.
I would highly recommended for breakfast and brunch. It is not only delicious but an unforgettable experience.
What’s even more intriguing is the place to eat this meal. Located on the Ground Floor in Dubai Festival City Mall is the Al Fanar Restaurant & Café.
This restaurant is styled to look like an ancient Arabian courtyard house. From the moment you step into the joint, you’re instantly engulfed in the rich heritage of Dubai. The restaurant is replete with artistic recreations of Old Dubai, traditional designs, Bedouin statues, and vintage lanterns.
As you locate a comfy seat waiting for your order to be served, the wonderful scents of nutmegs, onions, coriander, and other spices from the kitchen fill the air. Al Fanar also serves other delicious Emirati dishes including machboos, naghar mashwi, kebab Emirati, riyash, koftat laham, harees, Emirati cakes, juice, teas, and cocktails.
This place is highly recommended for some of the authentic Emirati food in Dubai.
Regag
Another original Emirati food in Dubai you should check out is the Regag. Imagine your crackers, but this time with a little more crispiness and great taste.
It is typically made with waterless dough, yeast, and salt, and baked thinly, and served with kebab. However, this bread can also be served with Nutella, fish sauce, chips, cheese, or eggs. It can go with almost anything.
Homecooked, the locals may choose to serve it with jam, butter, and chocolate for breakfast. For dinner, you can infuse regag with stews and kebab. Regag should be eaten as soon as it is baked, otherwise, it’ll become soggy.
Regag is one authentic Emirati food in Dubai you should try.
Where can you enjoy this meal? At the Al Labeeb Grocery located at the Jumeirah Beach Road. It’s a little shop where you can order Regag on the go and enjoy it while in your car.
Regag is one authentic Emirati food in Dubai you should eat.
Karak
If you love to drink tea in the morning, then Karak is one flavorful Emirati drink you should guzzle. Karak Chai typically means strong tea. It is not only caramel-colored but filled with intense flavors much stronger than your usual tea.
Karak is the UAE’s most popular beverage, and it is only right that you try this drink when you visit. It is made with condensed or evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and a black tea base. However, there are different variations of the drink where extra ingredients can be added. Some of them include pepper, saffron, honey, clove, and star anise.
Karak, although sugary, is a healthy drink. It is proven to foster the digestive process and improve circulation. It has antibacterial properties and delivers oxygen to different organs in the body to perform optimally.
Where can you quench your thirst with this drink? At the Duniya Al Shaam Pastry located at 2nd December Street in Satwa. This is a traditional drive-through restaurant where you can also order jabab, pastries, and pizza.
Here, you can order and sit in the comfort of your car, munch and drink away. There are plenty of other restaurants that sell Karak as well.
Camel Burger and Luqaimat
Another awesome yet authentic Emirati food in Dubai you should eat is Camel Burger. I was simply replacing the feel of a regular burger with Camel Meat.
It is made with onions, mayonnaise, cheese, pickle, lettuce, and of course, camel meat. And no burger meal is complete without French fries, I truly enjoyed the experience and the ambience.
You should also try one of the most Emirati desserts called Luqaimat. This typically consists of small deep-fried dumplings (or rolled dough balls) that are soaked in honey or sticky date syrup called dibbs. This dessert is a perfect conclusion to a full-course Emirati meal. It is both salty and sweet and a classic treat.
Both these meals are served at the Local House Restaurant located at 65 Bastakiya near the Al Fahidi Roundabout. This joint showcases the heritage of Old Dubai in a grand way. It features classic Arabian upholstery blending nicely with the artistic mats and raffia ceilings. It instantly draws you into its ambiance by showing you glimpses of what the old Dubai used to be.
I had a swell time here as I ate and enjoyed the traditional setting of the restaurant.
Mandi
Another recommended Emirati dish you should try is Mandi rice. The word mandi in Arabic means Dew. This means that the delicious taste of the food comes directly from the dewy parts of the lamb or goat that is blended into the rice.
There have been arguments over its origins. Some may argue that mandi comes from Yemen and became popular across the Arabian Gulf. Mandi is a fusion of rice, lamb meat, and spices such as cumin, cloves, cinnamon, green chili, saffron, and many more. Occasionally, some chefs might add peanuts and raisins to the mix.
The portions of these meals are huge. I, for one, couldn’t finish the entire meal in one sitting. But don’t let that scare you. As soon as you dive in, you’d easily forget as large the meal is. The meat was tender and soft in the mouth, it practically melted in my mouth. This is because it is slow-cooked overnight with an underground traditional oven.
Typically, the rice pot is placed at the bottom of the oven white the meat rack is placed over it. As the meat is cooked, the dripping juice enters the rice beneath. This is why the meat melts immediately in your mouth and why the rice tastes so good.
Mandi is best enjoyed while sitting on a carpet. All the local restaurants serve mandi this way.
You can enjoy this meal at Al Jood Al Mandi, located at Nasriya Building in Damascus Street. This unique local joint features different cubicles where you can enjoy these meals by yourself or with a group of people.
These cubicles are styled in ancient Arabian décor. And you can sit on a carpet and enjoy mandi and other dishes.
Dubai is not only home to tasty international cuisines, but authentic Emirati dishes. Whenever you visit this awesome city, make it a point of duty to try out these local dishes at these locations. You’d be glad you did.
If you wish to check out more affordable places to eat in Dubai, I did a short vlog and a blog on All Meals under $20. Recently, a very dear friend and a Travel Blogger from Poland, Vikini, posted a blog with a local and foreign perspectives for visiting Dubai, have a read and feel free to leave your comments.
To View our entire experience of tasting Emirati cuisine in one day, check out this vlog and you’ll see how delicious each meal was.
