DXB City Expert July/August 2019

A TRUE TASTE
OF THE EMIRATES
Considering all the many colourful
cuisines Dubai has to offer, it may
come as a surprise to learn that good
Emirati food is not so easy to come by.
However, slowly but surely, more and
more authentic Emirati restaurants are
cropping up across town. An enduring
favourite is Al Fanar (+971 4 232 9966,
alfanarrestaurant.com), located along
Canal Walk in Dubai Festival City Mall.
You can dine outside on floor cushions
in the traditional majlis or at a table in
the central courtyard area, which looks
like a traditional Emirati home. The dishes
on offer include chicken machboos
(spiced chicken mixed with rice), grilled
shaari fish and jesheed (baby shark
cooked with onions and punchy spices).
You’ll find camel on the menu at
Aseelah (+971 4 205 7333, radissonblu.
com) in the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai
Deira Creek, alongside other dishes
made using local ingredients, such
as a tender Arabian lobster. For an
insight into the country's heritage, The
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural
Understanding (+971 4 353 6666,
cultures.ae) offers interactive ‘cultural
meals’ – so named because guests
are encouraged to ask questions on
anything that relates to the Emirati
culture – prepared by local chefs in
order to preserve the traditions and
customs of the Bedouin people. They
THE FOOD
offer a cultural breakfast on Mondays
and Wednesdays, lunch on Sundays
and Tuesdays, brunch every Saturday
and dinner every Tuesday. Advance
booking is required.
ARABIC YOU’LL ADORE
For an authentic desert dining
experience under the stars, journey
into the dunes to Al Hadheerah at Bab
Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa (+971
4 809 6194, alhadheerah.com). Take
your pick from 14 live cooking stations
offering traditional Middle Eastern dishes
prepared using age-old recipes. Live
entertainment adds to the ambience.
Open daily from 7.30pm to 11.30pm, with
fireworks on Thursday and Friday.
Aseelah
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