Every member of the What’s On editorial crew share their favorite 5 dishes within the UAE proper now…
Studying our journal you would possibly get the impression that each one we do at What’s On is swan across the Emirates, stuffing our faces and leveraging our viewers (you) to be able to do enjoyable stuff, pausing solely often to put in writing a bit report on it. And also you’d be completely proper. We’ve taken on the noble mandate of experiencing the very best of What’s On supply within the UAE, evaluating it, and feeding again to you – with our opinions on what’s sizzling and what’s tepid at finest. As a part of this peculiar privilege – we’re uncovered to a variety of very excellent meals, and since we’re not the kind to plate-keep, we’re sharing with you 35 must-try dishes within the UAE proper now…
Truffle tagliolini from Alici (Dhs165)
I fell immediately in love with Alici when it opened on Bluewaters in 2019. It was the yr my love affair with Italy started, and the Amalfi-inspired interiors and gorgeous sea views from the primary ground terrace meant it went straight to the highest of my Dubai restaurant bucket listing. I all the time order the impossibly gentle fritto misto and the juicy purple prawns, however my all-time favorite dish is the ‘tagliolini al tartufo’. The aromatic truffle, the superbly cooked ribbons of pasta, the fragile shavings of parmesan… it’s three easy elements that make a standout dish.
Garlic knots from Pitfire Pizza (Dhs32)
“However the pizza is so good”, I hear you cry. And I concur. However on good days and unhealthy, the dish I all the time flip to from Pitfire Pizza is the garlic knots. This baked-to-order field of bread-based beauties is all the pieces you need from an indulgent deal with. The proper stability of crispy exterior and spongy, still-warm centre, every knot is dipped in garlic butter and dusted with parmesan cheese, and is finest loved with a hefty dunk within the pot of black truffle cream that comes with it.
Padrón peppers from Tagomago (Dhs38)
In my line of labor, I don’t usually return to the identical restaurant twice, just because there are such a lot of new ones popping up throughout city. So after I do, it’s as a result of I actually find it irresistible. And I’ve been to few locations within the final 12 months greater than Tagomago. A sun-drenched ode to certainly one of my favorite locations on the planet, Ibiza, this Spanish-Mediterranean spot on the beachfront oozes the laidback luxe really feel I like. Whether or not I’m there for a seaside day, sundowners or eating within the restaurant, I all the time order the padrón peppers. Merely seasoned with rock salt, I may fortunately inhale three bowls full.
Heat prawns from LPM Restaurant & Bar (Dhs82)
This modern metropolis ode to the Cote D’Azur is a stalwart DIFC eating places that ticks all of the bins when it comes to meals, drink, atmosphere, and repair. However the best way you realize a restaurant model is basically good is thru consistency. And having additionally ticked off its outposts in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, I can vouch for the truth that LPM Restaurant & Bar will get it proper each time. There’s loads of must-tries on the menu, just like the Tomatini cocktail, the escargot, and the salt baked seabass. However my loss of life row meal must embody the crevettes tièdes a l’huile d’olive: heat prawns served in a fragile dose of olive oil and zesty lemon.
@lpmdubai, @lpmabudhabi, @lpmriyadh
Dulce de Leche fondant from Sucre (Dhs70)
Amongst a sea of worldwide famend eating places in DIFC, Sucre doesn’t get the airtime it deserves. Personally, I feel it’s certainly one of Dubai’s most underrated eating places. I like the best way the eating room faces the open kitchen, the décor of uncovered brickwork and shades of burnt orange and crimson, and the menu’s concentrate on hearth cooking that traverses culinary borders. However the factor I like most about Sucre is the Dulce De Leche Fondant. Price each single calorie, it’s wealthy, candy and completely indulgent, balanced with finesse because of a facet serving of vanilla ice cream.
90’s Alfredo from Moonrise (a part of a Dhs950 tasting menu)
For me, meals is at its most interesting when it connects with recollections and feelings. Swiftly shovelled mouthfuls that ship shockwaves by your synapses, shaking off the mud and projecting huge display screen reenactments of a time now handed. 90s Alfredo is your invite to share in chef Solemann Haddad’s nostalgia of rising up across the eclectic canteen scene in 90s Dubai. It’s a fuzzy snapshot of lobster and jalapeño ravioli, with a parmesan rind sauce so uniquely well-conceived that it performs the Inception-level thoughts trick of downloading chef Solemann’s personal recollections immediately into your mind.
Steak frites from Couqley (Dhs139)
That is my Roman Empire. I give it some thought not less than as soon as a day. Like whether or not it was steak frites, corresponding to this, that impressed Julius Caesar’s raging fixation for conquering Gaul. Its magnificence is in its simplicity, it’s (Lebanese) French bistrology 101 – a butterflied tenderloin, fries, salad and a home sauce Cleopatra would have 100 per cent bathed in.
Lobster pani puri from Jun’s (Dhs130)
I’m totally conscious that there are numerous great examples of pani puri discovered all through the UAE at a fraction of the fee. However this one is particular. I as soon as described it as ‘how I feel Goan sunsets would style should you may someway sneak a chew’. And I stand by it. It’s an expatriate mash-up of layered celestial glow – butter-poached lobster, achari, coconut and a tamarind gel.
Tiger prawn rice from Tasca (Dhs300)
Dubai definitely doesn’t undergo from any dearth of rice dishes. Byrianis, risotto, mandi, nasi goreng – steamed, boiled or fried – if it’s grown in a paddy subject, you’ll have the ability to discover it someplace on this metropolis. My private favorite is the warming brothy Portugese seafood aroz at Tasca. It’s the proper instance of that European style of conventional ‘peasant meals’, going by the complete Eliza Doolittle remedy, sat on a throne and robed within the most interesting aioli and lemon zest.
Tantan Males from Tomo (from Dhs65)
If I may eat only one meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the remainder of my life – it might be ramen. Name me a monster if you want however I’d have completely zero drawback waking up very first thing and tucking straight into Kinoya’s spicy duck mic drop, or Daikan’s shoyu ramen, my palate isn’t a slave to circadian rhythms. I can let you know the second I fell in love with it as a dish, it was one of many first instances I attempted it, about 10 years in the past – on this Dubai establishment on the prime of the Raffles pyramid. Sparks flew. As they’ve for each go to since.
Escargots de Bourgogne from LPM Restaurant & Bar (Dhs110)
The snails with garlic butter and parsley. It’s on LPM’s hors d’ouevres menu, and anybody that’s been, will let you know they find it irresistible – and that it’s price visiting simply to do that one dish. Scoop and scoop some extra, no disgrace. Everybody round you seemingly is, as nicely.
Pepperoni pizza with spicy honey from Marmellata (Dhs80)
Sit at their terrace with views of the Arabian Sea and a hulking liner as you chomp into this masterpiece by Raj Dagestani and co. This actually is a flavour explosion, a smorgasbord of tastebud-awakening substances, contemporary and irreplicable, no much less. And there’s one which they embody in all the pieces they create, and do, at Marmellata – coronary heart. Chat with the workers whilst you’re there, they’re certainly one of a form, too.
How ‘Bout Them Apples from Perlage (Dhs75)
I’m all the time an enormous fan of a basic – particularly il vino buono – they take a second to buy up, and so they’re assured to impress. However at What’s On, we’re within the enterprise of unravelling the good new ideas on the town, so I’m additionally all about what’s new. Perlage, the sultry bubbly bar at The Galleria Al Maryah Island, serves up this progressive new beverage, and whereas it’s on the sweeter facet, it’s a style you’ll be again for. And the primary time I noticed this on their red-velvet menu, it took me again to Paul Walker’s line in 2 Quick 2 Livid.
Cannoli de ricotta from Café Milano (Dhs70)
Go away room in your tummies for this one, readers. Whereas this flavourful deal with packs the energy, it’s all about indulgence. And while you dine at a spot corresponding to Café Milano, you’re often both treating your self, or celebrating one thing, so I can confidently advocate this dessert. Take pleasure in guilt free.
Tomato sofrito from Mika (free)
Whilst you’re sprucing off the bread basket, the true star is the accompanying tomato sofrito with inexperienced chilli paste doused in olive oil. After we visited, we had been left wishing they offered it in take-home bottles. Funnily sufficient, diners round us requested a number of servings as nicely.
Wok fried lobster with almond brittle from Din Tai Fung (Dhs178)
Din Tai Fung could also be identified for its dumplings, however the wok-fried lobster with almond brittle is an absolute star. Now, I’m not an enormous fan of seafood, but it surely was extremely really useful by different What’s On crew members – so I needed to strive it. Created particularly for the Din Tai Fung Bluewaters department, the lobster is completely spiced and crispy, and topped with a barely candy almond brittle to counteract the fiery notes. It’s a triumph of type and flavour, one seafood followers can’t afford to depart with out attempting.
Yoko rooster particular from Yoko Sizzlers (Dhs63)
Yoko Sizzlers in Karama has been round since 1998, and should you go by on weekends, you will discover almost each desk booked. It serves up over 60 completely different sizzlers from vegetarian to rooster, steak, fish and extra. My private favorite? The Yoko Hen Particular. The scorching plate comes with two spicy melt-in-your-mouth fillets of rooster on a mattress of rice and greens and fries topped with a lip-smacking spicy sauce. And the scorching plate isn’t only for theatrics, it retains the meals heat for a very long time, so don’t rush and savour each chew.
Papaya salad (Som Tum) from Siam Restaurant (Dhs30)
A salad? On Workforce What’s On favorite dishes? I do know, I too was simply as shocked when my listing whittled down to incorporate this humble dish. However it packs a punch. And I’m not a salad fan, not even shut, however this Thai fusion delight is sort of a mini firework on the palette bursting with cool and spicy flavours, and the chew is made even higher because of the combo of textures. You’ll be able to’t assist however attain out along with your chopsticks for extra. It’s so good that ordering seconds is a straightforward selection.
Seabass Ceviche from SushiYaki (Dhs79)
Till now, I’ve not come throughout an order of seabass ceviche that has let me down, however SushiYaki takes this dish to a complete new stage. The seabass is contemporary and tangy from the intense orange rocoto sauce with hints of spice from the black chilli oil. In case you smothered your chew within the sauce, you may be left with a shocking however delicate coal-like word in your palette from the black charcoal cassava. The chulpi and choclo corn additionally provides one other layer of texture to every chew.
Parma Sando from Slaw (Dhs44)
It’s so exhausting for me to say no to a burger from Slaw. Hungry or not, if somebody round me is ordering from Slaw, I will probably be including a sando to the order. My favorite must be the parma sando, with contemporary fried rooster with that impossible to resist crunch, parma sauce, and grated parmesan cheese. The basic sando is simply nearly as good, however I’m not a pickle fan. That Oh Yeah sauce nonetheless is fairly scrumptious. Oh, and I received’t ever say no to the truffle fries both. An additional Dhs28 nicely spent.
Oven baked falafel fatayer from Mama’esh (Dhs24)
If we’re speaking in regards to the locations I’ve eaten most often, Palestinian restaurant Mama’esh is my go-to consolation spot. I dwell simply throughout the highway and it’s nonetheless not shut sufficient. Whether or not for a weekend breakfast unfold or a college night time dinner after I don’t have time to cook dinner, the ambiance is homely, the aroma of freshly baked breads fills the air, and its constant, scrumptious home-cooked meals. Considered one of my favourites is the soul-warming oven baked falafel fatayer with a non-negotiable order of Palestinian hummus and contemporary pomegranate juice.
Rainbow heirloom carrots from Jun’s (Dhs84)
Each dish on the flavour-packed menu at Jun’s comes with its personal story and nostalgic narrative which makes the eating expertise all of the extra memorable. The well-known heirloom carrots aren’t any exception. A intelligent interpretation of chef Kelvin Cheung’s moms’ favorite dish rising up in North America, a smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, chef Kelvin has recreated a complicated and vegetarian model. That includes smoked labneh, candied walnuts, charred rainbow carrots, served with selfmade sourdough, chef Kelvin manages to trick our tastebuds utilizing the ability of texture and flavours. It’s so moreish and so enjoyable.
Tuna tartare pizza from La Spiaggia (Dhs160)
Presently ranked quantity six within the 50 Finest Pizzas on the earth (2023), Rome-import SEU Pizza Illuminati serves its cult-followed high-end pizza at Bulgari Resort’s informal beachside eatery, La Spiaggia. With its genuine aromatic dough boasting an ethereal, puffy crust, coupled with high-quality substances and artistic toppings, these pizzas are actually dream-worthy. My private favorite creation, and one thing I most likely take into consideration a bit too usually, is the tuna tartare pizza topped with creamy Stracciatella cheese and pistachio.
Miso butter eggplant from Kinoya (Dhs45)
Kinoya holds a particular place in my coronary heart. Whether or not it’s a dinner for one with a comforting bowl of ramen or a wine-fuelled catch-up with pals, there’s one dish that could be a must-order on each go to: their miso eggplant served with bonito flakes and toasted sesame seeds. The heat and depth of flavour – an ideal mix of umami, smokiness, and sweetness – is actually showstopping and the eggplant is so tender it virtually melts within the mouth.
Lamb ‘al pastor’ gringa from Lila Wooden-Fired Taqueria (Dhs75)
Homegrown, family-run, and genuine wood-fired taqueria, Lila has turn into famend for its real Mexican flavours high quality domestically sourced substances, heat ambiance, and, to not point out, its iconic selfmade corn tortillas made every day from Mexican heirloom corn. I may fairly fortunately add not less than 5 dishes from the menu on this listing – from the tuna tostadas to the churros – however the spit-roasted lamb tacos I may eat day-after-day for the remainder of my life. Marinated lamb, creamy inexperienced salsa, and sliced radish comes wrapped in a big tortilla with a coat of salty, burnt cheese. It’s price each chew.
Mushroom Truffle Rice Pot from Kata Dubai Mall (Dhs80)
I’m a lover of all issues carb. So it’s no shock {that a} rice-based dish options on my listing. I understand how some individuals really feel about mall eating, however Kata represents advantageous eating meals at an affordable worth. Unique mushrooms, scrumptious truffle butter and a complete lot of table-side mixing earlier than serving.
Hen sandwich soften from Bonbird (Dhs45)
Once I stated I used to be a carb lover, what I actually meant was “I’m a lover of all issues carb, and cheese.” Enter the little sister of the burger fiends, Pickl’s Bonbird. Once I first tried this sandwich, I watched because the melted cheese fell throughout my fingers and fell in love. It would simply be certainly one of my favorite objects to order after I don’t know what else to order. Dine-in is clearly finest, but it surely travels very well too. Plus, their fries with rooster salt are a winner too.
Ravioles de royam from Odeon (Dhs90)
It sounds very fancy however this ravioli pasta (see, instructed you, carbs) sings to me on a cosmic stage. My grandma’s favorite cheese is an efficient comte and I had by no means delved into its world till I attempted it for the primary time at Odeon. A stunning French restaurant in Jumeirah, it’s stunning from ground to ceiling with a household working it that makes you actually really feel the love. The tiny little bites of pasta pillows in a buttery sauce topped with chives, it’s simply excellent.
The bread and butter from Couqley (free)
If a restaurant can’t get one thing as humble as bread and butter initially of a meal right – it’s an on the spot purple flag to me. Which is why it comes as no shock in any respect that Couqley nails it each time. The bread is heat and delicate, however the crust is crunchy (and never the “shred the highest of your mouth” variety.) The butter, completely salty, glides throughout the bread like a determine skater.
The Whiskey Tart from CE LA VI (Dhs90)
I’m a celebration lady at coronary heart however I can respect a refined cocktail. That is a type of cocktails and it really sparked my love for the Whiskey Bitter. CE LA VI does it in their very own particular method, very similar to most objects on their menu. And it’s divine. The cinnamon blended with the honey and the whiskey is a liquid dream. Egg white may be a little bit of a wild card for you in a drink – however consider it as a gentle meringue that sits atop the earthy nectar.
Conventional Biang Biang noodles at San Wan (Dhs41)
This hidden gem in JLT has discovered a deep place in my coronary heart, and the normal bowl of hand pulled noodles with chili oil deeper nonetheless. Simply the authenticity of the noodles, how contemporary they’re, how welcoming the area is, and naturally, the flavours – all the pieces screams coronary heart, soul and goodness. It’s a easy dish, however generally easy is finest. Douse it with chilli oil and it’s golden.
Roast duck at Demon Duck (Dhs690)
I by no means cease speaking about this dish, and I’m not planning to anytime quickly (my apologies, my fellow teammates). The crispy duck by the genius that’s Chef Alvin Leung is the very best one I’ve had in Dubai. Completely crispy on the surface, tender on the within, with a fluffy bun and a myriad of tremendous flavourful sauces to make your self a bit pouch of deliciousness, and it’s simply such advantageous cooking. What a dream.
Peshawari mutton at Ravi (Dhs22)
That is one I grew up consuming, and I like going again even now. It’s a conventional Pakistani delicacy I’ve had elsewhere, however Ravi simply does it higher, and constantly too. The curry is sharp, peppery, tomato-y and the mutton simply melts in your mouth. It’s hearty and filling, and consuming it straight from the kadhai is the one solution to do it. Unbelievable with some naan dippage. It’s simply so nostalgic and jogs my memory of less complicated instances. At all times good.
Turkish halwa and ice cream from Helvaci Ali (Dhs22)
Additionally lesser identified, however my mom and I found this spot by the Kite Seaside some time again, and we go to each time we really feel like a deal with. The idea is foolproof – sugar topped with extra sugar. Turkish vanilla ice cream, topped with steaming semolina halva lashed with a great deal of ghee/butter/some kind of fatty goodness. The halva is available in completely different flavours like chocolate, pistachio and Lotus, however in my view the OG is the very best. It looks like a bit secret I share with my mum and I like that.
Seared tuna crudo at Uncommon (Dhs96)
This one is pretty new to the scene, however Uncommon actually received my coronary heart. The seared tuna crudo is without doubt one of the starters, however I may have that and solely that for the entire meal. It’s a mixture of flavours and textures I can’t clarify – the tuna is chewy, the brown butter bearnaise is heat and nutty and the anchovy soy is salty. All of it comes collectively in a pleasant chew. I simply love Uncommon as a result of you may style the time, effort and keenness put into each dish on the menu and this one is a winner.