10 dishes to try at Global Village

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Whether you are looking for a sit-down restaurant or simple street food, you can sample a wide range of authentic dishes from all corners of the world at Global Village. Here are our top ten picks.

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Al Dahhan restaurant

This is the first place you come across in Global Village’s food court-style restaurant row. The friendly staff serve up authentic Egyptian dishes. Try the traditional koshari. Best described as comfort food, it can be served up on its own or with beef, chicken or liver. The plain version on the menu is a bowl of macaroni pasta, spaghetti, lentils and rice, topped with a heap of fried onions. It comes with a separate serving of tomato sauce. Pour it over the top and enjoy this national dish of Egypt for Dh25.

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Bab Tuma

Stop at the only Syrian restaurant in Global Village for a chat with Alaa Al Halaki, Bab ­Tuma’s friendly general manager. But do not leave hungry. Grab some lahm bi ajeen (Dh16) – traditional manakeesh on saj bread filled with minced lamb, parsley, garlic, onions and red peppers. While you are there, grab a warm cup of sahlab (Dh15), a traditional Syrian drink made with salep flour, milk, sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

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Guns and Cowboys Steakhouse

Despite the name, you will find no firearms at this American steakhouse, although you will feel like you have left Dubai behind as soon as you step inside. The servers all wear jeans and cowboy hats – you can borrow the latter for that perfect selfie – and the place is filled with the sound of American country music. The stars here, however, are the burgers and steaks. Try the Texas BBQ Brazilian beef burger, with spicy sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, ­ tomato, onion, jalapeños and a special cocktail sauce (a mix of mayo, ketchup, mustard and honey) on a potato bun, for Dh35.

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Roasted chestnuts and corn

During the cooler months, you will find roasted chestnuts and corn for sale on the streets of countries around the world. To enjoy this truly global street snack, check out one of the street-food carts at Global Village. A bag of roasted chestnuts costs Dh20 and an ear of roasted corn is Dh10.

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Burek Sarajevo

This store in the row of street-food kiosks serves up traditional Bosnian ­pastries called burek. Served warm, these flaky pastry shells (phyllo) come stuffed with sweet and savoury flavours. For savoury, you can choose from cheese, or cheese and spinach. For sweet, you can get apple pie, vanilla custard, or pumpkin and raisins. The pumpkin and raisins burek (Dh20), with a flavour similar to pumpkin pie, is a must-try.

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La Poutine

For an authentic slice of Canadian cuisine, stop off at this kiosk for a serving of poutine. This ­iconic Canadian dish, which is growing in popularity across the UAE, is a mass of French fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in brown gravy. This is not a pale local imitation – La Poutine imports its cheese curds from Canada, so for Dh20, you get an authentic taste of this classic street food.

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Flamin Pumpkin

This new concept offers 10 drinks, including their popular mojitos and milkshakes. Each drink is made to order using fresh ingredients, and then served up in a billowing cloud of smoke. Try the chocolate and pumpkin milkshake (Dh30), which is more ­chocolate than pumpkin. It’s topped with a swirl of whipped cream, a few kernels of ­caramel popcorn and chocolate sauce, all delivered in a smoke-filled frenzy. Have your ­cameras ready to capture it in all its glory to make your friends jealous on social media.

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Anhar honey

Once you’ve had your fill of bites from around the world, pop into the Yemeni Pavilion for a pot of the world’s best honey. There are several sellers inside offering honey and they are all eager to give you a sample. Try as many varieties as you can – they vary considerably in taste – and do not leave without a pot of your favourite. On our visit, the friendly ­merchants at Anhar honey, in the middle of the pavilion, were more than happy to explain the differences between samra and sidr honey, and dish out samples of the dozens they have on offer. Prices for a half-kilo pot start at Dh50 and can go up to Dh2,000 for 2kg for the finest varieties. Bartering, of course, is encouraged.

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Raclette DXB

This street-food kiosk has just one dish on offer – but it is so good, you will not want ­anything else. The traditional raclette plate on offer here, for Dh29, comes with a pile of small ­potatoes and pickles (both imported from France), along with a handful of rocca leaves. Those simple ingredients are then topped with a melted scrape of delicious ­raclette cheese. Your taste buds will thank you.

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Nattas

If you have never been to a Portuguese bakery, stop for some sweets from this cafe, which you will find near the main cultural stage. The employees are happy to explain all the pastries on ­offer. The best-seller is namesake dessert the nattas. It is a circular pastry shell filled with a custard made from milk, sugar, vanilla and “some family secrets”, says owner ­Carlos ­Santos. It comes with a choice of four ­toppings: plain, cinnamon and icing sugar, Nutella or homemade Portuguese ice cream (try the pineapple flavour). Prices range from Dh12 to Dh25.

sjohnson@thenational.ae