12 cooking classes and chef's tables to attend this Dubai Food Festival

From dinner in a Bedouin village to a dim sum masterclass, here are some culinary events to sign up for

Learn how to create dishes by MasterChef's various participants during Dubai Food Festival. Courtesy MasterChef, the TV Experience

The final schedule of cooking classes, chef-hosted dinners and experiential meals part of the Dubai Food Festival’s Foodie Experiences is out now, and the variety – of cuisines, names and venues – is deliciously enticing.

Here are 12 sessions to attend.

Masterclasses at Dubai Food Festival

Learn and eat all in the same day’s work with these four cooking classes across Dubai.

‘MasterChef’ dishes

Cook like they do on MasterChef at MasterChef, the TV Experience restaurant at Millennium Place hotel in Dubai Marina, with head chef Margarita Vaamonde-Beggs. You can learn a series of dishes created by the cooking show's various participants, or whip something up by signing up for the mystery box challenge, where the ingredients will be revealed last minute.

Chef Margarita Vaamonde-Beggs. Courtesy MasterChef, the TV Experience

Date: March 7

Sushi rolling

Attend a masterclass at Wakame at Sofitel Downtown Dubai to learn how to prepare four sushi varieties from scratch, including the trick to rolling the sticky rice so it does not fall apart before or, worse, while you’re serving it, plus other tips and tricks from the culinary team.

Dates: February 27, 28, 29 and March 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14

Vegan and Vietnamese

Lao, the Vietnamese restaurant at Waldorf Astoria The Palm, will teach guests how to create and plate tasty but healthy vegan “chay” dishes, including summer vegetable rolls, vegetable pho, stir fried noodles and Saigon crepes.

Dates: February 29 and March 7, 14

Zhen Wei

Head to the Cantonese restaurant at Caesars Palace Bluewaters to learn how to prepare dim sum such as rose hargao, seafood siomao, shrimp money bags and chicken soup dumplings, plus hand-pulled noodles. The class will be followed by a gourmet three-course meal, featuring black-tea-smoked sea bass, Kalbi-spiced barbecue short ribs, and Cantonese papaya puff with sweet hive-style brown cake.

Dates: February 26, 27, 28 and March 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13

Dim sum at Zhen Wei

Chef’s tables 

These offer diners one-off menus and unusual dishes, which can be savoured alongside a conversation with the chefs who made them.

Pizza tasting

Akiba Dori in Dubai Design District will host a night of Japanese-Italian fusion, featuring an off-menu Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza tasting menu, prepared by pizzaiolo Luigi.

Dates: February 26, 27, 28

Sustainable bites 

The Tapas Forward chef’s table at Boca DIFC will serve an eight-course “responsible tasting” menu, called Tapas Forward, featuring Spanish, French and Italian cuisine. The meal will embrace lesser-known local crops, sustainable seafood, and artisanal and ethical produce from local farmers, all delivered by head chef Matthijs Stinnissen.

Dates: March 2, 3, 9, 10

One for sweet lovers

Brix, the dessert bar opened by 3 Fils restaurant last year, is offering a three-course dessert experience. Given its regular menu – which includes saffron meringue, karak ice cream with butterscotch and a Vimto dessert – this one will be ever-so decadent.

Dates: March 2, 3, 9, 10

Experiential dining

Held at unique dining venues, these five sessions combine a meal with a learning experience.

Bedouin village

Local travel group Platinum Heritage will host a Bedouin cuisine masterclass and dinner under the stars in an authentic Bedouin village in the desert, where guests can learn about Bedouin recipes, and the etiquettes and traditions behind Arabic coffee, alongside live entertainment and activities.

Dates: March 6, 7, 12, 13, 14

Tea and beauty

Ladies, can enjoy a Charlotte Tilbury-themed afternoon tea in Penrose Lounge at Four Seasons, DIFC. The experience includes a tutorial with one of the brand’s make-up artists who will showcase a full the Pillow Talk Extravaganza look, and a takeaway bag.

Dates: February 26 and March 7

Emirates Bio Farm

Visitors get a hands0on experience of farm life by harvesting veggies at Emirates Bio Farm. Leslie Pableo for The National

Enjoy a five-course farm dinner and organic tasting tour even as you learn more about organic and sustainable farming at Emirates Bio Farm.

Dates: February 28, 29 and March 6, 7, 13, 14

Mirzam Chocolate Factory  

The Bibimbap and Korean Chocolate Experiments by luxury chocolate maker Mirzam and foodie store 1004 Gourmet will enable participants to enjoy a DIY bibimbap bowl dinner, followed by a visit to the 1004 spice cupboard to make spiced chocolate truffle concoctions.

Dates: March 3, 4

Vegan treats

The Well-being Vegan session at The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel will serve a three-course menu alongside teaching guests how to create roasted pistachio crust chick pea patties, salads with grains, pulses, nuts, seeds and superfoods, and vegan desserts and detox juice from Rayya Nutri.

Date: March 7

To read more about sessions or to sign up for any of the classes and tastings, visit Visit www.visitdubai.com/en/dff