The Dubai Food Festival had a strong start, attracting more than 19,000 visitors in its first weekend. The Beach Canteen, the festival’s central hub, provides plenty for visitors to do, with kids’ activities, live entertainment and cookery demonstrations. But all we really want to do is eat – and there are plenty of bites on hand to satiate even the pickiest of appetites. Stacie Overton-Johnson samples some of the best eats on offer.
Pinza
If you don’t eat anything else at this year’s festival, try one of Pinza’s signature pizzas. Trust me when I say this is the best pizza you’ll find in Dubai. Pinza opened in Business Bay about three months ago with nearly 20 different varieties of pizzas on the menu. The secret to this masterful pizza lies in Pinza’s thin, super-crispy crust. It’s made with 80 per cent water and 20 per cent flour and baked in an ultra hot oven for just one minute. We chose the Pinzafied Margherita pizza topped with soft, creamy mounds of burrata cheese, a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil leaves and a layer of tomato sauce that will make your mouth water. Dh40. Worth every dirham.
Ting Irie
Ting Irie is the brainchild of Craig Wong, a Toronto-based Jamaican-Chinese chef with extensive experience in French fine-dining cuisine. He has taken inspiration from his cultural background and his French training to come up with the creative modern-Jamaican concept that is Ting Irie. We ordered a quarter rotisserie roast chicken, which is tastiest when eaten with the creamy coleslaw (made with coconut milk) it’s served with. It also comes with a manageably spicy pineapple salsa made with Scotch bonnet chilli peppers. Ting Irie will open its first permanent location on the Boulevard, across from The Dubai Mall, in April. Dh40.
Mantoushe
This health-conscious Lebanese eatery has a location in JLT and another one opening in Dubai Media City by the end of the summer. The bread is baked fresh on site and all ingredients are chopped, grilled and cooked to order (they even serve organic coffee and tea). We chose a steak rosto wrap with lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic and a creamy moreish sauce. It’s surprisingly light, with the simple flavours punctuated by all that roasted garlicky goodness. Dh25
Khameer & Dough Emirati Bakeshop
This Emirati bakeshop has built a business around the khameer – a staple Emirati snack. Khameer bread can be eaten simply with honey or cheese, but it can also be stuffed with just about any ingredient you want – and that’s exactly what this shop has done. You can get sweet fillings such as Nutella, lotus, rose, apple pie and peanut butter and jelly, or savoury khameer stuffed with potato, zaatar, four cheeses and even chips Oman. Naturally, we chose the chips Oman khameer – and it didn’t disappoint. The dough tastes as fresh as it looks when it’s baked in front of you – and the classic flavours of Chips Oman in this khameer were spot on. Dh8 each, Dh40 for six.
SugarMoo
When you finally give up counting carbs and calories, make your way to SugarMoo. This home-grown speciality dessert shop is delivery-only, so its stall at the festival is a good chance to check out everything it has to offer. You’ll find Nutella brownies, chocolate melts, choco-loco cake and, a fan favourite, the red velvet Oreo cake crunch. It comes with a cream cheese and Oreo centre, covered in chocolate-fudge cream-cheese icing and Oreo cookie crumbles. Dh25 per slice.
• The Beach Canteen at Kite Beach, Jumeirah, is open daily from 10am to 10pm until March 12. For more information, visit dubaifoodfestival.com
sjohnson@thenational.ae
