Shawarma remains a Dubai favourite. Silvia Razgova / The National
Shawarma remains a Dubai favourite. Silvia Razgova / The National
Shawarma remains a Dubai favourite. Silvia Razgova / The National
Shawarma remains a Dubai favourite. Silvia Razgova / The National

Revealed: the world's 40 most popular dishes


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There are few greater joys in life than eating native food that is recommended by people in a foreign country.

Time Out has carried out a survey that reveals the most beloved dishes around the globe, according to 38,000 locals.

Dubai locals selected shawarma as their dish of choice, while black cod and biryani were runners up.

While not exactly haute cuisine, the classic rotisserie meat dish remains one of the most popular street foods on the Arabian Peninsula. And it remains as tasty in the small hours as it does for lunch.

Time Out Dubai recommended finding the dish at one of the emirate's many fast food joints, such as a Al Hallab, Al Shami and Al Mallah.

Allo Beirut is recommended for people living in south Dubai.

Other cities were covered in the survey. In Istanbul, it was shawarma's bigger cousin, the doner kebab that took top spot, while in Copenhagen, Denmark, it was smorrebrod, the country's famous open sandwich.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, haggis was the locals’ favourite delicacy and in Hong Kong it was dim sum.

Here are the top dishes recommended by locals:

  • Amsterdam: bitterballen. Getty Images
    Amsterdam: bitterballen. Getty Images
  • Austin: breakfast tacos. Getty Images
    Austin: breakfast tacos. Getty Images
  • Barcelona: patatas bravas. Getty Images
    Barcelona: patatas bravas. Getty Images
  • Birmingham: balti. Getty Images
    Birmingham: balti. Getty Images
  • Boston: lobster roll. Getty Images
    Boston: lobster roll. Getty Images
  • Budapest: goulash. Getty Images
    Budapest: goulash. Getty Images
  • Buenos Aires: asado. Getty Images
    Buenos Aires: asado. Getty Images
  • Chicago: deep dish pizza. Getty Images
    Chicago: deep dish pizza. Getty Images
  • Copenhagen: smorrebrod. Getty Images
    Copenhagen: smorrebrod. Getty Images
  • Dubai: shawarma. Pawan Singh/The National
    Dubai: shawarma. Pawan Singh/The National
  • Edinburgh: haggis. Getty Images
    Edinburgh: haggis. Getty Images
  • Hong Kong: dim sum. Getty Images
    Hong Kong: dim sum. Getty Images
  • Istanbul: doner kebab. Getty Images
    Istanbul: doner kebab. Getty Images
  • Johannesburg: braai steak. Getty Images
    Johannesburg: braai steak. Getty Images
  • Kuala Lumpur: nasi lemak. Getty Images
    Kuala Lumpur: nasi lemak. Getty Images
  • Lisbon: bacalhau. Getty Images
    Lisbon: bacalhau. Getty Images
  • London: fish and chips. Getty Images
    London: fish and chips. Getty Images
  • Los Angeles: tacos. Getty Images
    Los Angeles: tacos. Getty Images
  • Madrid: cocido madrileño. Getty Images
    Madrid: cocido madrileño. Getty Images
  • Marseille: Bouillabaisse. Getty Images
    Marseille: Bouillabaisse. Getty Images
  • Melbourne: parma. Getty Images
    Melbourne: parma. Getty Images
  • Milan: risotto milanese con ossobuco. Getty Images
    Milan: risotto milanese con ossobuco. Getty Images
  • Montreal: poutine. Getty Images
    Montreal: poutine. Getty Images
  • Moscow: shaurma. Getty Images
    Moscow: shaurma. Getty Images
  • Mumbai: vada pav. Getty Images
    Mumbai: vada pav. Getty Images
  • Naples: pizza margherita. Getty Images
    Naples: pizza margherita. Getty Images
  • New York: pizza. Getty Images
    New York: pizza. Getty Images
  • Osaka: takoyaki. Getty Images
    Osaka: takoyaki. Getty Images
  • Paris: steak frites. Getty Images
    Paris: steak frites. Getty Images
  • Philadelphia: cheesesteak. Getty Images
    Philadelphia: cheesesteak. Getty Images
  • Porto: francesinha. Getty Images
    Porto: francesinha. Getty Images
  • Rome: carbonara. Getty Images
    Rome: carbonara. Getty Images
  • San Francisco: burrito. Getty Images
    San Francisco: burrito. Getty Images
  • São Paulo: pizza. Getty Images
    São Paulo: pizza. Getty Images
  • Seoul: Korean barbecue. Getty Images
    Seoul: Korean barbecue. Getty Images
  • Singapore: chicken rice. Getty Images
    Singapore: chicken rice. Getty Images
  • Sydney: rock oysters. Getty Images
    Sydney: rock oysters. Getty Images
  • Stockholm: kottbullar. Getty Images
    Stockholm: kottbullar. Getty Images
  • Tokyo: ramen. Getty Images
    Tokyo: ramen. Getty Images
  • Vancouver: sushi. Getty Images
    Vancouver: sushi. Getty Images