UAE food news: fried chicken bouquets for Mother's Day and a Sindhi food festival

If flowers are too cliched, how about a fried chicken bouquet instead? The Roost Rotisserie and Deliveroo have teamed up for Mother's Day to deliver this unique gift, which comprises hormone and antibiotic-free fried chicken, along with herbs and vegetables, all put together in a colourful, delicious arrangement.

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The bouquet is available via The Roost Rotisserie on the Deliveroo app for Dh59 on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22 – and it is a great way of giving mum a gift while ensuring she doesn't have to step into the kitchen for the day.

FoodKarma app teams up with Dubai restaurants to reduce food wastage

An app targeting food wastage launched in the UAE this month. FoodKarma aims to be a "disruptive digital food-
rescuing platform" that works with restaurants, cafes and supermarkets that have surplus food and connects them to diners wanting to do their bit to save the planet. That means that not only does excess food get used up, but consumers are also able to get tasty, quality fare at discounted prices. Some of the outlets the app has teamed up with so far include Common Grounds (in JLT, DIFC and Mall of the Emirates), Jones the Grocer at Dusit Thani Hotel Sheikh Zayed Road, PokeMe at Business Bay, DIP, Dubai Marina and Hessa Street, and Ultra Brasserie at Emaar Square and Dubai Marina. The app can be used for both dine-in and delivery, and is free to download on Apple and Android devices.

Enjoy Sindhi delicacies at Purani Dilli

Dubai restaurant Purani Dilli, which serves authentic Indian food, has announced the launch of a Sindhi Food Festival, to take place at its Mankhool location from Monday to Saturday, March 16 to 21. Spicy and aromatic, the cuisine reflects the culinary culture of the eponymous Indian community, and will be prepared by chef Jyoti Vishnani from Mumbai, who specialises in the cuisine. On the menu are classic dishes such as Sindhi curry, chutney prawns, brain fry, mutton keema patties, bhugal mutton and saiyal fish. Diners can enjoy the limited-edition a la carte menu from 7.30pm.

Mutton keema patties, one of the dishes available as part of Purani Dilli's Sindhi Food Festival. Courtesy of Purani Dilli

Chefs Khaled Al Saadi and Daniel Irvine host four-hands dinner in Abu Dhabi

Ray's Grill at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers is bringing two chefs together for a limited-time, four-hands dinner, from Wednesday to Friday, March 18 to 20. Emirati chef Khaled Al Saadi and British chef Daniel Irvine combine their expertise to create a six-course meal inspired by Al Saadi's UAE background, but cooked in a contemporary way. On the menu are: toro tuna belly and Kagoshima beef tartare, baby scallops, smoked lamb sando and Hamachi ceviche as canapes, a starter of wood-cooked pigeon, and mains of roasted monkfish and tenderloin. Guests will then enjoy a pre-dessert of banana parfait and end their dinner with a dessert titled Landing on the Moon – a pineapple and mango concoction with yuzu granita and edible rocks. The meals take place at 7pm and 10pm on all three days, cost Dh395 (inclusive of soft drinks) and have limited seating. Reservations can be made by contacting 02 811 5666 or JADrestaurants@jumeirah.com.

Emirati chef Khaled Al Saadi and British chef Daniel Irvine will be preparing a six-course two-hands dinner at Ray's Grill, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. Courtesy of Ray's Grill

Take on a St Patrick’s Day hot-dog challenge at UBK

Popular JLT dining destination UBK Dubai is daring diners to take on a hot-dog challenge to celebrate St Patrick's Day, from today to Saturday. All one has to do is finish a metre-long hot dog within 30 minutes. The winner can walk away without paying a dirham. Those who aren't able to finish the "monster" hot dog will pay full price, Dh149. To make the challenge more fun, the sausage will come in a bright green bun.

Enter a hot-dog-eating contest at UBK this St Patrick's Day.

Spray on some edible perfume at The Locale

The Locale in Andaz Dubai the Palm has introduced The Taste of Dubai, a dessert that incorporates ingredients found in Emirati kitchens, such as cumin, fig, zaatar, rose blossom and locally produced Sidr honey. The restaurant will serve the velvety chocolate mousse with rose-flavoured berry compote alongside home-made edible perfume, inspired by the scents of the Dubai spice market. The perfume is made with pear juice infused with spices and simmered for 24 hours. The dessert, which is priced at Dh45, is meant to be sprayed with this edible perfume to give it extra aromatic flair. The presentation comes with an edible replica of a ghaf tree, commonly found in the deserts of the Emirates, making it a sweet, Instagram-worthy way to end the meal.

The Taste of Dubai, a signature dessert from The Locale incorporates ingredients easily found in Emirati kitchens. Courtesy of The Locale

Slurp up variations of laksa at The Noodle House

World Laksa Day was on Friday, March 6, but The Noodle House is celebrating the spicy noodle soup all month long, with a limited-edition menu available at all its Dubai venues until Tuesday, March 31. Fans of the dish, which is popular across Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, will now have the opportunity to try it in a number of forms, including a fruity laksa mocktail made with lemongrass, galangal, coconut milk, lime juice, pineapple juice and chilli (Dh23); sugar cane skewers with chicken thighs encrusted with laksa marinade (Dh38); and bottomless curry laksa, a bowl of laksa noodles, coconut curry, roasted chicken, prawns, tofu fish balls and laksa leaves (Dh69).

A limited-edition fruity laksa mocktail at The Noodle House's Dubai branches. Courtesy of The Noodle House

Angelina Paris launches new menu featuring Middle Eastern ingredients

The Parisian cafe, known for its L'africain hot chocolate and dainty pastries, has launched a new breakfast, lunch and dinner menu in its Dubai Mall and Zero 6 Mall branches – and it pays tribute to the Middle East. Guests can start the day by tucking into Dubai eggs Benedict, karak French toast and creamy beetroot hummus. The lunch menu includes honey-baked Camembert and freekeh salad. Indulge your sweet tooth with a nutty pistachiocheesecake with berries.

A pistachio cheesecake, from Parisian Cafe Angelina's new menu that focuses on Middle Eastern ingredients. Courtesy of Angelina