What to Eat When You’re New to Dubai

Moving to a new country is, all at once, exciting, scary and confusing. There are new language barriers to deal with, different cultural customs to navigate and an entirely different lifestyle to adapt to. In amongst those changes are amazing new experiences to enjoy and valuable lessons to learn which make it all worthwhile. When you’re new to a country, though, nobody can blame you for reaching for the home comforts every now and then.

Luckily though, Dubai’s international culture means that whatever you’re after, you’re certain to find it. Whether it’s your local rag from back home or bar showing your team on the big screen, Dubai is exceptionally friendly to expats’ wants and desires.

But if you’re new to Dubai and are looking for something to eat, well, you’re not short of options. Dubai is a foodie haven, with almost every type of world cuisine on offer from some of the most distinguished chefs. Here’s what to eat when you’re new to Dubai:

Emirati Cuisine in Dubai:

Dubai might sell a little bit of everything, but it’d be unfair to make the move without giving the local cuisine a spin. Luckily, it’s worth the effort because Emirati cuisine is amongst the most mouth-wateringly flavorful and comforting in the whole world.

Based on fresh rice, spices, vegetables, hummus, onions, meat, bread and seeds, there’s a spectacular array of options available. We’d recommend starting with the national dish of the UAE – Al Machboos. Consisting at a base level of rice, onions and meat, seasoned with a variance of spices, salt and dried lemon, Al Machboos is best eaten with yoghurt raita and shared with friends and family. However, you really can’t go too wrong with Emirati dining.

Indian Cuisine in Dubai:

There’s nothing quite like a good Indian meal and, though Dubai might not spring to mind instantly when you think of curries, Indian cuisine has found a real foothold in the area and you’ll find some pretty amazing restaurants for eating in and for ordering out.

Dubai’s Karama area is where you’ll find many of the most popular curry houses, with each specializing in a slightly different take on the curry formula, a formula which contains elements of French, Persian, Arabic and Portuguese cuisine. Many of the Indian restaurants available don’t serve meat, owing to their traditional nature, but don’t let that put you off, you haven’t tried vegetarian food until you’ve tasted what India’s best chefs can do with it.

English Cuisine in Dubai:

English cuisine? In Dubai? No, we aren’t going mad, because Dubai actually has a pretty exceptional range of British cuisine on offer – often better than you’ll find in Britain itself! From British-style pubs like the Chelsea Arms with its exceptionally comforting stuffed Yorkshire puddings to the high end European and British dining stylings of The Croft and Rhodes W1, you’ll find there’s plenty of restaurants out there ready to give you a taste of home within the UAE.

In fact, the sheer volume of British expats in Dubai means that these spots have become communal meeting spaces for Brits, making them a brilliant way to meet fellow expats.

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