10 things to eat at the Flavors Festival
There’s a new food festival in town that celebrates local eats right here in the capital. The Abu Dhabi Flavors Festival runs from March 30 to April 8 at Umm Al Emarat Park in Al Mushrif.
Featuring around 100 tents and street food trucks from the UAE, and you can try everything from shawarma, sushi rolls, home-baked cookies and Japanese-style street food.
There will also be demonstrations from Emirati chefs, a burger eating competition, henna applications, ayalah dance performances and football freestyle shows.
Here’s our pick of what you can’t miss…
01. Spheerz
Gobble up some traditional Osaka-style street food at this kiosk. Spheerz serves takoyaki, a fried savoury snack typically filled with octopus and topped with a special sauce. See our interview with the founder (right) to find out more.
02. Booth Café
Part café and part gamers’ paradise, this spot gets its name from the dedicated console booths, or gaming stations, set up for diners. Expect a diverse menu serving burgers, sandwiches and quick bites at the festival.
03. Crêpes & Poffs
Load up on global pastries including French crêpes, Dutch poffertjes (also known as mini pancakes), Mexican churros and Hungarian kurtos, an airy pastry cone that is roasted and gets rolled in sugar.
instagram.com/crepes_and_poffs
04. Burger Kitchen
Think classic Americana-style burgers (using Angus beef), hot dogs and fries, but if you’re after something a bit more suited to the region try the pomegranate and rocca burger or the dynamite shrimp burger.
05. Paratta Guys
Serving a range of sweet and savoury stuffed parathas, the menu caters to all types with dishes
such as chips and cheese, labneh and zataar, omelette, chocolate and the Cheetos hot dog.
Yes, you read that right – Cheetos!
06. Burger Factory
While the usual suspects all make an appearance on this outlet’s menu (think beef, chicken and mushroom), what makes this burger shop unique is the freshly grilled camel meat burgers, served with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and cheese.
facebook.com/liveburgerstation
07. Monkey Cookies
From a home-grown business started by Abdullah Al Ansari in 2012, the brand has grown and now has shops in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. While we’re fans of the classic cookies, try the ones with marshmallows and a Hershey’s chocolate on top for something really indulgent.
08. Barbacoa
Serving authentic northern Mexican meals in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s eco city slap bang next to Khalifa City, this family-owned restaurant specialises in traditional slow-cooked barbacoa style meat. Diners can expect melt-in-your-mouth dishes of a good standard.
09. Keki Japanese Bakery
For light-as-air cheesecakes made Japanese-style, this food truck is one to visit. Similar to a soufflé, this version is made with less sugar and cheese than regular cheesecakes, has an airy texture and doesn’t feature any sort of crust.
10. Shawarma Code
This is your first chance to check out a brand new shawarma restaurant that is launching right here in Abu Dhabi. While their location in the Embassies District hasn’t yet opened, they’ll be serving
beef and chicken shawarmas as well as crêpes for dessert.
March 30 to April 8
Mother Of The Nation Park, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, 2pm to midnight, free entrance to festival, Dhs5 fee for park entrance. Taxi: Mother Of The Nation Park on Karamah Street. flavorsfestival.ae
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