Dubai Food Festival returned on Friday for its 10th event. Running at Etisalat by e& Beach Canteen until May 7, the 17-day festival will transform the city, with hundreds of restaurants and cafes offering a range of experiences.
The region’s largest annual food festival reflects a period of rapid growth in Dubai's culinary sector, with the number of restaurants in Dubai more than doubling from 5,500 in 2013 to 13,000.
Among the notable trends to have emerged in that time is the rise of food trucks, pop-up dining events, farm-to-table concepts and other novel ideas, which are all on offer at this year's event.
Located on Jumeirah Beach, Etisalat by e& Beach Canteen has been a staple of the festival since its first outing — and it has been given a retro makeover this year. On Friday night, the site hosted a fireworks display to commemorate Eid Al Fitr, the first of several planned events, including the Food Focus Dubai Exhibition, featuring photos captured from across Dubai's culinary landscape.
To mark the 10th event, the festival is launching 10 Dirham Dish, as part of which participating outlets will serve their signature dishes for Dh10 — the list can be viewed on Zomato.
Other experiences include masterclasses hosted by chefs, childrens' workshops and immersive dining events. During the first week, Kunal Kapoor will curate an eight-course Chef's Table, alongside a 6 hands dinner from chefs Torno Subito, Gucci Osteria and Giardino 25. These can be booked through Open Table.
Dubai Restaurant Week will also return, with more than 50 restaurants offering two-course set lunch menus from AED95 or three-course set dinner menus from AED150. Elsewhere, visitors can learn how to make national dishes from acclaimed chefs, including masterclasses in oyster shucking at Dibba Bay Oysters, specialty coffee at Raw Coffee Company and fermented foods at 21 Grams.
Dubai Food Festival runs at Etisalat by e& Beach Canteen until May 7. More information is at www.visitdubai.com
