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Ramadan in UAE: Street food begins at Dh1 at this Dubai festival

This entire area has embraced colourful lights, from buildings and streets to cafés and restaurants – everything is illuminated

Published: Sat 8 Apr 2023, 7:03 AM

Updated: Sun 9 Apr 2023, 9:52 AM

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Looking to indulge in some delicious street food? From savoury kebabs to sweet treats, indulge in the delicacies at some of Dubai's finest hidden gems.

This new food festival is an open invitation to gourmands to try out some new flavours that celebrate the rich culture and heritage of Dubai.

On until April 9, these 55 restaurants in Karama's Sheikh Hamdan Colony offer a set menu and meal deals for Iftar and Suhoor.

The entire locality has embraced colourful Ramadan lights, from buildings and streets to cafés and restaurants – everything is illuminated.

Thousands of residents' flock to indulge in the authentic street food in Dubai. Families and groups of bachelors from various nationalities are seen tasting authentic Indian street food. For those who would like to have this for suhoor – restaurants here are open until 4am.

One among many residents who have been visiting for the last three days is Swedish National Hugo and Alice. “We have stayed in India for about six months. This place has completely adopted a street theme with vendors lined up on streets, business owners attracting customers by calling out the names of the product,” said Alice.

“I am a crazy fan of Indian Ice Gola (candy made of crushed ice, dipped flavoured sugar syrup). When in India, I must have had nearly over 200 gola, which I really missed in Dubai. The moment I saw the video on social media platforms, I dragged Hugo to this place along with other friends,” said Alice

However, residents complained saying that finding parking is difficult. “I am trying to find parking for the last 30 minutes. My children forced me to come and experience this food festival, and what I see is that it is totally worth coming all the way from Ajman,” said Ahmed Mazen, an expat working in Ajman.

“This place has transformed like chowpatty in Mumbai. I see chat items, local Indian drinks like falooda and malai drinks, Kulfi, and much more at reasonable prices. Now my wife, Sameena is urging me to visit again,” said Mazen.

Entertainment sessions

The street food festival is not only about food, but there is a lot more for children and families.

Street dancers and performers engage and entertain the audience with their moves with lights all over them.

“This place is transformed into an electrifying and high-octane crowd. The audience enjoys our performances and provides us with more energy,” said a street performer who performs three shows daily at this festival.

Excited vendors

Many vendors pray that the authorities extend it to the end of Ramadan because of a massive surge in their business and the vibe. “We have heard that the authorities will extend the dates for the food festival, and we hope they do. We are very excited to serve delicacies from our hometown” said Faheem Rahiman owner of Kahaani Café in Karama.

The speciality of the place is Uppulitta Amla (Indian gooseberry dipped in salt water and chili), Uppulitta mango (raw mango dipped in salt water and chili), Pulikki sarvat (drink from Kerala with a tinge of spices) and much more. “We are coming up with Luqaimat and Rigag for the food festival,” said Rahiman adding that his café sells over double the shawarmas as compared to normal days.

Another café which is a specialist in chat items running busy post 9pm and takes about half an hour to deliver the order to their customers. “All praises to god, the business has shot up drastically in the last 7 days. We are really thankful for the authorities. Such events will help boost the economy to a great extent,” said the salesman at the counter.

“We started a token system for our guests so that they know the ordered item will be delivered in a specified duration,” said the salesman.

For those missing home, you’ll also find incredible dishes and sweets from a variety of international cuisines including Asian food that will evoke a memory of home for many.

Gather your friends and family and don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind experience!

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