Al Baik chicken and other regional dishes to sample at Expo 2020 Dubai

The world fair will house the Rising Flavours dining hall to showcase chefs from across the GCC

Al Baik is known for its crispy chicken. Instagram / @albaik

Only four months after making its foray into the UAE, Saudi Arabia’s popular Broasted chicken chain Al Baik has announced it will have a presence at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The fast-food joint, which first opened in Jeddah in 1974, will be located in the Opportunity District, between the Saudi Arabia and UAE pavilions.

Al Baik will serve its famous fried chicken, as well as an array of seafood, grilled meats, falafel sandwiches and desserts at the world fair, which begins on October 1.

Al Baik in the UAE

The brand opened its first UAE outpost in June, with customers thronging to The Dubai Mall in droves to sample its crispy chicken, chicken fillet sandwiches, chicken nuggets and crispy shrimps.

At the time, the company said it was “dedicated to operating and expanding Al Baik across the seven emirates”.

Yet to come to the Dubai menu are the Bik Baik sandwiches with fried chicken breast, coleslaw, pickles and a special house sauce.

Other regional dishes to sample at Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai will also house Rising Flavours, a three-storey dining hall that serves dishes by some of the GCC’s most popular chefs, in a bid to promote the Middle East’s culinary know-how.

While the full list of participating chefs and restaurants is yet to be confirmed, here are some names that have been revealed.

Douha Abdullah Al Otaishan

Al Otaishan made history as the first female executive chef in Saudi Arabia and is one of the most familiar faces on national TV in the kingdom. Some of her signature dishes include: Happy Kabsa, a fragrant rice dish layered with lamb, potato, courgette and aubergine; jareesh, a savoury porridge made with either white or red crushed wheat; margoog, a stew layered with meat, vegetables and bread; and matazeez, a meat and vegetable stew cooked with dough dumplings.

Roaya Saleh

The Bahraini restaurateur (and former investment banker) heads Villa Mamas, one of Manama’s most popular restaurants, which serves dishes such as chicken mathrooba, lamb shank, harees and hammour with herb pilaf.

Nader Al Aisari

The chef is credited with promoting fine dining in his native Oman through his restaurant and catering company Tanzanite in Muscat.

Mohamad Najem

The Lebanese chef from Qatar is known for his innovative plating techniques and delicious flavour combinations: think chicken waffles with sunny side-up eggs and chilli con carne sauce, ginger and salmon sandwiches and potatoes puffs with caviar and Texan sauce.

Khaled Al Baker

The Kuwaiti chef is the creator of Meem Cafe – a Mediterranean restaurant – and Roto, which specialises in wood-fired rotisserie meats.

Hattem Mattar

The founder of Dubai’s Mattar Farm Kitchen, this pitmaster is known for his smoky barbecued meats and penchant for pop-ups.

Zulfikar Cambaz and Jhon Faver

The two chefs from Dubai’s Westin Mina Seyahi will also be part of Rising Flavours. Cambaz is the Turkish chef behind Baba restaurant and Faver is the chef de cuisine at the hotel’s Spanish restaurant El Sur.

Food aside, the dining hall will serve as a space for GCC artists to showcase their artworks, and musicians and DJs to entertain diners with live performances.