What to eat in Dubai this week: a food festival and chef-led dinners to try

This week is abuzz with food festivals, chef-led dinners and new restaurants you can try. Here are the ones we are most excited about. Why savour the creations of one chef when you can have those of six? On Saturday, the Best of Dubai dining series by cookbook author Flavel Monteiro will gather half a dozen of the UAE's top chefs for an exclusive dinner at Dusit Thani Dubai's street food restaurant 24th St. On the menu are the signature creations of Yugal Kishor of Reform Social & Grill, Wichit Panyo of Benjarong, Matthijs Stinnissen of Boca, John Buenaventura of Abu Dhabi Hilton Yas Island , Francesco Guarracino of Roberto's and pastry chef Glenn Noel. The flavour profiles are as varied as their creators, with dishes such as raviolone alla Genovese, smoked chilli and garlic chicken tikka, street-food tacos with beef tongue, grilled Galician octopus, Thai shrimp cakes, and apricots and dulcey. The menu is priced at Dh299; seats are limited, and bookings can be made by email to dine.dtdu@dusit.com or via WhatsApp on 054 990 8007. Dubai foodies have plenty to chew on as Alserkal Avenue's What The Food festival returns for the second time. Taking place until Friday, April 10, the "celebration of the city's gastronomical concepts" features pop-ups and culinary events from 3pm to 10pm. Two supper clubs are planned. On Thursday, chef Halawa will whip up traditional Palestinian and Jordanian dishes as part of the A Night in Palestine. Meanwhile, on Friday, chef Vikram of The Curry Bureau will design a menu with a modern take on Indian and coastal cuisine, with ingredients such as Omani prawns and beef tenderloin. Those not looking for a full-blown meal can venture through the lanes of the avenue, trying dishes from Good Vibes Market, Akiba Dori, Organic Souk, Cheese Onboard and more. There will also be workshops, film screenings and gallery tours. As part of Dubai Food Festival’s Foodie Experiences, fine-dining Indian restaurant Tresind will welcome chef Manoella “Manu” Buffara of Manu restaurant in Curitiba, Brazil, for two collaborative dinners. The Brazilian chef, who was awarded the Miele "One to Watch" award by The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2018, champions local, organic produce. Alongside the expertise of Tresind's chef Himanshu Saini, you can expect an interesting evening. The experience costs Dh695 per person for food only. The dinners will feature 10 courses and four small bites, and will take place on Friday and Saturday, in two time slots: 6.30pm and 9.30pm. Reservations can be made by calling 04 308 0440. Famed Indian restaurant Punjab Grill in the Venetian Village at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, is something of a staple on the fine-dining scene in the capital. Now, the restaurant is set to expand to Dubai, and will open at The Oberoi Dubai, Business Bay, in the second quarter of the year. Guests can expect a high-end dining space rooted in Indian tradition, with an open kitchen led by executive chef Sandeep Ail. The menu will feature curries, kebabs and classic Indian desserts. This will be the brand's first outpost in Dubai. It also has restaurants in Singapore, Washington and Bangkok. If you're craving world-famous Italian fare, you'll soon find it in the world's largest mall. Fine-dining restaurant Cipriani will be launching a new concept, Cipriani Dolci, in The Dubai Mall's Fashion Avenue in April. Fans of the 90-year-old Cipriani brand can expect the same warm hospitality, nautical aesthetic and classic dishes, such as baked tagliolini and scampi carpaccio, plus delectable dolci, from torta di cioccolato and vanilla meringue cake to freshly whipped ice cream and lemon tarts. A stall will serve an assortment of tramezzini, focaccia, bomboloni, cannoli and other traditional Italian baked goods, and there will also be a takeaway services, gift baskets and a hearty breakfast menu. This marks Cipriani's third launch in the region, after successful restaurants on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and in the Dubai International Financial Centre. The Dubai cafe that made waves with its Instagram-worthy interiors and wholesome healthy dishes has launched a second outpost at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, close to Dubai International Airport. The location features all the interior elements Bounty Beets is famous for – from its pink hues to its botanical touches, flamingo mural and even the oft-photographed “Hello Beautiful” wall. On the menu are a range of juices, smoothies, waffles, poke bowls, salads and more, all with “pun-tastic” names. Another bonus: like its Le Meridien Mina Seyahi branch, this cafe, too, is pet-friendly .

What to eat in Dubai this week: a food festival and chef-led dinners to try

Plus, Cipriani, Bounty Beets and Punjab Grill expand within the emirate