Dubai Diaries: A food tour around the world

Every other month, I toy with the idea of eating only home-cooked meals. I imagine that my bank account balance would be grateful, and my recurring stomach aches would peter out without any added encouragement from Eno sachets.

But despite the obvious advantages, I’ve found that I only seem to miss home-cooked meals when I’m anywhere other than Dubai.

Back in college, I experienced short-lived tides of excitement when I was introduced to the simple pleasures of Coke slushies, Twinkies and Hot Pockets. The meal wasn’t a well-balanced one by any means, but when you’re 18 and alone in an unfamiliar country, it was a Friday night staple.

In those moments, when I would burn the roof of my tongue on microwaved, high-sodium meals, I missed my mom’s chicken curry or masala dosa, dishes I would often abandon in favour of the newest restaurant that opened up across the street from us in Karama.

And yet, the first thing I would do when I came home for breaks was binge on the meat arayes and shawarmas from local Lebanese restaurants and wash it all down with a cold glass of Vimto and soda.

With the abundance of choices available, every meal feels like a small adventure of sorts, reaching a point where getting take-out or having food delivered wasn’t just about satisfying a craving.

In Dubai, food feels like more than just a vehicle for sustenance; it’s practically recreation. Scouring menus online is the more gratifying equivalent of watching culinary food tours on Travel Channel because everything you could imagine is, at most, a drive away. But even more than recreation, the sheer number of restaurants and choices available in the city is a phenomenon to be admired.

Everything from Nepali momos to Ethiopian injera to Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches are all within reach in the city.

Perhaps the best part about the availability of these dishes in Dubai is you don’t have to worry about its authenticity getting lost in transit. Because the city is a multicultural hub, no one is catering to or attempting to satisfy a homogenous crowd.

The safe eaters can have their pick from a range of fast food spots and iconic chains. Adventurous eaters, on the other hand, can test their spice tolerance at a multitude of Indian restaurants scattered throughout the city, satisfy their sweet tooth with mini Dutch pancakes smothered in Nutella, and gulp it down with a cup of steaming Turkish coffee.

And just like that, the cravings for comforting home-cooked meals disappear. Every once in a while, I’m willing to risk the stomach aches if it means I get to try something I didn’t know I could love.

gopika@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai