When you say Middle East, most of the time people will define it in various ways but one thing for sure that most people doesn’t know is the fact that aside from the vast desert, there is good food that the Arab world can offer.
United Arab Emirates is famous with their record-breaking achievements and no doubt, they know how to make it to the top. Visions are high and the ambition is wide for the rulers of this country. Aside from the fact that UAE has been a regular star in Guinness, this country will also prove the world that they can serve good food. On my previous blogs, I tackled certain restaurants that you should try to visit and experience. Today, there is another one that will make you fall in love surely with Arabic food.
Arab cuisine is the cuisine of the Arabs, defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab world, from the Maghreb to the Mashriq or Levant and the Persian Gulf. The cuisines are often centuries old and resemble and culture of great trading in spices, herbs, and foods. The three main regions, also known as the Maghreb, the Mashriq, and the Khaleej have many similarities, but also many unique traditions. These kitchens have been influenced by the climate, cultivating possibilities, as well as trading possibilities. The kitchens of the Maghreb and Levant are relatively young kitchens which were developed over the past centuries. The kitchen from the Khaleej region is a very old kitchen. The kitchens can be divided into the urban and rural kitchens. <source: Wikipedia>
Apart from the rich culture, history and tradition, I discovered so many things in United Arab Emirates. I have seen how a typical Arab lives everyday and I experienced how it is to be an expat in this country. There are so many things that will always fall on the positive and negative side but that’s how it goes; that is the so-called equilibrium of life. Staying in UAE for almost 5 years taught me not just how to live here but it taught me how to adapt with everything specially when it comes to food.
There are so many choices that you will encounter in every single day but one restaurant chain made me fall in love with how they deliver the Arabic delicacy with pride and I am talking about Operation: Falafel.
The story behind this restaurant is something rich and I quote:
“On an old stone-paved street, where the sun warmed the gravel, carts lined up to serve traditional Arabic food. In the middle of screaming hawkers and aromas that remind us of our grandmother’s recipes, a street-seller served pitas packed with crunchy hot falafels, generously drizzled with tahini sauce and a punchy salad – artfully layered and stuffed.
For generations, this authentic food brought people together – to flavors everyone remembered. Before hummus turned pink. Before falafels lost their crunchy soul. Even before, shawermas were served with BBQ sauce or Mango chutney.
Watching a cuisine they loved, fall into a deconstructive dilemma – two food enthusiasts and saviors of Arabic food set out on an operation to prove age-old cuisine can still win in the Twenty-First century. Bringing back flavors that are proof of the cuisine’s authenticity and originality – with the respect time has for traditional flavors and methods.
Operating as a time machine, these men on a mission opened the doors of Operation:Falafel. Re-engineering classic recipes and reviving memories with locally-sourced fresh ingredients and traditional Arabic flavors, they made Operation:Falafel – operational.
Perfecting one recipe at a time, Operation:Falafel works on a specialized model that helps serve food that isn’t just cooked and plated, but handcrafted and presented by chefs who are masters of traditional Arabic street food – inside a contemporary space.
Making street food happen now – and not just in the past.” –Operation:Falafel
There are several chains across Dubai if you want to try this delicious food. I will tell you, it is worth trying and you will never regret any single penny you will pay because the food is really good. It is affordable and you can also order online and have it delivered in your house. Operation: Falafel will give you the Arabic food experience in a way that you will never forget.
I personally recommend you to try their Shawarma and Akawi Cheese. There are so many things that you will like in the menu. If you want to see the exciting dishes this chain can offer, click here. For the location of their restaurants, click here.
Try Operation:Falafel and make your experience be one of a kind. Let this street food tell you that Arabic food is for everyone!