Make hummus not war

A special newsletter edition. Your round-up of 44 Palestinian-owned restaurants and F&B businesses in the UAE. Fundraising food events and donation drives.

Welcome to new subscribers :) If you missed my first Substack newsletter earlier this month, have a read HERE of what to expect. Having said that, the harrowing, heart-wrenching humanitarian crisis and genocide in Palestine has prompted me to pen a second newsletter this month, a special edition, in support of Palestinian-owned restaurants here in the UAE, as well as fundraising food events and donation drives.

On the back of the responses to my Substack chat and Instagram story, below is a round-up of Palestinian-owned restaurants and F&B businesses in the UAE that would benefit from our custom. A staggering 44 to be precise. I am embarrassed to admit I’ve only tried eight, but I am going to make a conscious effort to work through this guide. Some are donating profits, or, admirably, revenues - as are businesses with different ownership. The hyperlinks will direct you to their website or Instagram page.

I am sure I have missed a few, so feel free to comment with others.

Palestinian-owned restaurants, cafés, bakeries & pâtisseries - in alphabetical order

The majority of these establishments also deliver. Please try and order direct where possible, avoiding third-party aggregators that can take up to an alarming 40% commission.

• Bait Jafra, a Jerusalem bakery in Town Square.

• Bait Maryam, likely the most famous Palestinian restaurant in Dubai (JLT) thanks to owner Salam Daqqaq’s well-deserved, award-winning streak.

• Big T Barbecue, a pop-up kitchen in Al Quoz for smoked brisket.

• Boca, one of three licensed (serving alcohol) concepts in this round-up. Spanish-meets-Mediterranean fare in DIFC with a strong sustainability focus.

• B612, a specialty coffee shop in Al Serkal.

• Claw BBQ, a licensed American BBQ and seafood restaurant with two Dubai locations and one in Ras Al Khaimah.

• Cluckers for wood-roasted chicken on Hessa street.

• Feras Hanoun Sweets with multiple branches across every emirate.

• Foul W Hummus in Barsha.

• Habiba Al Nabulsi Sweets in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

• Jood Cakes in International City.

• Kave, a café in Al Serkal.

• Maiz Tacos for Mexican fare in JLT and Dubai Hills Estate.

• Mama’esh, a popular eatery for Palestinian street food with many Dubai outposts, plus Sharjah and Ajman.

• Miramiah, a Palestinian bakery and eatery in Sharjah.

• Mishkah, a café-cum-shop for tea, coffee and dessert in Al Quoz.

• Nablus Eats, a street food joint in Dubai Mall’s lower ground food court.

• Okku, Dubai’s first licensed homegrown concept serving modern Japanese fare has returned in a new location at Marriott on the Palm.

• Old Town Falafel in Sharjah.

• Operation Falafel, a Dubai-born chain of street food restaurants across the UAE and internationally.

• Qwaider Al Nabulsi for kunafa and Middle Eastern sweet treats in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

• Ree7an for traditional, home-cooked Palestinian dishes in Business Bay.

• Sallet Al Sayad for Palestinian seafood in Karama.

• Teta’s Recipe for traditional Palestinian dishes in Barsha South.

• The Palestinian Bakery in Al Serkal.

• The Roost & The Broth Lab for rotisserie chicken and non-GMO bone broth galore. I’ve been buying their chicken broth for a while, and just tried the build-your-own ramen bowl (in six minutes!) - nourishing comfort food.

• Three by Eva, a family-run café on Al Wasl Road.

• Tonic Juice Bar in Mall of the Emirates. The wheatgrass shot is my go-to.

• Yava, a café-cum-bistro on Al Wasl road serving Palestinian-influenced Mediterranean fare.

• Yogashi Bakery for sweet and savoury Japanese treats, ramen included in Mall of the Emirates.

• Zahrat Al Quds for Palestinian fare in Dubai and Sharjah.

• Zalatimo candy stall in Barsha Mall.

Palestinian at-home supper clubs and delivery-only services

• We have four at-home supper clubs in Dubai helmed by Palestinian chefs. Ahmed Halawa’s boasts a Levantine culinary theme, and the first supper club I ever signed up to - with maqluba as his signature dish. There’s also Haya’s Kitchen, Khalid Eats and Wicked Chef.

• Fine Diner roast dinners delivered straight to your door.

• Jenin and Levant Food in Dubai for delivery of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil - and other Palestinian artisan produce. Nai online for preservative-free iced tea beverages.

• 3abalisweet for orders of cookies galore, Aya Creations for customised cakes, and Omar Odali for kunafa delivery.

Charity food events and donation drives

• Two fundraising food events for Gaza. A dinner at Le Guepard on 29th October, and a food market organised by Soul Collective DXB at House of Reign on 30th October with 100% of proceeds donated to the Emirates Red Crescent’s Tarahum for Gaza fund. See above for info. Thank you to Stasha Toncev of 21grams for the heads up.

• There’s also a third chef-led charity dining experience in the works and I’ll share details on my Instagram when bookings go live.

• Easy, one-step fund transfers with Emirates Red Crescent’s Tarahum for Gaza - and/ or the PCRF (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund).

• If you would prefer to donate relief packages, donation centres across the UAE are listed here.

• The Al Serkal Avenue community is raising both funds and monetary donations in support of the Tarahum for Gaza campaign until the 30th October here.

For historical context to the 75-year long tragedy in Gaza

This 2019 documentary makes for mandatory, educational and disturbing watching. Thanks to Dalia Dogmoch Soubra aka @daliaskitchen for sharing. Both her and chef Bethany Kehdy’s tireless social media campaigning for the truth is Nobel-worthy. And neither are Palestinian. But they are our very own equivalent of Olia Hercules.

On a lighter, trivial note - championing homegrown concepts

• When Dubai One TV approached me to co-host a #DXBToday episode earlier this month, I agreed on the condition I could discuss our flourishing homegrown restaurant scene. Here is the main segment, with an additional two links here and here.

• I applied the same request to Dubai Tourism when hosting a group of international journalists from Germany and Austria - choosing Orfali Bros Bistro as our lunch venue.

• And of course, the #ThreeChefsDinner this month also showcased Dubai-born concepts with an East-Asian culinary theme. Video peek here. The next experience in Q1 is in the works.

A recent article, plus my most popular guides

• It’s #SoberOctober. In line with my alcohol abstinence journey (well over three months now!), here is my review of the non-alcoholic wine alternatives available in Dubai.

• The FooDiva annual guide to top Dubai restaurants. 2023 edition here.

• I update My Little Pink Lifestyle Book here with new finds every month.

A bientôt,

FooDiva. x

I leave you with these two photos. L to R: Bait Maryam from last month, and Mama'esh at the weekend

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