Filipino Food in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

As we all know, there is no denying that the UAE is a melting pot of culture and cuisine, no matter which of the seven emirates you are in.

For decades, people of all ethnic groups have settled here, bringing the taste of home.

Especially hundreds of thousands of Filipinos and Filipinos have moved to settle here.

While there are countless restaurants serving Filipino cuisine across the country, a few stand out.

Head to Calama in Dubai and you’ll find Kabayan Turo-Turo buffet restaurant.

Turo-Turo means point point in English, abbreviated as point. When Filipinos are hungry, they will go to a turo-turo and point to the food they want.

Here, popular dishes include siu mai, the Filipino version of Chinese dim sum with shrimp or chicken, and durum or banana spring rolls.

Turon is said to have been founded in the Philippines as early as 1521, but was influenced by the Chinese.

It is believed to have been invented by communities near banana plantations when there was an excess harvest, so the extras were given to locals and eventually sold on the street.

There is Hot Palayok Restaurant & Grill in Madinat Zayed Mall in Abu Dhabi and Karama in Dubai.

Located in the food court on the second floor, Hot Palayok offers a buffet of authentic Filipino dishes and pan-Asian dishes, especially seafood.

But it’s the desserts that really stand out here.

A malagkit roll is a rice cake or sticky roll (malagkit means sticky) that consists of two different kakanins (the word for sticky rice cake) rolled into one and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Then there’s sapin-sapin, a sticky rice and coconut dessert consisting of three layers.

The top layer is yellow or orange and flavored with ripe jackfruit. The purple yam in the middle is violet and the bottom layer is white and has the flavor of tender coconut or plain coconut milk.

In the Kabayan Zone in front of Al Wahda Mall, it’s all about barbecue.

This is easily the busiest Filipino street food spot in Abu Dhabi, creating a lively atmosphere almost any night of the week.

Here, the most popular dishes are jumbo isaw, grilled chicken marinated in red peppers with garlic, onion and vinegar, as well as “helmets” known as grilled chicken heads and “adidas” with grilled chicken feet.

Elsewhere, Razon’s in Guagua is known for its pancit luglug.

Luglug refers to the method of cooking coarse rice noodles, placing rice noodles in a blanching basket and immersing them in boiling water repeatedly until fully cooked.

The dish can be eaten on its own on a plate and prepared in a “bilao,” a round and flat rice paddy made from woven split bamboo.

Dubai also has Pan Pugon TinaPIE Bakeri and Al Attar Mall.

Here you can find ensaymada, a classic Filipino bread made during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Originally from the Spanish island of Mallorca, it is a spiral pastry made from sweet yeast dough dusted with powdered sugar and cheese.

While you’re there, pick up a buko pie.

“Our store has survived the pandemic thanks to our buko pie sales,” said owner Edward Bernabe. “We started using fresh coconut meat instead of canned or bottled coconut.

“Freshly baked is our bread of life, and quality is the bread you deserve.”

Updated: September 23, 2022 at 6:01 pm