The Sojourner

I agree with the sentiment that to really get to know a place, you have to sample the street food.  Those of you who are aficionados of the video journals of Anthony Bourdain will appreciate this.  Dubai has its share of trendy places in the shopping malls and along the promenades and corniches that are frequented by the tourists and yuppie ex-pats.  Those who boast about eating in these places are like people who travel in an RV and tell their friends that they went camping.

Real street food is found in the older parts of the city like Deira, Bur Dubai, and Al Karama.  When walking through these places, it is not unusual to discover that you are the only Anglo-Saxon on the street and that you cannot understand any of the cacophony of languages being spoken.  Dubai is a very safe city so there is little fear of areas that are seldom frequented by tourists.

I live in an old suburb of the city called Al Garhoud.  It is more of a residential area and is not characterized by dozens of small shops with the proprietors living in the flat upstairs. Just down the street from my flat is a little shop called the Eat & Drink.

The restaurant serves a mix of ethnic cuisine including Lebanese, Tandoori, Indian, and Pakistani dishes.  It is something of an icon in Dubai, because it is very popular with the taxi drivers.  I never have any difficulty getting home when I tell the hack that I live next door to the Eat & Drink.

My favorite meal is the Chicken Shwarma, which consists of brazed chicken, lettuce, tomato, and a white sauce wrapped inside a flat bread.  Two of these sandwiches cost seven dirhams (US$1.90).  I have had more than I could count over the last two years.  I walk up to the big guy with his back to us in the photo and say my few words of Malayalam.  I get a big smile while he carves meat for the meal.

Several of my Western friends have looked squeamish when I mention my meals from the Eat & Drink.  To my knowledge, I have never gone away with more beasties in my gut than the chicken or lamb in the meal.  The place is kept very clean.

If you travel, do not miss out on eating with the locals.  It is one of the only ways to truly have a taste of the city.