World curry special TIME-SAVING TRAYBAKES
NEW COFFEE SPOTS TO TRY YOUR GUIDE TO HOT SAUCE
Publication licensed by Dubai Production City, DCCA
BAKING CLUB Deep-filled apple pie | Vanilla chai knots | Tahini millionaire’s slice
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September 2026 AED15
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Welcome! A
s the humidity starts to ease, September feels like the perfect time to get back into the kitchen, discover somewhere new to eat and start thinking about the cosier months ahead. To start, we’ve rounded up some of the UAE’s newest coffee spots on page 16, perfect for when you’re ready to linger over your next cup. In the kitchen, we’re making everyday cooking more exciting with storecupboard heroes on page 30. From a courgette and feta tart with caper and mint dressing to gochujang-glazed cod with crispy rice and braised chicken with garam masala and tomatoes, these recipes show how a few well-chosen ingredients can add plenty of flavour. When time is short, turn to page 38 for our collection of time-saving traybakes. And for something more comforting, page 49 is packed with cosy bowls, from hearty Japanese-style curry and Rajasthani achari paneer to Malaysian chicken curry mee, Vietnamese seafood and coconut curry and Cape Malay lamb curry. Our Good Food Baking Club continues on page 69 with three foolproof bakes to try this month. There’s a deep-filled apple streusel pie, sugared vanilla chai knots and tahini millionaire’s shortbread, so there’s plenty to keep your oven busy as the weather cools. If deciding what to cook feels like the hardest part, turn to page 88 for Discover your cooking personality. Whether you’re a planner, prepper or batch cook, working out what suits you could help take the panic out of dinnertime. On page 91, we head to Dubai’s Naimas, where Chef Dabo Pamplona is reworking Filipino classics while keeping their stories and traditions at the heart of the menu. From lumpia and the signature Adobo Burger to Burnt Brazo de Mercedes, it’s a fascinating look at a cuisine rooted in memory, regional diversity and bold contrasts. For those who like a little heat, page 96 is your guide to hot sauce. Faisal Al Mutairi, Chief Chilli Officer of House of Habanero, shares how to discover, taste and collect hot sauce, whether you’re just starting out or already well on your way to making it a serious hobby. And if you’re still dreaming of a getaway, turn to page 102 for a look at the quieter side of the Aegean, with a luxurious escape to Lujo Hotel Bodrum. Wherever September takes you, I hope this issue gives you plenty of reasons to get back in the kitchen, try something new and make the most of the season ahead. Happy reading!
reusel pie d apple st Deep-fille
Courgette and feta tart with caper and mint dressing
Cape Mal ay lamb c urry
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 1
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EDITOR: Blanche D’mello blanche.dmello@cpimediagroup.com ADVERTISING GROUP SALES DIRECTOR: Liz Smyth liz.smyth@cpimediagroup.com SALES DIRECTOR: Gill Fairclough gill.fairclough@cpimediagroup.com CONSULTANT: Ivan Grbic ivan.grbic@cpimediagroup.com info@cpimediagroup.com MARKETING marketing@cpimediagroup.com DESIGN Froilan A. Cosgafa IV FOR OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT: www.bbcgoodfoodme.com FOUNDER CPI MEDIA GROUP Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015) PRINTED BY Wellpack Printing Press LLC
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Good Food, UK GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, FOOD: Jessica Norell Neeson GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Christine Hayes COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Simon Carrington GROUP MAGAZINES EDITOR: Keith Kendrick
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Good Food Middle East magazine is published by CPI Media Group under licence from Immediate Media Company Limited, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London W6 7BT. © Immediate Media Company London Limited, 2026. Good Food and the Good Food logo are unregistered trade marks of Immediate Media Company London Limited and used under licence. All rights reserved.
2 Good Food Middle East September 2026
49 CONTENTS
September 2026 UPDATE
22 FRESH FROM THE OVEN Dubai bakeries worth visiting
4 YOUR SAY Find out if you won the Star Letter prize
EASY
5 LOCAL ICON Get to know Reif Othman
30 COOK SMART TONIGHT Storecupboard staples that pack a punch
6 FLAVOURS OF THE MONTH Experiences to try across the region
36 MONDAY MASH-UP Prepare this Puttanesca chicken traybake
12 TRIED AND TASTED Venues to dine at this month
38 TIME-SAVING TRAYBAKES Let the oven do the work
17 BREWING SOMETHING NEW Meet the UAE’s newest coffee spots
43 BANG IN SOME BEANS Make once, enjoy three easy breakfasts
WEEKEND 49 KEEP CALM AND CURRY ON Cosy bowl recipes to try now 60 COOK THIS WEEKEND Sabrina Ghayour’s easy dishes for entertaining 66 MY FAVOURITE DISH Hasan Semay on food, identity and finding himself 69 BAKING CLUB Foolproof bakes for your next baking session
30
76 MAKE MORE OF MEATBALLS Batch-cook versatile meatballs for the week 80 TABLE FOR FOUR Stars share childhood dinner memories
IN THE KNOW 84 NEXT LEVEL Perfect smash burgers 86 THE CUE POINT KITCHEN Inside a unique Afghan-Texan barbecue restaurant 88 DISCOVER YOUR COOKING PERSONALITY Find your perfect dinner-planning style
69
91 A TASTE OF THE PHILIPPINES Inside Naimas with Chef Dabo Pamplona 94 BOOKS FOR COOKS Fiona Forman reviews the latest cookbooks 96 THE EXPERT’S GUIDE TO HOT SAUCE Faisal Al Mutairi on how to build your hot sauce collection
GOURMET LIFESTYLE 102 THE QUIET SIDE OF THE AEGEAN Discover a luxurious escape at Lujo Hotel Bodrum 104 THREE OF THE BEST Paris hotels with pools to discover
76
COMPETITIONS 106 GIFT VOUCHERS, MEALS AND PLENTY MORE
Our recipe descriptions Suitable for vegetarians. You can freeze it. Not suitable for freezing. Easy Simple recipes even beginners can make. A little effort These require a bit more skill and confidence – such as making pastry. More of a challenge Recipes aimed at experienced cooks. Low fat 12g or less per portion. Low cal 500 calories or less per main.
Low in saturated fat, 5g or less per portion; low in salt, 1.5g or less; and at least one of the following: provides onethird or more of your daily requirement of fibre, iron, calcium, folic acid and/or vitamin C, or counts at least one portion of your recommended 5-a-day fruit and veg. Good for you Low in saturated fat, low in salt. Heart healthy Low in saturated fat, with 5g or less, and low in salt, with 1.5g or less, and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Superhealthy
1 of 5-a-day The number of portions of fruit and/or veg contained in a serving. Vit C
Iron
Omega-3
Calcium
Folate
Fibre
Indicating recipes that are good sources of useful nutrients. GLUTEN FREE Indicates a recipe is free from gluten. Some recipes contain pork. They are clearly marked and are for non-Muslims only. Look for this symbol: P Contains pork.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 3
update inbox
We love hearing from you! “I really enjoyed this month’s issue of Good Food Middle East, especially the wide star variety of recipes featured letter throughout the magazine. What stood out most to me was how the recipes felt both inspiring and approachable for home cooks. It’s always exciting to discover new dishes, but I also appreciate when the ingredients and instructions are practical enough to try in my own kitchen. The food photography was another highlight for me. The images were beautifully presented and made every dish look incredibly appetising. Seeing the finished dishes plated so beautifully really motivates me to recreate the recipes at home and experiment with different flavours. It also helps me visualise what the final result should look like, which is especially helpful when cooking. I also enjoyed the helpful cooking tips and ideas included alongside the recipes. These little details make the magazine more than just a collection of dishes, they make it feel like a guide that encourages readers to be more confident and creative in the kitchen. Overall, this issue was both enjoyable to read and inspiring, and it definitely gave me several new recipe ideas that I’m excited to try.”
Alexander San Juan
“I’ve gotta be honest, I couldn’t put this issue down! The best bit for me was definitely the article about interior design hacks. It was so on point and gave me some genuinely genius ideas for my own place. I’m also obsessed with the photography this month, the aesthetics are just 10/10. Seriously, you guys just keep getting better!”
Ayham Ali
WIN!
WIN A MEMORABLE DINING EXPERIENCE AT ZEA, WORTH AED1,500 Experience an evening at ZEA, where modern Mediterranean flavours, quality ingredients and contemporary flair come together in DIFC. One lucky winner will receive an AED1,500 dining voucher to discover ZEA’s signature approach to Mediterranean dining. Enter now for your chance to win!
TALK TO US!
Email us on feedback@bbcgoodfoodme.com with your thoughts and comments, and send us your photos with your copy of Good Food ME! You can also connect with us on social media! Find us on:
@goodfoodmiddleeast
Or, you could write to us at: The Editor, Good Food Middle East. Office 1307, DSC Tower, Dubai Studio City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, PO Box 13700. 4 Good Food Middle East September 2026
Photographs SUPPLIED
To send in your Star Letter and win this prize, visit the Competitions page on bbcgoodfoodme.com
update in the know
Morning routine & non-negotiables
Currently listening to…
My mornings start early. Coffee first, then checking what’s happening across the restaurants and making sure the important things are moving. I like to have a clear idea of what I need to achieve that day. My biggest nonnegotiation is probably good coffee and good energy.
Podcast. The Diary of CEO by Steve Bartlett.
What’s the one dish you love creating?
3
Eggs, Pickles and chili. You can always create something with those three.
Maki and Japanese-inspired dishes. I love taking something people understand and then putting my own personality into it. For me, the balance is important — it needs to look exciting, but at the end of the day, it has to taste bloody good.
Your favourite restaurant in the UAE and elsewhere in the GCC
Oriental Fusion in JLT
Drink Order
LOCAL ICON Reif Othman is the Singapore-born, Dubai-based chef and restaurateur behind Hotaru Holdings, spanning REIF Japanese Kushiyaki, TERO, SIO Ramen House, KO.NA Pizza House and his first bakery concept, CRISP.
If you could only dine on dishes from one TV series, which would you choose?
Favourite comfort food
The Bear. It’s probably the obvious answer for a chef, but I love the way food, pressure, family and the restaurant world are all intertwined. And honestly, there are a lot of dishes in there I wouldn’t mind eating.
Noodles. Whether it’s ramen, fried Asian noodles or something completely simple at home, noodles are probably my ultimate comfort food.
5 BBC Good Food Middle East April 2024
fridge staples
Cortado or Picolo with low fat milk. I’m quite particular about my coffee, especially in the morning.
Top culinary destination – where to eat and what to order? Tokyo. I could spend weeks there just eating. Sushi, sashimi, yakitori, ramen, soba, izakaya food — everything.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 5
Flavours of the
month What’s hot and happening around town this month
î GLORIA OSTERIA Gloria Osteria is launching Truffle Tuesdays, with unlimited Mafaldine al Tartufo served from a giant Parmigiano wheel, plus a glass of grape for AED175 per person. Taking place every Tuesday from 6:30pm, the offer features handmade Mafalde pasta coated in black truffle and mascarpone cream, finished with fresh truffle and Parmigiano. Visit gloria-osteria.com/gloriaosteria-dubai.
î EL MORENO TAQUERIA El Moreno Taqueria’s Taco Tuesday is now all day, offering an unlimited taco menu priced at AED99. The family-owned Mexican eatery invites guests to enjoy a selection of tacos including Carne Asada with chargrilled skirt steak, Chorizo con Papas with beef chorizo and diced potatoes, Quesabiria with pulled beef brisket, Oaxaca cheese and consommé, and Chicken al Pastor with grilled marinated chicken, roasted pineapple and guacamole. Photographs SUPPLIED
Visit elmorenodxb.com.
Gloria Osteria
6 Good Food Middle East September 2026
update eating out
î MIMI MEI FAIR MiMi Mei Fair introduces a four-course sharing menu centred on duck, available in Downtown Dubai from 1 September to the end of October. Menu highlights include Duck Xiao Long Bao, Crispy Spring Roll, Half Apple Wood-Fired Roasted Peking Duck, Ember Duck Confit, Baby Pak Choi, Olive Fried Rice and Golden Crème Brûlée. Available from 1 September until the end of October for a minimum of two guests, the menu is priced at AED398 per person, with an optional grape pairing for AED198 per person. Visit mimimeifair.com/dubai.
î PEPE CUCINA Pepe Cucina brings an Italian spirit to Address Beach Resort, spread across four distinctive spaces overlooking JBR and Ain Dubai. The restaurant features an open-air terrace and a spacious dining area that builds in energy as the sun goes down. Families gather over dinner, friends meet for drinks, while a bar within the restaurant offers pool, darts and foosball. Visit pepe-dubai.com.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 7
î THE CRUNCH The Crunch, a new all-day dining concept by chefs Mukhtar Kosbayev and Anastassiya Kosbayeva, has opened on Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah. Drawing on the founders’ experience in acclaimed kitchens across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, the menu combines European techniques, Scandinavian ingredient-led cooking and international flavours with dishes including all-day breakfast, freshly baked pastries, sourdough, housemade ferments and seasonal produce. Visit crunchdxb.com.
î YALUMBA On Saturday, 20th September, from 1pm to 4pm, Yalumba’s Back to School Brunch will feature classroom-inspired décor, interactive activities and a spread of dishes to enjoy with family and friends. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or simply feeling nostalgic for the school days, the afternoon will feature entertainment and plenty to keep the little ones occupied. Children can enjoy acrobatic performances, balloon bending and face painting, while adults settle in for an afternoon of food and drinks. Packages: AED225 for soft beverage package, AED325 for pouring package, AED395 for premium package, and AED115 for kids aged 6-12 years old. Visit yalumbadubai.com.
8 Good Food Middle East September 2026
update eating out
î DIME DIME has relocated from Al Satwa to a larger space in Al Safa, introducing its biggest menu yet with all-day dining from breakfast to late-night. Alongside its signature homemade burgers, the menu includes breakfast buns, pancakes, chicken and waffles, new burgers and chicken sandwiches, onion rings, soft serve, sundaes, crumbles, hot dogs, pies, thick milkshakes and the DIME Cola Float. Everything is made in-house, including buns, sauces, pickles and desserts. Visit Instagram (@ dimesburger).
î AURŌM JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will open Aurōm in Business Bay this September, a botanical beverage lab and specialty coffee concept developed with The Herball and botanical expert Michael Isted. The concept combines precision coffee, botanical extraction, fermentation and non-alcoholic drinks, with a menu focused on layered flavours and sensory experiences. The space features earthy botanical tones, brushed gold, pearlescent finishes and raw mineral materials. Aurōm will offer specialty coffee, botanical infusions and non-alcoholic drinks as an alternative to traditional café and bar experiences. Visit Instagram (@ jwmarriottmarquisdubai).
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 9
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with its own personality. How do you create experiences that keep guests coming back while ensuring every restaurant feels distinct? Every brand should have its own personality, but every guest should recognise the same standards. Whether someone visits Bahriyat Express or Rava, they should experience consistency, quality, hospitality, and attention to detail. We never copy one concept into another. Each brand has its own identity, story, menu, design language, and target audience. Diners today are more adventurous than ever. What changes have you noticed in the way people are choosing where and what to eat, and how has that influenced your restaurants? Guests today don’t just choose food; they choose experiences. Design, atmosphere, social media presence, service, consistency, and value all influence their decision. That shift has pushed us to invest equally in hospitality, branding, operations, and digital presence—not only the kitchen
GENEROSITY, SERVED Every dish at NAVA Group starts with the same question, Founder Ali Al Musalam says: Will this make someone want to come back and share it with people they love? It’s a philosophy that’s carried Bahriyat Express and Rava from single openings to two of the region’s most talked-about concepts.
Could you tell us about the very first concept you launched under NAVA Group? How has the journey evolved since then, and what have been some of the biggest milestones along the way? The first concept we launched was Bahriyat Express. From day one, our ambition was never simply to open restaurants. We wanted to build brands with clear identities, scalable operating systems, and experiences that people genuinely remember.
Since then, the journey has evolved quickly. We expanded Bahriyat Express to multiple locations across the Eastern Province, launched Rava as a premium Persian dining concept, received international recognition, and most importantly, built a strong foundation that allows us to keep growing sustainably. NAVA Group is home to a growing collection of dining concepts, each
What excites you most about the region’s dining scene right now? Saudi Arabia is becoming one of the most exciting hospitality markets in the world. Vision 2030 has accelerated investment, creativity, and consumer expectations. I believe we are only at the beginning, and this creates incredible opportunities for Saudi-born brands to compete internationally. Are there any signature dishes or guest favourites that have unexpectedly become icons across your restaurants? What do you think makes them so popular? If I were introducing Rava to someone visiting for the first time, I would recommend three dishes that truly represent the brand’s identity: Rava Hummus has become one of our most recognised starters. Although hummus is familiar across the region, our interpretation focuses on an exceptionally smooth texture, balanced flavour, premium ingredients, and a distinctive presentation. It is often the first dish guests try and one they regularly return for. Ghormeh Sabzi is one of the most iconic dishes in Persian cuisine, and we take great pride in preparing it with
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The Royal Feast brings together a selection of the finest seafood on one impressive platter, reflecting that same tradition of generosity and sharing. In many ways, it carries the same presence and cultural significance within Gulf seafood dining that a traditional lamb feast holds in Bedouin Arab hospitality: a grand centrepiece created to be shared and to bring family and friends together around one table. Across both brands, we believe a dish becomes truly iconic when guests continue to return for it, recommend it to others, and associate it with the identity of the restaurant. What can diners look forward to from NAVA Group over the coming months? Are there any new concepts, menus, collaborations or special experiences in the pipeline? Over the coming months, guests can expect continued investment in innovation, guest experience, and operational excellence. We are continuously working on new concepts, refining our existing brands, and preparing for expansion while ensuring that growth never comes at the expense of quality. If someone is visiting one of your restaurants for the first time, what do you hope they’ll remember long after they’ve finished their meal? I don’t want people to remember just one dish. I want them to remember how we made them feel. If guests leave talking about the hospitality, the atmosphere, the attention to detail, and the quality of the experience as much as the food itself, then we’ve achieved our goal.
full respect for tradition. Slow-cooked with fresh herbs, tender beef, kidney beans, and dried lime, it offers remarkable depth of flavour and introduces many of our guests to the warmth and authenticity of Persian home cooking. Rava Special is one of the dishes that best represents the generosity of Persian hospitality. It brings together a carefully selected variety of Rava’s signature flavours in one impressive sharing experience. Its generous presentation, variety, and richness make it particularly popular with families and groups, and it is often the dish guests recommend to others after their visit. What makes these dishes so popular is not only their flavour, but also the consistency behind them. We believe guests return when they know they will receive the same quality and experience every time. For Bahriyat Express, the dish I would recommend is the Royal Feast; it is more than a seafood platter; it represents the generosity of the Gulf fisherman. Traditionally, when fishermen returned from the sea with the finest catch of the day, presenting that abundance to family and guests was a symbol of hospitality, pride, and celebration.
TRIED &TASTED
Our top dining experiences this month
LE PIAF DUBAI
Le Piaf, Paris Society’s celebrated piano bar, opened its first address outside Europe at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, following outposts in Paris, Megève and Val d’Isère since 2017. Deep crimson velvet, crystal pendant chandeliers, and gilded frames dress the space, and a pianist works the room from the start, playing elegant melodies at first and building as the evening progresses.
MENU HIGHLIGHTS
The menu is concise but thoughtfully curated, balancing French classics with creative dishes that catch attention. With a few recommendations from our server, we ordered a selection of starters. The Wagyu Carpaccio was an elegant opener. Delicate slices of wagyu were dressed with aged balsamic before being topped with shaved Parmesan and fresh truffle. The Burrata was equally impressive. Set on a bed of heirloom tomatoes, caramelised pecans and miso, it combined creamy, sweet and savoury elements. Breaking into the burrata allowed the cheese to mingle with the tomatoes and miso, while the pecans added just enough crunch to bring the dish together. The French Bean Salad was perhaps the biggest surprise of the starters, both in flavour and presentation. Grilled green beans folded through smoked duck and topped with foie gras and a classic vinaigrette. Served traditionally in their shells, the Escargots de Bourgogne arrived bathed in parsley garlic butter. Tender and full of flavour, they delivered everything you’d expect from the French classic and were best enjoyed with bread to soak up the butter. For my main, I chose the Wagyu Burger Rossini, while my dining partners opted for the Roasted Jumbo 12 Good Food Middle East September 2026
Prawns and the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin. The burger was every bit as indulgent as it sounded, layering a juicy wagyu patty with foie gras, caramelised onions, shaved summer truffle and crispy potato. The combination worked remarkably well, with each ingredient adding a different texture while allowing the quality of the wagyu to remain the focus.
The roasted prawns were served with saffron potatoes in a fragrant lemongrass bisque, while the Black Angus beef tenderloin, cooked perfectly to the preferred temperature, paired with a classic black pepper sauce. Alongside our mains, we shared French fries, grilled broccolini tossed in chilli ginger butter and baby gem lettuce dressed in mustard vinaigrette. Dessert was a highlight of the experience and the perfect finish to the meal. By this point, the pianist had handed over to a DJ, shifting the atmosphere from laid-back dining to a livelier evening setting. The music gradually takes over, moving guests from swaying in their seats to getting up and dancing, making it the kind of place where leaving early feels almost impossible. We ended the night with the Strawberry Tart, featuring crisp pastry filled with silky crème pâtissière and generously topped with fresh strawberries and
update restaurant reviews
finished with basil. Served with a berry sorbet on the side, the tart was even better when enjoyed together, with the sorbet adding a refreshing contrast. The sweetness of the strawberries, the buttery pastry and the tartness of the sorbet came together beautifully. It’s the one dish (and experience, of course) I’d return for without hesitation.
BOOK NOW
Visit lepiaf-restaurant.com/dubai.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 13
SUKHOTHAI, LE MÉRIDIEN DUBAI
Sukhothai is tucked within the restaurant village at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, alongside familiar names including Casa Mia and The Dubliner’s. Upon arrival, you’re warmly welcomed by the staff with a cheerful “Sawasdee ka” before being led to your table. The venue’s interiors lean heavily into traditional Thai design, with rich teak wood panelling, intricate carved detailing and ornate golden accents throughout. Warm, low lighting gives the restaurant an intimate feel, while carved wooden pillars, Thai-inspired architectural details and gilded statues add a sense of grandeur. Deep red drapes and greenery soften the dark wood and bring pops of colour into the room.
MENU HIGHLIGHTS
Once seated, we were welcomed with prawn crackers and a selection of condiments, which we enjoyed alongside a Thai iced tea and fresh coconut water. We started with the Tom Kha, a creamy coconut soup with chicken, mushrooms, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lime. The Som Tum, prepared tableside to suit our preferences, like our spice level, was fresh and crunchy, with red chillies, green papaya, carrots, tomatoes and long beans brought together by a sweet-sour dressing. For mains, the showstopping Pla Trod Sa-Mon Pai arrived as a whole fried hammour, generously topped with fragrant lemongrass, nuts, galangal and kaffir lime leaves and finished with a tamarind sauce. The fish was crisp on the outside while remaining tender inside. Alongside it, the Gaeng Kiew Warn was a personal favourite for me. Served in a traditional hot pot that kept the Thai green curry warm throughout the meal, it was rich and comforting, with tender chicken, eggplant and sweet basil in a creamy coconut sauce. I loved being able to enjoy it hot from the first spoonful to the last. The Phad Thai Goong was another colourful addition to the table, with prawns, egg, tofu, peanuts, bean sprouts and chives tossed through wok-fried rice noodles and a tamarind sauce. To finish, we shared the mango sticky rice, pairing mango with coconut-infused sticky rice and coconut milk on the side.
BOOK NOW
Visit sukhothai-dubai.com. 14 Good Food Middle East September 2026
update restaurant reviews
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 15
We are now LIVE with video! Showcase your offerings with an exclusive pre-roll commercial that plays before expert videos. The video content will be interrelated with the brand, and clients can sponsor culinary skill videos, kids’ recipes, meal inspiration, baking clips, and plenty more.
For more information, email info@cpimediagroup.com
update things to do
Brewing Something New Looking for your next coffee fix? These new cafés and roasters are putting their own spin on specialty coffee across the UAE.
BLUE TOKAI Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters has opened its first UAE café at BurJuman Mall in Dubai, bringing its specialty coffee experience to the region for the first time. The India-born brand, which has spent over a decade championing freshly roasted coffee and direct relationships with coffee farms, invites guests to
explore single-estate coffees, signature blends and seasonal brews, alongside a menu of freshly prepared food, pastries and baked goods. The new café showcases Blue Tokai’s farm-to-cup approach, with multiple brewing methods allowing coffee lovers to discover different flavour profiles. September 2026 Good Food Middle East 17
JULITH Julith Coffee has expanded with a new Abu Dhabi location at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), following the opening of its Last Exit drivethrough in Dubai in June. Set within SSMC’s light-filled atrium, the café features Julith’s signature blueand- white identity, a clean architectural kiosk, illuminated branding, retail displays and soft seating. The new location offers specialty coffee, matcha, fresh juices, pastries, salads, sandwiches, pasta and desserts, including espressobased drinks, V60 pour-overs and a rotating selection of beans. The SSMC opening marks Julith’s first Abu Dhabi location as the homegrown brand continues to expand across the UAE.
CHERRY HOUSE Cherry House has opened in Al Safa, bringing together an artisanal bakery, specialty coffee roastery and all-day café. The concept takes its name from the red coffee cherry and puts roasting and baking on display, with a Loring machine at the heart of its in-house roastery and an overhead belting system transporting freshly roasted beans throughout the space. Coffee is sourced from producers in Colombia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Costa Rica and Panama,
18 Good Food Middle East September 2026
with guided cuppings and coffee tours planned. The open bakery shapes, proofs and bakes bread and pastries throughout the day using certified organic, French-milled wheat, with sourdough fermented for up to 48 hours. The all-day menu spans sourdoughs, pastries, breakfasts, bowls, sandwiches, salads and larger plates, alongside specialty coffee, matcha and seasonal drinks, bringing roasting, baking and dining together under one roof.
update things to do
KAIROS COFFEE ASSEMBLY Kairos Coffee Assembly centres on slow, intentional coffee and craftsmanship, with the UAE’s first Bellwether Shop Roaster roasting beans daily in full view, a two-metre communal Coffee Assembly table by Surat atelier SHED Studio, and a minimalist Wabi-Sabi-inspired interior. Led by founder Shiraz Sarwar, the space focuses on freshly roasted single-origin coffees, V60 pour-overs and small-batch food made entirely on site, from handlaminated pastries and its signature Twice-Baked Cashew Nut to Eggs on Eggs on Eggs, Beef Short Rib Bowl and warm Max’s Madeleines.
ONA Australian specialty coffee house ONA has opened its first international outpost in Jumeirah 1, serving specialty coffee alongside an all-day menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Founded in Canberra in 2008 by World Barista Champion Sasa Šestić, ONA sources coffee through direct relationships with more than 200 producers across 14 origins, as well as its own Finca Beti in Honduras. The Dubai coffee house features a central coffee bar, sensory room, private events space and outdoor terrace, with coffees selected based on flavour profile and brewed using ONA’s precision Nucleus Coffee Tools.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 19
THE COUNTDOWN STARTS NOW. Celebrating its 17th year, the Good Food Middle East Awards return this October, bringing together the region’s most exciting restaurants, hotels and food and beverage names. The nominations are in. Now it’s time to have your say.
VOTING OPENS OCTOBER 2026
Visit bbcgoodfoodme.com/awards/2026.
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For the first time in the awards’ history, Abu Dhabi will also have its very own dedicated programme. The inaugural Good Food Middle East Abu Dhabi Awards 2026 launches this year, recognising the capital’s restaurants, hotels, and food and beverage brands in their own right. It’s a long time coming: Abu Dhabi’s dining scene has grown into something truly exciting, and it deserves a celebration that reflects that.
VOTING OPENS OCTOBER 2026
Visit bbcgoodfoodme.com/awards/abu-dhabi-2026. For sponsorship opportunities, email events@cpimediagroup.com.
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FRESH from the
OVEN We have rounded up the best bakeries in Dubai for your next visit
22 Good Food Middle East September 2026
update things to do
BKRY
bkry, located in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue and Nad Al Sheba Mall, is an experimental bakery redefining artisanal baking. Led by Kameel Rasyid Eril, it offers unique breads, cakes, and pastries crafted from globally sourced and locally grown ingredients.
KNOT BAKEHOUSE
Photos by: @knotbakehouse
A popular destination, Knot is celebrated for its specialty matcha drinks and baked goods. It features a cosy, modern interior that often draws a busy crowd for its unique dessert menu and atmosphere.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 23
HOME BAKERY
Photos by: @alicabakery
This popular local brand is famous for its nostalgic, comforting desserts like the Chewy Melt cookies and milk cakes. It has multiple locations across Dubai, offering a cosy atmosphere and a wide variety of inventive sweet treats.
ALICA BAKERY
Located in Jumeirah 1, this tranquil waterfront eatery features a menu focused on seasonal ingredients. Don’t miss its sourdough bread and cardamom buns!
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TONTON BAKES
Photos by: @laughingbreadbakery
Photo by: @tontonbakes
Tonton Bakes in Wasl 51 is a European-style bakehouse and specialty coffee spot by Basil Yassin, also behind neighbouring YAVA. Focused on Italian and French baking traditions, the menu features pastries ranging from classic croissants to doughnuts and tarts, alongside its signature Tontail, a modern take on the Italian sfogliatella.
LAUGHING BREAD
Based in Al Quoz, this bakery is known for its 72-hour fermented sourdough and creative pastry fillings like truffle parmesan danish and sticky date pudding croissant.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 25
PEKOE TEA & BREAD BAR
Photo by: @mypekoe
This Alserkal Avenue venue is a modern Japanese teahouse and bakery that pairs high-quality global teas with artisanal breads. They specialise in handcrafted sourdough, buttery pastries, and unique savoury sandwiches.
PIEHAUS
Photos by: @piehaus.dubai
piehaus is a bakery-cafe in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, from the team behind 21grams Urban Balkan Bistro. The concept specialises in traditional and contemporary sweet and savoury phyllo pies, alongside brunch dishes and specialty coffee.
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CRISP.
One of Dubai’s newest bakery concept is now available at REIF Japanese Kushiyaki Dubai Hills and on Deliveroo. The menu includes Shio Pan, Japanese salt bread that is glossy, buttery and served warm; a pandan kaya jam doughnut; a matcha crème caramel castella; a vanilla brûlé millefeuille; and a vanilla milk soft serve croissant cone, flaky, filled and crisp.
MILK BAKERY
Photo by: @milkbakery.ae
This stylish Jumeirah spot combines a modern cafe vibe with a menu featuring unique bakes like cerealmilk-infused cakes and savoury danishes. Highlights include Chebab Bun, Tiramisu Slice, Spanish Latte and Ultimate Nutella Cookies.
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800 [ROOST] 76678 theroost_ae
WE FEED OUR KIDS THIS
So we wouldn't make it any other way
Easy Delicious, simple, and easy-to-make recipes
cook smart tonight p30
time-saving traybakes p38
bang in some beans for breakfast p43
monday mash-up
puttanesca chicken traybake p36
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 29
cook smart
tonight
Elevate everyday meals with storecupboard heroes that bring spice, tang and depth recipes ANNA GLOVER photographs BECCI HUTCHINGS
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cook smart STORECUPBOARD STARS • • • •
Gochujang Capers Garam masala Sherry vinegar
Courgette & feta tart with caper & mint dressing SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins EASY V
1 medium courgette 1 tbsp olive oil 1 /2 lemon 100ml crème fraîche 100g feta 320g sheet puff pastry green salad, to serve For the caper & mint dressing handful of mint 1 /2 red chilli, or a pinch of chilli flakes 1 tbsp capers, plus 1 tsp brine from the jar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp honey
1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and put a baking sheet on the middle shelf to heat up. Trim and thinly slice the courgette (a mandoline works well), then tip into a bowl with the oil. Season. Grate over the lemon zest and set the zested lemon aside. Toss to coat. In a separate bowl, mash the crème fraîche, feta and some seasoning together using a fork. 2 Unravel the pastry on its baking parchment, then lightly score a 1cm border around the edges using a small, sharp knife. Spoon the feta mixture into the middle, then gently spread to the border. Layer over the courgettes, arranging them neatly or roughly spreading them out into an even layer. 3 Using the parchment to help you, carefully slide the tart onto the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden and puffed up around the edges and the courgettes have softened and are turning golden. 4 Meanwhile, make the dressing. Pick the mint leaves and finely chop along with the chilli, then tip both into a bowl. Add the capers, caper brine, oil and honey. Squeeze over the zested lemon, season and whisk well. 5 Just before serving, spoon the dressing over the tart. Serve with a green leaf salad on the side.
get the most from our meals We’ll point out any swaps
If you can use things like yogurt instead of crème fraîche, chives instead of spring onions or butter beans instead of cannellini beans, we’ll let you know so you’re not buying extra ingredients. This also helps prevent food waste.
Optional extras are your choice If you have them, great, but if you don’t, don’t worry! We’re talking the final garnishes of nuts, seeds or lime wedges – don’t put them in your shopping basket just for one recipe.
All meals will serve at least two
...and any dishes with larger servings will be designed to be freezable in portions, so you can batch-cook them.
Dishes will be quick to make
We know time is of the essence in the week, but you still want inventive and delicious dinners. Our promise is that dinner will be on the table within an hour – and often in less time.
We’ll use storecupboard staples
All the recipes in this series will aim to include items that are already in your storecupboard. This means that if you cook from this series regularly, you’ll get to explore new ways to use up the rest of the ingredient, rather than having it linger in the back of your fridge until you make the same meal again.
Gadgets will be go-tos
We love a gadget here at Good Food, especially if it means avoiding turning the oven on midweek. So, we’ll give you options for the air fryer and other gadgets where we can, but try to avoid anything that requires extra washing-up, like food processors, stand mixers or excessive pans, where possible.
All the prep is in the method
...in this feature, to help you cook the recipe with no missteps.
GOOD TO KNOW vit c PER SERVING 564 kcals • fat 45g • saturates 22g • carbs 29g • sugars 4g • fibre 3g • protein 10g • salt 1.48g
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 31
Gochujang-glazed cod & crispy rice traybake SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins EASY
200g cooked basmati rice (use a microwave pouch or leftover cooked rice) 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tbsp gochujang 1 /2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 /2 tbsp honey 2 thick, skinless hake, haddock or cod fillets, or other sustainable firm white fish (see tip) 180g frozen edamame or peas 4 spring onions 1 lime
Halloumi, artichoke & rocket linguine SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V
125g halloumi (see tip) 2 garlic cloves 1 /2 red chilli, or a pinch of chilli flakes 150-200g marinated artichokes in oil 180g linguine 2 tsp capers (optional) 1 /2 lemon 2 handfuls of rocket
1 Cut the halloumi into 5mm cubes. Finely slice the garlic and finely chop the chilli. Halve any large artichokes, cutting them into bite-size pieces, and reserve the oil in the jar. 2 Cook the linguine in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 mins until al dente. Heat 2 tbsp of the reserved artichoke oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the halloumi for 3-4 mins until golden and crisp – be careful, as the oil may spit slightly. Add the garlic,
chilli and a good crack of black pepper, and fry for 2 mins more before stirring in the artichokes and capers. Reduce the heat to low. 3 Using tongs, lift the linguine out of the water and straight into the pan with the halloumi, allowing some of the pasta water to drip in as you do. Grate over the lemon zest, squeeze in the lemon juice and toss well until the linguine is coated in a glossy sauce. Remove from the heat, add the rocket and toss briefly to wilt slightly before serving. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • folate • fibre • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 611 kcals • fat 31g • saturates 13g • carbs 52g • sugars 4g • fibre 7g • protein 27g • salt 3.06g
Anna’s tip
I like to fry leftover halloumi and stuff it into a sandwich with chilli jam and rocket, or serve in a burger bun with coleslaw and piri-piri sauce. It’s also good in wraps with fajita spice and lots of smoky peppers.
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1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Tip the rice onto a large baking tray, breaking up any large clumps. Drizzle over the sesame oil and soy sauce, and mix well using your hands or a spatula. Spread the rice out into a thin, even layer and bake for 10-12 mins until crisping up and turning golden. 2 Combine the gochujang, sesame seeds and honey in a small bowl. Move the rice to the sides of the baking sheet. Pat the fish fillets dry, then put in the middle of the sheet. Spoon the glaze over the fish, then bake for 8-12 mins until the fish is flaky and cooked through, depending on its thickness. 3 Microwave or steam the edamame or peas following pack instructions until piping hot, about 3-4 mins. Finely chop the spring onions. To serve, scatter the edamame and spring onions over the fish and serve directly from the baking tray, or fold them through the mixture, breaking the fish into pieces as you do. Cut the lime into wedges and serve on the side for squeezing over. GOOD TO KNOW low cal • folate • fibre • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 408 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 2g • carbs 38g • sugars 8g • fibre 6g • protein 35g • salt 0.98g
cook smart
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Braised chicken with garam masala & tomatoes
A great way to use up a glut of seasonal tomatoes, this has light, fresh flavour, but is still well-spiced and comforting. You can make a batch and freeze – just add the yogurt right before serving, after reheating it. SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 50 mins EASY
2 tsp garam masala, plus a little extra to serve (optional) 2 large or 4 small chicken thighs 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion thumb-sized piece of ginger 2 garlic cloves 400g vine tomatoes handful of coriander 3 tbsp full-fat natural yogurt roti or rice, to serve
1 Rub salt and 1 tsp of the garam masala all over the chicken using your hands. Heat the oil in a wide flameproof casserole or deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 6-8 mins, skin-side down, until the skin has
crisped up. Flip and cook for 4 mins on the other side, then remove to a plate – the thighs do not need to be fully cooked through at this stage. 2 Meanwhile, finely slice the onion and finely grate the ginger and garlic cloves into a paste. Roughly chop the tomatoes. 3 When the chicken is out of the pan, fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 8-10 mins until soft and lightly golden, picking up the residual spices and fat from in the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, and fry for 1 min until fragrant. 4 Add the tomatoes and remaining garam masala, and continue to cook for 4-6 mins until the tomatoes start to break down and turn jammy. Add 250ml water, bring to a simmer, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin-side up. Cover partially with a lid and cook for 20-25 mins until the sauce has thickened slightly and the chicken is cooked through. Add a splash more water halfway through cooking if the sauce has thickened too much. Chop the coriander. 5 Remove the pan from the heat and stir the yogurt and coriander through the sauce. Season, then taste and add a little more garam
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masala, if needed. Serve with roti or rice. GOOD TO KNOW healthy • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 372 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 5g • carbs 17g • sugars 14g • fibre 4g • protein 34g • salt 0.26g
Shoot directors JORDAN EDMONDS-MOORE, MICHELLA ADETUNJI | Food stylist TROY WILLIS | Stylist JORDAN EDMONDS-MOORE
cook smart
Corn cakes, avocado, eggs & jammy tomatoes SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V
1 small avocado 2 eggs, fried or poached hot sauce and yogurt or cottage cheese, to serve For the corn cakes 2 spring onions 1 thyme sprig, plus extra to serve 75g plain flour 1 /2 tsp baking powder 100ml milk 2 pinches of cayenne pepper or mild chilli powder 180g fresh, canned or frozen sweetcorn (defrosted if frozen) olive oil, for frying For the tomatoes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 thyme sprig
200g cherry tomatoes 2 tsp sherry vinegar 1 tsp honey, or maple or agave syrup
1 Heat the air fryer to 160C or the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss all the ingredients for the tomatoes together in the air-fryer basket or a small baking dish, and season well. Cook for 15 mins until the tomatoes are soft, jammy and glazed. 2 Meanwhile, make the corn cakes. Finely chop the spring onions and pick the leaves from the thyme. Tip these into a bowl with the flour, baking powder, milk, cayenne and some seasoning. Mix into a thick batter, then stir in the sweetcorn. 3 Heat a drizzle of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon in circles of the batter, flattening them out using the back of the spoon – you should get about four. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side
until golden and set (you may need to do this in batches). 4 Peel, halve, stone and slice the avocado. Divide the corn cakes between two plates, then top with the tomatoes and any roasting juices, the eggs, avocado, extra thyme, the hot sauce and yogurt or cottage cheese, if you like. Finish with a grinding of black pepper. GOOD TO KNOW folate • fibre • vit c • 3 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 587 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 6g • carbs 51g • sugars 16g • fibre 8g • protein 19g • salt 0.63g
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 35
monday mash-up
Puttanesca chicken traybake A classic pasta sauce is transformed into an all-in-one weeknight chicken supper that’s big on punchy flavour, but light on the washing-up SERVES 4-6 PREP 10 mins COOK 1 hr EASY
2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 /2 tsp chilli flakes 2 tbsp tomato purée 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional) 150g pitted black olives 2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped cooked pasta, rice or oven chips and bread, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Stir the oil, garlic, chilli flakes, tomato purée and a generous pinch of salt together in a large roasting
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tin, then sit the chicken thighs on top and turn to coat in the mixture. If needed, flip the thighs over so they’re skin-side up, then roast for 25-30 mins until the chicken skin is starting to blister. 2 Remove the tin from the oven and stir the tomatoes, anchovies (if using), olives and capers into the sauce. Turn the chicken thighs in the sauce, then sit them back on top so they roast, rather than stew. Return to the oven for 30-35 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Let stand for 5 mins. Serve from the tin with cooked pasta, rice or oven chips, and some bread for mopping up the juices. GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING (6) 443 kcals • fat 31g • saturates 7g • carbs 7g • sugars 6g • fibre 2g • protein 34g • salt 1.15g
Barney’s tip Puttanesca roast chicken The same punchy puttanesca flavours of the traybake base work brilliantly for a one-pan roast chicken. Mix the oil, garlic, chilli flakes and tomato purée together as before, then rub the mixture all over a whole chicken and season well. Roast for 40 mins in a roasting tin as before, then lift the chicken onto a board and stir the tomatoes, olives and capers into the sauce in the tin, scraping up any sticky bits. Sit the chicken back on top and roast for another 40 mins, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Rest the chicken for 10 mins, pouring any resting juices back into the sauce. Serve with the sauce spooned over.
Shoot director LAURIE NEWMAN | Food stylist AMY KINNEAR | Stylist HANNAH WILKINSON
recipe BARNEY DESMAZERY photograph LIAM DESBOIS
cook smart
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 37
time-saving traybakes When you want downtime before dinner, chuck everything into a tin and let the oven do the work recipes ALICE SHIELDS photographs JONATHAN GREGSON
Hot smoked salmon niçoise traybake
Serve this punchy niçoise-style bake from the tray as we have, or tip onto a platter with salad leaves. SERVES 4 PREP 15 min COOK 35 min EASY
1kg new potatoes, halved 1 tbsp olive oil 200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces 200g cherry tomatoes, halved 150g pitted olives (we used Kalamata) 4 hot smoked salmon fillets (about 320g total) 4 eggs For the dressing 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 4 tbsp olive oil
1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Toss the potatoes with 1 /2 tbsp oil and plenty of seasoning in a large roasting tin, then bake for
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20 mins until the skin of the potatoes has started to crisp. 2 Add the green beans, tomatoes and olives to the tray, then lay the salmon fillets on top. Drizzle over the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and return to the oven for 15 mins until the fish is piping hot and the beans and potatoes are tender. 3 Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a saucepan of simmering water for 7 mins for fudgy yolks, or 9 mins for hard-boiled. Drain and transfer to a bowl of iced water. 4 To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl with plenty of seasoning. 5 Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel and halve them. Lightly flake the salmon over the potatoes and arrange the eggs on top, then drizzle over the dressing and finish with a grinding of black pepper to taste. GOOD TO KNOW folate • fibre • vit c • omega-3 • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 617 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 6g • carbs 44g • sugars 7g • fibre 7g • protein 34g • salt 3.52g
cook smart
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 39
Thai red curry sweet potato & lentil soup 40 Good Food Middle East September 2026
cook smart
Elote-style mac & cheese
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 41
cook smart
This soup is simple to blitz and serve, and the spicy peanut drizzle takes it to another level – but is optional. SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 35 mins EASY V
500g sweet potatoes (about 2 large), unpeeled and cut into 2cm cubes 1 red onion, roughly chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp Thai red curry paste large handful of coriander, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve 2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated 300g red lentils, rinsed 1 litre vegetable stock 400ml can coconut milk 1 /2 lime, juiced For the crispy peanut oil drizzle 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil 1 tsp mild chilli powder 2 tbsp salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Elote-style mac & cheese
We’ve transformed elote – the classic spicy corn street food from Mexico – into an extra-creamy macaroni cheese. SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 45 mins EASY V
1 tbsp olive oil 4 spring onions, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tbsp mild chilli powder, plus extra to serve 340g can sweetcorn, drained 300g macaroni 1 litre vegetable stock 200g soured cream
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1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Toss the sweet potatoes, red onion, olive oil, curry paste and plenty of seasoning together in a large roasting tin and bake for 15 mins until the sweet potatoes have started to soften. 2 Remove the tin from the oven and stir in the coriander, garlic, ginger and lentils. Pour over the stock and coconut milk, and stir everything well. Return to the oven for 20 mins until the lentils are tender. 3 Meanwhile, make the crispy peanut oil drizzle, if using. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat until just warm and cook the chilli powder and peanuts for a couple of minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside. 4 Remove the tin from the oven and stir in the lime juice. Blitz everything together using a hand blender until fairly smooth (or, tip everything into a blender and blitz in batches, if needed). Taste for seasoning, then reheat in the oven
150g cheddar, grated 200g feta, crumbled 1 lime, zested and juiced handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Toss the oil, spring onions, garlic, chilli powder and sweetcorn together in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 15 mins until the corn is beginning to char. 2 Stir the macaroni into the tin and pour over the stock. Return to the oven for 15 mins until the pasta has absorbed most of the stock. 3 Stir in the soured cream, cheddar, 150g of the feta, the lime zest and juice and plenty of seasoning.
(or a pan, if you’ve used a blender). Once cool, will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to three days. To serve, reheat until piping hot, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen. The spiced oil is best eaten on the day it’s made. 5 Divide the soup between four bowls, drizzle over the crispy peanut oil, if using, and scatter over a few extra coriander leaves. GOOD TO KNOW vegan • fibre • vit c • iron • 3 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 790 kcals • fat 40g • saturates 18g • carbs 76g • sugars 16g • fibre 13g • protein 25g • salt 1.54g
Sprinkle over the remaining 50g feta and a little extra chilli powder. Return to the oven for 10-15 mins until the macaroni cheese is golden and bubbling. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander to serve. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • fibre • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 773 kcals • fat 39g • saturates 22g • carbs 70g • sugars 12g • fibre 8g • protein 31g • salt 2.84g
Shoot director FREDDIE STEWART, OWEN CONNOLLY | Food stylist KATIE MARSHALL | Stylist FAYE WEARS
Thai red curry sweet potato & lentil soup
cook smart
Breakfast burritos
bang in some beans for breakfast
Make smoky, spicy beans from Alice Shields, then use as a base for three recipes to save you time in the morning photographs JONATHAN GREGSON
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 43
THE BASE Smoky chilli beans
Give baked beans a twist by adding chipotle paste and sweet paprika. Spoon them over toast, or use as the base for our other breakfast recipes (here and page 58). SERVES 6 (1 batch) PREP 15 mins COOK 35 mins EASY V
1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp chipotle paste 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tsp dried mixed herbs 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika 1 tbsp tomato purée 690-700g passata 2 tbsp honey 100g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp liquid from the jar 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar or cider vinegar 400g can kidney beans, drained 2 x 400g cans haricot beans, drained
1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the chipotle paste, garlic, dried mixed herbs, paprika and tomato purée for a couple of minutes until fragrant. 2 Add the passata, honey, peppers and their liquid, the vinegar and beans, and season generously. Allow the mixture to bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 mins, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened slightly. Once completely cool, the beans will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat in a pan or microwave until piping hot. GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low fat • fibre • 2 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 196 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 0.3g • carbs 26g • sugars 11g • fibre 11g • protein 10g • salt 0.58g
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Beans on toast with maple bacon crumble
A salty-sweet bacon crumble is an easy and moreish way to elevate simple beans on toast. SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins plus cooling COOK 25 mins EASY P
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon 11/2 tbsp maple syrup 1 batch of smoky chilli beans, reheated if needed (see left) buttered sourdough toast, to serve
1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Arrange the bacon rashers in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cook in the oven for 5 mins until starting to turn golden.
Breakfast burritos
Prep this grab-and-go breakfast in advance, then simply reheat when you’re ready to eat. Cooking the eggs in a baking dish is easier than a pan when you’re making a larger batch for meal-prepping or feeding a crowd. MAKES 6 PREP 30 mins plus cooling COOK 35 mins EASY V
vegetable oil, for the dish 12 eggs 50g cheddar, grated 100g soured cream 200g baby spinach 1 batch of smoky chilli beans, reheated if needed (see left) 6 extra-large tortilla wraps
1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Line a baking dish (roughly 18 x 24cm) with baking parchment, then lightly oil the parchment. In a jug, whisk the eggs, cheese and soured cream together with plenty of seasoning, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Cook in the oven for 20 mins until the eggs are just set. Leave to cool completely
2 Flip the bacon over, then brush over the maple syrup. Return to the oven for 12-15 mins until the bacon is dark brown and crispy. Leave to cool completely on the tray (the bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools). 3 Finely chop the cooled bacon or whizz in a food processor for an even finer crumb. The cooled bacon crumble will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to four days. Pile the beans onto the toast and sprinkle over the bacon crumble to serve. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 277 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 2g • carbs 29g • sugars 14g • fibre 11g • protein 15g • salt 1.42g
before lifting out of the dish and slicing into six rectangles. 2 Meanwhile, put the spinach in a heatproof bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover, then set aside until cool enough to handle. Drain and squeeze out any excess water. Roughly chop. 3 To assemble, divide the beans between the tortillas, spreading them out but leaving a small border around the edge. Top each with some spinach and an egg slice (you may need to cut up the egg to roll up the tortilla). Roll up to enclose the filling and serve warm. Leave to cool, then wrap the burritos tightly in a sheet of baking parchment each, then a sheet of foil. Will keep chilled for up to four days, or frozen for up to a month. To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight if frozen, then loosen the foil slightly (keep wrapped) and cook in the oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 or air fryer at 180C for 20 mins until piping hot. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • folate • fibre • iron • 3 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 594 kcals • fat 23g • saturates 8g • carbs 58g • sugars 13g • fibre 14g • protein 32g • salt 2.11g
cook smart
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 45
Cheesy sausage & bean breakfast pots
Assemble these pots ahead of time for a warming, low-effort breakfast. You could use veggie sausages, too. MAKES 6 pots PREP 20 mins COOK 20 mins EASY P
The Bang In Some Beans campaign by Veg Power and The Food Foundation aims to put beans and pulses at the heart of our meals. Here’s why:
High in fibre and containing no cholesterol, beans are also low in fat, protein-rich and a good source of micronutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. They also count as up to one of your five-a-day.
Shoot directors FREDDIE STEWART, OWEN CONNOLLY | Food stylist KATIE MARSHALL Stylist FAYE WEARS
Beans are very good value, and also widely available.
Aside from our ideas here, you’ll find plenty more inspiration for using beans at bbcgoodfoodme.com
Beans create fewer greenhouse gas emissions – relative to animal foods – and their nitrogen-fixing qualities also mean they support soil health.
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1 tbsp olive oil 6 pork sausages, each cut into 3cm pieces 1 batch of smoky chilli beans, reheated if needed (see p56) 200g feta, crumbled handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the sausages for 15-20 mins until golden and cooked through. If not serving straightaway, set aside to cool completely. 2 Divide the beans between six oven- or microwave-safe bowls or containers. Dot over the sausage pieces and sprinkle over the feta and coriander. Serve warm. Once cool, the pots will keep covered and chilled for up to four days. Reheat in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or air fryer at 180C for 20 mins until piping hot. Alternatively, microwave for 5 mins. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 404 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 8g • carbs 31g • sugars 12g • fibre 12g • protein 21g • salt 2.05g
cook smart
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 47
‘Dry’ Malaysian chicken curry mee Sugared vanilla chai knots Roasted aubergine
WEEKEND Mouthwatering dishes to dig into with your family and friends
Terbiyesiz tavuk Sausage fennel meatballs Tahini millionaire’s shortbread September 2026 Good Food Middle East 48
weekend
Some of our favourite cookery writers and chefs offer their most soothing bowl food to liven up your repertoire photographs CHELSEA BLOXSOME
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 49
Japanese curry with braised pork, daikon & boiled eggs This is a hearty Japanese-style curry inspired by a delicious version featuring braised pork that I had at a café called Antyna on Japan’s Amami Island. It incorporates elements of buta kakuni, a classic preparation of pork belly, daikon and boiled eggs cooked in soy sauce and sugar until indulgently sweet and luxuriously soft. Tim Anderson
500g well-fatted pork belly (skin-on or skinless) 20cm daikon 6 tbsp cooking sake 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce 2 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar 1 pack (about 90-100g) Japanese curry roux (see opposite) 4 boiled eggs (cooked to your liking), shelled cooked Japanese rice, to serve 2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks, or pickled ginger, and chopped spring onions, to garnish shichimi or hot sauce, to serve (optional)
1 Put the pork belly in a pan that fits it snugly in one even layer, then cover it with water and bring to the boil. Remove any scum that rises to the surface, then cook over a low but steady boil for 45 mins. Remove the pork to a board or plate using a slotted spoon and leave to cool, leaving the broth behind in the pan. 2 When the pork is cool enough to handle, rinse it well under cold running water to remove any additional scum that’s clinging to the meat. Drain well, then cut it into 4cm cubes and return these to the broth. 3 Peel the daikon and cut it into 2.5cm-thick rounds. Use a sharp knife to remove the hard corners along the circumference of each round so they have a neater shape, if you like (this is optional, but it looks nicer and helps keep the daikon from breaking apart).
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4 Add the daikon to the pan along with the sake, soy, mirin, sugar and as much water as you need to keep everything just submerged. Put a cartouche (a circle of baking parchment the same diameter as the pan) directly on the surface of the broth. Bring to the boil. 5 Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook for another 45 mins-1 hr until the pork can be easily pierced all the way through using a chopstick. The liquid may reduce slightly during this time, but the cartouche will help circulate the heat even if the ingredients aren’t fully covered. Top up the water as needed if the pan is too dry. When the pork and daikon are tender, remove them to a bowl using a slotted spoon, and set aside. 6 Check the instructions on the curry roux package and note how much water it requires (usually 600-750ml). Measure out the same amount of broth into a jug, then discard any excess broth still in the pan (alternatively, boil the broth until it has reduced enough to reach the required quantity). If there isn’t enough broth in the pan, top it up with water until it reaches the required amount. 7 Tip the measured broth back into the pan, then add the roux. Return the broth to the boil, whisking often to break up the roux and thicken the sauce. Stir the pork and daikon back into the pan along with the eggs (halve the eggs, if you like). 8 Divide the curry between plates or wide bowls along with a mound of cooked rice. Garnish with a generous amount of fresh or pickled ginger to contrast the sweetness, plus the spring onions and some shichimi or hot sauce, if you like. PER SERVING 601 kcals • fat 37g • saturates 14g • carbs 27g • sugars 16g • fibre 0.1g • protein 34g • salt 4.34g
Portrait of Tim LAURA EDWARDS
SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 2 hrs MORE EFFORT P
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Japanese curry roux is a blend of fat, flour and aromatic spices, often sold in a block form. Think of it a bit like a punchier stock cube that both thickens and flavours sauces. You can pick up a pack at larger supermarkets, online and at speciality grocers.
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Rajasthani achari paneer
SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus cooling COOK 40 mins MORE EFFORT V
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped thumb-sized piece of ginger, roughly chopped 180g tomatoes, roughly chopped 3 tbsp mustard oil or vegetable oil 2 medium onions (about 200g), finely chopped 1 green bird’s-eye chilli, slit lengthways 3 tbsp Greek yogurt 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (see below) 1 tsp ground turmeric 225g paneer, cut into cubes 50g frozen peas 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, coarsely crushed coriander leaves, lemon wedges and naan, to serve For the achari spice mix 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 /2 tsp nigella seeds 1 /2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 Toast all the ingredients for the achari spice mix in a dry frying pan over a low heat for 3-4 mins, stirring often to prevent it from burning, until fragrant. Cool, then coarsely grind using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Set aside.
2 Blitz the garlic, ginger and a splash of water together in a blender to a smooth paste (or use shop-bought ginger & garlic purée). Scrape this into a bowl then, using the same blender, blitz the tomatoes to a smooth purée. Set both aside. 3 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10-12 mins until softened. Turn down the heat to low, stir in the garlic & ginger purée and fry for 3 mins until fragrant. Add the green chilli and cook for another minute. Turn the heat up to medium and add the puréed tomatoes. Cook for 6-8 mins until the oil starts to split from the sauce. 4 Combine the yogurt, chilli powder and turmeric, and stir this into the pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously for 3 mins until the oil separates. 5 Stir in the achari spice mix along with 200ml water and a little seasoning. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 2-3 mins until slightly reduced. Add the paneer and peas and cook for 2-3 mins, until heated through. Stir in the dried fenugreek and remove from the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with naan and lemon wedges on the side. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 366 kcals • fat 27g • saturates 12g • carbs 10g • sugars 7g • fibre 4g • protein 19g • salt 0.18g
Kashmiri chilli powder
is made from a blend of Kashmiri chillies, which are known for their distinctive red hue and milder flavour. Use them to add, warm peppery flavour to dishes without fiery heat.
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Portrait of Maunika HELEN CATHCART
In this north Indian dish, paneer is cooked with pickling spices, creamy yogurt, chilli and lemon. The gravy is rich, creamy and flavoured with six classic whole spices commonly used in Rajasthani recipes for curries, pickles and even breads. Maunika Gowardhan
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‘Dry’ Malaysian chicken curry mee
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 40 mins EASY ❄
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 curry leaf stalks, leaves picked and stalks discarded 2 tbsp curry powder (I use Baba’s; see tip) 100g Malaysian chicken curry paste (see below) 200ml coconut milk (see tip) 300g potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes 1 tbsp chicken stock powder For the spring onion oil 100ml vegetable oil 100g spring onions, halved 35ml light soy sauce 35ml dark soy sauce 15g granulated sugar To serve 300g dried fine egg noodles 4 tbsp crispy onions (optional) 1 red chilli, sliced (optional) 1 spring onion, chopped (optional)
1 For the spring onion oil, heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat and brown the spring onions slowly, flipping occasionally for about 12-15 mins until browned all over. Remove the spring onions from the pan using a slotted spoon, and discard. Add both soy sauces and the sugar to the oil in the pan, stir and cook for 1 min until it starts to bubble up. Set aside.
2 Cut the chicken into 2.5cm cubes. Combine the turmeric with a little water and salt, and massage this into the chicken pieces until they are thoroughly coated. Set aside to marinate until needed. 3 Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and curry leaves until the onion has softened and become translucent. 4 Mix the curry powder with a little water to form a paste, then add this to the pan along with the chicken curry paste. Cook for 5 mins. Add the coconut milk, 150ml water and the potatoes. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 5 Add the marinated chicken, 100ml water and the stock powder. Simmer for 15 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Don’t worry if some potatoes are on the verge of breaking apart – this will help thicken the sauce (see tip). 6 Cook the egg noodles following pack instructions until al dente, then drain and return to their pan. Tip the spring onion oil over the noodles and toss to coat evenly. Or, spoon the dressing on a little at a time, if you want to be more in control of the salt level. 7 Divide the noodles between plates and drench with the chicken curry. Garnish with crispy onions, sliced chillies and chopped spring onions, if you like. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • vit c • iron PER SERVING 982 kcals • fat 54g • saturates 12g • carbs 82g • sugars 13g • fibre 9g • protein 39g • salt 6.91g
Malaysian chicken curry paste
contains aromatics like lemongrass, ginger and galangal (a cousin of ginger that’s citrussy, earthy and peppery), and can be used as the base for most traditional Malaysian curries. It’s sold in jars or packets, and can be found online or at specialist grocers.
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Portrait of Ping DAVID LOFTUS
The term ‘dry’ in Malaysia refers to noodles that are not in broths, and they’re usually tossed in a soy-based sauce. ‘Curry mee’ or curry noodles in Malaysia generally come either with broth or ‘dry’, which is topped with chicken curry. This is one of my favourite dishes to eat; the springy noodles coated in a savoury sauce, mixed with aromatic, succulent chicken curry is a titan of a dish! Ping Coombes
weekend PING’S TIP
You can find Baba’s curry powder online, but you could also simply use madras curry powder.
LEFTOVERS
• If you like, make a double batch of curry to enjoy later. Once cool, it will keep frozen in a freezerproof container for up to three months. Defrost fully then reheat until piping hot. It can also be served with rice. • Leftover coconut milk can also be frozen in ice cube trays for later, which you can add directly to curries without having to defrost first.
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Vietnamese seafood & coconut curry (Mekong seafood curry) Fish, prawns and scallops come together in a rich coconut sauce for this fragrant Vietnamese-inspired seafood curry. Packed with fresh herbs and aromatic spices, it’s impressive enough for entertaining but equally simple enough for a family supper. Thuy Diem Pham
Portrait of Thuy LAURA EDWARDS
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 25 mins EASY ❄
250g skinless, sustainable, chunky white fish fillets (such as cod or pollock), cut into 4 large chunks 150g raw tiger prawns, peeled and butterflied down the back 200g baby scallops 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a drizzle 200g cherry tomatoes 100g oyster mushrooms, torn if large For the curry 4 shallots (about 160g), finely sliced 50g ginger, finely chopped, plus a few thin matchsticksto garnish 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped 8 lime leaves, 4 left whole, 4 finely sliced (see below) 3 red chillies, finely sliced 400ml coconut cream 20g sugar 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled To serve 20g chives, finely chopped 11/2 tbsp vegetable oil 20g dill, fronds picked 1 lime, cut into wedges cooked jasmine rice, rice noodles or a crusty baguette
Lime leaves are the fragrant foliage of the wild lime tree, and are used to add spicy citrus flavour to curries and soups. Use them in the same way you would a bay leaf in Western cooking.
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1 Season the fish, prawns and scallops with 1 tsp salt. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the fish for 3-4 mins on each side until lightly golden, then remove to a plate. Cook the prawns for 1-2 mins and the scallops for 1 min until both are lightly coloured. Remove to the plate with the fish and set aside. 2 Add another drizzle of oil to the pan, if needed, and cook the tomatoes for 2-3 mins until lightly charred and starting to burst. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins on one side. Remove from the pan and set aside. 3 For the curry, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan and cook the shallots, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, whole lime leaves and chillies for 3-5 mins until everything has softened and is fragrant and lightly golden. 4 Stir in the coconut cream, sugar, paprika, turmeric, stock cubes and 200ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 mins until the cubes have fully dissolved. 5 Return the fish, prawns, scallops, tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan. Simmer gently for 2 mins until the seafood is heated through (see tip). 6 To serve, first mix the chives with the oil to make a quick chive oil. Plate up the curry with a scattering of dill, the sliced lime leaves and ginger strips, then drizzle over the chive oil. Serve with lime wedges and jasmine rice, rice noodles or a crusty baguette. GOOD TO KNOW vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 645 kcals • fat 47g • saturates 31g • carbs 18g • sugars 15g • fibre 4g • protein 35g • salt 3.36g
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THUY’S TIPS
• Any leftover curry can be cooled and chilled for up to two days, or frozen for up to three months. Defrost fully and reheat gently until piping hot. • For a vegetarian version, replace the seafood with firm tofu or potatoes and use vegetable stock.
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main event
Cape Malay lamb curry This slow-cooked South African lamb curry is full of warming flavours. Dried apricots slightly melt into the sauce and bring little pops of jammy sweetness. Serve with Cape Malay yellow rice and a dollop of punchy tomato sambal. Nokx Majozi SERVES 4-6 PREP 20 mins COOK 2 hrs EASY ❄
Cape Malay yellow rice
1kg lamb shoulder, chopped into roughly 2cm chunks 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 onions, finely chopped 1 tbsp grated ginger 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp garam masala 3 tbsp medium curry powder 4 cardamom pods 3 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp chilli powder 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 stock cube, dissolved in 250ml water (I used a lamb stock cube) 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, roughly chopped (optional) 125g dried apricots, roughly chopped Cape Malay yellow rice (see right) and tomato sambal (see below), to serve
SERVES 4-6 PREP 5 mins plus resting COOK 15 mins EASY V
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GOOD TO KNOW gluten free PER SERVING (6) 328 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 5g • carbs 57g • sugars 12g • fibre 2g • protein 6g • salt 1g
Tomato sambal is a Southeast Asian tomato and chilli condiment that has a complex umami flavour. Traditionally served alongside curry, it also works well stirred into soups, spread over sandwiches or spooned on top of steamed green veg.
Stylist HANNAH WILKINSON | Portrait of Nokx RUSSEL CLAMP
GOOD TO KNOW fibre • iron • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING (6) 636 kcals • fat 36g • saturates 15g • carbs 39g • sugars 16g • fibre 8g • protein 35g • salt 0.91g
1 Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan with 1 tsp salt and 700ml water, and stir well to combine. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 mins. 2 Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 4-6 mins. 3 Fluff the rice using a fork, remove the cardamom pods, then sprinkle over some cinnamon and garnish with a few coriander leaves before serving.
Shoot director RACHEL BAYLY | Food stylist JENNIFER JOYCE
1 Season the lamb. Heat a large pan with a lid over a high heat and brown the lamb well on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside, leaving any juices in the pan. 2 Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat and cook the onions until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground coriander and chilli powder, then cook for a further 2 mins until fragrant. 3 Return the lamb to the pan with the tomatoes and stock. Cover with the lid and cook for 1 hr 30 mins, or until the lamb is tender but holding its shape. 4 Add the potatoes and carrots, if using, and cook for a further 15-20 mins until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the dried apricots for the final 5 mins. 5 Season to taste, then serve with Cape Malay yellow rice and tomato sambal.
375g basmati or long-grain white rice 1 tsp brown sugar 100g sultanas or raisins 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 cinnamon sticks 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 50g butter 1 /2 tsp white pepper To serve ground cinnamon coriander leaves
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Sabrina Ghayour’s
COOK THIS WEEKEND
Persian one-pots
Make entertaining a breeze with these flavour-packed, gently spiced dishes from Sabrina Ghayour photographs KRIS KIRKHAM
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Juicy joojeh koobideh Sabrina Ghayour is a British-Iranian chef and author who started her career in food hosting a hugely popular supper club. She takes inspiration from the Persian food she loved growing up, and has written nine cookbooks. @sabrinaghayour
Persians love their kabab koobideh – a minced meat kebab usually made with lamb – but in the last couple of decades, minced chicken has become more and more popular. This easy version is inspired by koobideh, but the flavours are all my own and, even better, you’re spared the fiddly rolling and shaping of them here as it’s all done in the baking tray! MAKES 8 PREP 20 mins COOK 12 mins EASY
1 large onion 500g chicken thigh mince (not lean) 1 heaped tsp garlic granules 1 heaped tsp pul biber 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp dried oregano 1 /4 tsp bicarbonate of soda olive oil spray, or use olive oil To serve (optional) sliced onions pickled cucumbers thick Greek yogurt chilli sauce flatbreads
1 Heat the oven to its highest setting (with a fan, if it has one) and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Blitz the onion in a small bullet blender or mini food processor until finely minced and its juices have been released. 2 Tip the onion into a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except the oil. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. 3 Using your hands, work the ingredients together really well for a few minutes until you have a smooth and evenly combined paste. 4 Tip out the mixture onto the lined tray and form it into one big rectangular shape, about 1.5cm thick. Using a spatula or flat-bladed knife to push the mixture apart, split the mixture lengthways in half, then cut each half into four long kebabs (eight in total). Dampen your little finger with water, then make diagonal indentations along the kebabs for a traditional appearance. 5 If you have an oil spray, spray the kebabs, or brush the exposed surfaces with oil using a pastry brush, then roast for 12 mins. 6 Remove from the oven and serve with sliced onions, pickled cucumbers, yogurt, your favourite chilli sauce and flatbreads. GOOD TO KNOW gluten free PER SERVING 92 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 1g • carbs 3g • sugars 2g • fibre 1g • protein 12g • salt 0.36g
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Roasted aubergine with harissa tomato sauce & mozzarella You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a kind of aubergine parmigiana, as it’s very similar, but by rights I can’t call it that because I haven’t used any parmesan. This is very much my own twist on that classic recipe, with a spicy kick. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 45 mins EASY V
This is very much my own twist on a classic recipe, with a spicy kick
2 large aubergines, cut in half lengthways with the stalks left on olive oil, for brushing 400g can chopped tomatoes (I use Mutti) 2 tbsp rose harissa 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp garlic granules 4 large basil leaves 200g ball of cow’s milk mozzarella, drained
1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Put the 4 aubergine halves cut-side up on the tray. Brush generously with olive oil, then roast for 30 mins. 2 Meanwhile, mix the canned tomatoes, harissa, honey and garlic granules together in a bowl with a generous amount of salt and pepper. 3 Remove the aubergines from oven, then, using a small knife, carefully make long cuts through the flesh without cutting through the skin. 4 Divide the tomato mixture between the aubergine halves, putting it on top, and put a large basil leaf in the centre of each. 5 Cut the mozzarella into quarters, then cut each quarter into three. Put three pieces on each aubergine, then bake for 15 mins until the mozzarella has melted. Remove from the oven and serve. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • fibre • 2 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 282 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 8g • carbs 13g • sugars 12g • fibre 7g • protein 12g • salt 0.80g
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Lamb, harissa & chickpea tagine Everything about these flavour combinations reminds me of Morocco, though it’s fair to say that this is not a remotely traditional combination, but rather an amalgamation of feel-good flavours that are quick to throw together for a pretty spectacular result. Sweet, spicy, meaty and comforting, there’s a little hit of pleasure to satisfy every tastebud. SERVES 3-4 PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr 10 mins EASY
olive oil, for drizzling 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons 500g lamb neck fillets, cut into 2.5cm-thick slices 1 large garlic bulb, cloves separated, bashed and peeled 2 heaped tbsp rose harissa 2 tsp paprika 1 heaped tsp ground cumin 1 heaped tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 large peppers (I used red and yellow), deseeded and sliced into 3cm-thick strips 400g can chickpeas, drained 2 tbsp honey 1 /2 lemon, juiced large handful of dried apricots To serve handful of toasted nuts (I use flaked almonds) handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped bread, rice, couscous or bulgur wheat (optional)
1 Heat a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the base, then cook the onions for a few minutes until softened but no more than just golden around the edges. Add the lamb, garlic cloves, harissa, spices and a generous amount of salt and pepper, and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins. 2 Pour over enough boiling water from a kettle to cover the meat and cook, uncovered, for 1 hr, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Check the liquid level and top up with boiling water if needed. 3 Add the peppers, chickpeas, honey and lemon juice, stir well and cook for another 30 mins. Stir in the apricots and cook for a final 30 mins, stirring regularly. Check and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed, before serving with the toasted nuts and parsley on top, with bread, rice, couscous or bulgur wheat on the side, if you like. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • vit c • iron • 3 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING (4) 608 kcals • fat 34g • saturates 12g • carbs 39g • sugars 25g • fibre 11g • protein 31g • salt 0.63g
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Recipes extracted from Persiana One: One Pan. One Tray. One Pot. by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley) and not retested by us. Photographs © Kris Kirkham 2026.
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Big Has’s
rude chicken Reflecting on a bumpy journey that led to a career in food, plus a surprising kebab recipe photographs HAARALA HAMILTON
MY FAVOURITE DISH
M Hasan Semay, aka Big Has, is a British-born food writer, presenter and YouTuber of Turkish-Cypriot heritage, perhaps best known for his online series Sunday Sessions and as a judge on BBC Three series Young MasterChef
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y favourite dish is rude chicken kebab, which is in my new book. My publisher sent me to Türkiye to write about the food there, and I travelled to Urfa (Şanlıurfa), close to the Syrian border, which has Kurdish, Arab and broader Middle Eastern influences. There, I tried a kebab called terbiyesiz tavuk, meaning rude chicken – named for its unusual marinade of soy sauce and milk. I thought, “This tastes like yakitori!” I was bewildered to find soy sauce in Turkish cooking. In the UK, most people think of Turkish food as doners and mixed grills, and without that education around regional cooking, it all gets grouped under the umbrella of ‘foreign’. I thought, “This is the stuff I have to write about.” I’m yet to read the book back; I have a problem with celebrating things. Looking like me, talking the way I talk, representing cultures – I’m half Turkish-Cypriot and was born in Britain – to then talk about my identity crisis as a kid, it’s more than just food. When I was writing the book, I was on a soul-searching journey. I didn’t get any GCSEs and I couldn’t write my name until I was in year five, so I’m proud to get on The Sunday Times bestsellers list. My mum encouraged me to get into cooking. I was stuck in a security job and she saw I was really unhappy. Mum said, “You secretly watch cooking shows all the time” – I grew up on the greats; Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay – “so why don’t you just give this cooking thing a go?” When you leave school with no qualifications, you’re limited, but I got on the course for Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen. The most important thing was being around like-minded people. •
Recipe extracted from Smoke & Seasoned Bread: Recipes From Türkiye by Hasan Semay (Pavilion). Photographs © Haarala Hamilton.
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TRY THE RECIPE Terbiyesiz tavuk (Rude chicken)
I didn’t really know what to expect when travelling in Türkiye; I went to cities knowing little about the food and the specialities. I was told about this dish by two locals in the sauna at my hotel. They banged on about all the things I should do in Urfa, and they mentioned terbiyesiz tavuk (rude chicken). I laughed, wondering how rude a chicken could be. They told me it’s to do with the unconventional way it’s marinated in milk for tenderness, then soy sauce to season. I said my goodbyes and off I went the next day, on the hunt for some rude chicken. The chicken was super-soft, subtly salty from the soy and with a little hum from the Urfa chilli flakes. A ‘kebap’ I won’t forget. So, here’s my take on it. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus 24 hrs marinating COOK 10 mins EASY
We all had rough edges – some of us hadn’t been dealt the best cards; some couldn’t conform to being in school. On the course, it was almost like a hierarchy of the army. We all had a purpose. I knew there and then, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. After Fifteen, I did the Italian circuit – Theo Randall’s, among others – as it felt like a cuisine that wasn’t far from home. In my 20s, I worked in restaurants 90 hours a week. All my friends were going travelling, finding themselves, and I felt a bit lost. I decided it was time to deal with it, do therapy and grow. I don’t know what it is about men’s mental health, but for me, if we’re going to have a conversation, we’ll have a proper conversation – I’ll tell you my deepest and darkest. I don’t want to see anyone struggle like I did. I’ve not lived a hard life, but sometimes you’re your own worst enemy. If I can inspire someone to think “I could write a cookbook” or “I could drop my tools now and run off to India”, then great. Next up, there are talks of opening a little kebab shop, which would be exciting. If I’m cooking good food, having honest conversations and kicking it with people I want to kick it with, that’s serenity.
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1 Cube the chicken into bite-size pieces, making sure there are no bits of bone if you’re using drumsticks, and no cartilage if you’re using thighs. Put the chicken in a bowl with the milk, soy sauce and chilli flakes. Grate in the garlic and shallot. Now, I beg you, please just marinate this in the fridge for at least 24 hrs and see the difference it makes. I know you’ve not got anything to compare it to right now, but trust me, I did the hard work for you. The milk will break down the chicken a little and make it super-soft, and the soy will almost brine the chicken. 2 Skewer up the chicken, pinching the meat and your skewer, making sure the meat doesn’t move when you spin the skewers. Drizzle over some sunflower or vegetable oil and season lightly with salt; remember, the soy will already be salty, so don’t go heavy with it. Light a barbecue and, as soon as the charcoal reaches a five count (when you can hold your hand roughly 10in above the grill for 5 seconds), spread the charcoal out evenly. Stick the skewers on, turning them every minute or so. The chicken will take about 6-8 mins. Make sure you keep turning it, and don’t build colour too quickly. Burnt edges are fine near the end, but not at the beginning. 3 Let the skewers rest for a minute or so on some warm bread – lavaş or pitta – once they come off the barbecue. I served mine with the meat juices, bread and some fire-roasted red and green chillies. Rude. PER SERVING 222 kcals • fat 9g • saturates 3g • carbs 6g • sugars 5g • fibre 2g • protein 29g • salt 2.7g
Compiled by FIONA FORMAN
I knew there and then, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life
500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs and/or drumsticks 220ml milk 4 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp İsot (Urfa biberi) or pul biber 2 garlic cloves 1 banana shallot sunflower or vegetable oil, for drizzling To serve lavaş (Turkish flatbreads) or pittas fire-roasted red and green chillies
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Sweet sensations BAKING CLUB
Love to bake? Join the club on Instagram using #GFBakingClub for ideas and advice – here you’ll find our foolproof method for chai-spiced buns and the best apple pie you’ll ever make recipes CASSIE BEST photographs BECCI HUTCHINGS
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Deep-filled apple streusel pie
Inspired by the famous pie at Winkel 43 café in Amsterdam, this version omits the traditional sultanas (you can add a handful, if you like) but retains the wow factor. The pastry is what makes it special: the addition of brown sugar and baking it in a cake tin helps it become crisp and caramelised on the outside, while baking powder creates a soft, almost cake-like texture within. I’ve finished mine with a buttery streusel topping for even more crunch. SERVES 10-12 PREP 35 mins plus 1 hr chilling COOK 1 hr 45 mins MORE EFFORT V ❄ unbaked
whipped cream, to serve For the filling 1.3kg cooking apples, such as Bramley (about 5), peeled, cored and sliced 1 lemon, juiced 1 tbsp cornflour 100g light brown soft sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste 11/2 tsp ground cinnamon For the pastry 250g salted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin 100g light brown soft sugar 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste 1 egg 450g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 lemon, zested 1 /2 tsp ground cinnamon generous grating of nutmeg For the streusel topping 150g plain flour 1 /2 tsp ground cinnamon generous grating of nutmeg 75g light brown soft sugar 20g porridge oats 50g chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, or use a mixture, lightly toasted (optional) 75g butter, melted
1 First, make the pastry. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the egg and pulse to combine, then tip in the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Pulse again until you have a soft, pliable dough that clumps around the blades of the processor. Tip the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly until no floury patches remain. 2 Lightly butter a deep 20cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin. Press chunks of dough into the base and up the side of the tin using a straight-sided glass (this will help create an even layer and neat side) until evenly covered. Chill the pastry case for at least 1 hr, or freeze for 30 mins. 3 For the filling, put the apple slices in a large heatproof bowl and toss well with the lemon juice. Cover and microwave on high for 3 mins – the apples should still be holding their shape. Tip the apples into a colander or sieve set over a bowl and leave to cool while the juice collects in the bowl (use the juice in smoothies, if you like). Once cooled, toss the apples with the rest of the filling ingredients. 4 For the streusel, mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, oats and nuts (if using) together. Stir in the butter, then squeeze the mixture between your fingers to create chunky pieces.
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5 Spoon the filling into the pastry case, then scatter over the streusel in an even layer. The unbaked pie will keep chilled for a few hours, or frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely before baking. 6 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5 and bake the pie for 1 hr 15 mins until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. If the topping starts to colour too quickly, loosely cover with foil. Cool for at least 1 hr, but ideally 2-3 hrs (it’ll stay warm) before serving so the juices can thicken. Serve topped with whipped cream. Will keep chilled for up to three days. Reheat slices in the oven or air fryer to refresh the pastry. GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING (12) 526kcals • fat 24g • saturates 15g • carbs 70g • sugars 29g • fibre 4g • protein 6g • salt 0.63g
weekend BAKER’S NOTES
Why toasting nuts before baking makes a big difference Toasting nuts and seeds before adding them to a bake is one of the simplest ways to boost flavour. As they heat up in the pan, moisture evaporates and the natural oils are released, creating a deeper, richer, more buttery flavour and a crisp texture. They add more than just crunch, becoming a real highlight.
Toasted nuts method Spread whole nuts over a baking tray and bake at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 for 8-10 mins, stirring once halfway through, until lightly golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them – they can go from toasted to burnt in a matter of minutes. Leave to cool completely before chopping or stirring into your bake, as they’ll continue to crisp up as they cool.
MASTER THE ART OF APPLE PIE Know your apples Cooking apples, such as Bramley, break down as they cook while retaining a bright, tangy flavour. But for more texture, make up half the quantity with firm eating apples, such as Braeburn or Cox.
Don’t skip the resting time It can be tempting to slice straight into your freshly baked pie, but giving it at least an hour to cool and rest first allows time for the fruit juices to thicken slightly, ensuring you’ll have neat slices instead of a runny filling.
The right pastry for the job For a deep-filled pie, you need sturdy pastry that won’t shrink too much as it bakes. But if a short, crumbly pastry is your preference, then bake a more traditional shallow pie, which will continue to crisp up as it cools.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 71
MAKES 12 PREP 35 mins plus at least 1 hr 30 mins proving COOK 25 mins MORE EFFORT V ❄ unbaked
450ml milk 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 75g butter, cut into cubes 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 1 egg For the vanilla chai sugar and filling 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 /4 tsp ground ginger 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom, or use 10 pods, bashed and seeds ground to a powder using a pestle and mortar 1 /4 tsp ground nutmeg 5 good twists of black pepper, or use 5 peppercorns, ground to a powder using a pestle and mortar 200g golden caster sugar 150g salted butter, softened
1 For the chai sugar, tip all the ingredients except the butter into a food processor and blitz until the vanilla is evenly dispersed. Transfer to a jar. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months (it will still be edible, but the flavour may be muted). 2 First, make a tangzhong (see opposite). Whisk 250ml of the milk
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flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. If the dough or butter feels very soft, transfer to a tray and chill for 30 mins before continuing. 7 Using a pizza cutter or large knife, trim the edges of the rectangle to neaten, then cut it into 3cm-wide strips (you should get about 12). Working with one strip at a time, gently stretch it out, lightly slapping it against the surface a few times to release any tension. Twist the strip as you would a cheese straw, then coil it around itself into a snail-shell shape, tucking the end underneath. Avoid coiling the knots too tightly, as they may bake unevenly. 8 Arrange the knots on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. At this stage, the knots will keep frozen for up to three months. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30-45 mins until puffed up. 9 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and bake the knots for 25 mins (or 30 mins from frozen) until golden brown. 10 Melt the remaining 25g butter and brush it over the warm buns. Sprinkle over more chai sugar, or roll the entire bun in it, if you prefer them sweeter. Cool for at least 10 mins before serving. Will keep in an airtight container; best eaten within two days. Warm in a low oven or air fryer before serving. PER KNOT 389 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 11g • carbs 50g • sugars 18g • fibre 2g • protein 6g • salt 0.61g
Food stylist TROY WILLIS
A cardamom bun will almost always be my first choice at a bakery. Here, I’ve taken those Nordic flavours and dialled up the spice with a vanilla chai twist. Cardamom still leads, but it’s joined by ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and a little black pepper. If you have some chai sugar leftover, stir it into lattes or porridge.
with 50g of the flour in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 mins, whisking continuously until thickened to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and cool (it will continue to thicken as it does). 3 Warm the remaining milk in a pan over a low heat and, once steaming, remove from the heat (don’t let it boil). Add 50g of the butter and swirl the pan to melt. 4 Put the remaining flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the tangzhong, 2 tbsp of the chai sugar, the warm milk mixture, the yeast, egg and 1 /2 tsp fine salt (or 1 tsp, if using unsalted butter). Mix on medium speed for 5 mins until you have a smooth, stretchy dough that feels slightly sticky. The dough should slowly spring back when gently pressed. Shape it into a ball and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover and leave to prove for 1-2 hrs, or until doubled in size. Or, chill overnight or for up to 24 hrs. 5 If the dough was chilled, remove it from the fridge 30 mins before using. For the filling, mix the butter with 6 tbsp of the chai sugar and set aside. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 50 x 35cm rectangle, then turn so a long edge is facing you. Evenly spread over the spiced butter. Lift one short side up and fold it over two-thirds of the rest of the dough. Fold the opposite side over in the same way, creating three layers. Pinch the edges to seal the butter inside. 6 Roll the dough out again until it measures about 40 x 30cm – do this carefully to prevent the butter from being pushed out. Lift and turn the dough often while rolling, dusting the work surface with more
Shoot director and stylist JORDAN EDMONDS-MOORE
Sugared vanilla chai knots
weekend THE TANGZHONG METHOD
If you’ve ever wondered how bakery-style buns become so light, fluffy and soft, the answer often comes down to two things: an enriched sweet dough and the tangzhong method. Sweet dough is usually made with butter, milk, eggs and sugar, which all create rich flavour and a tender crumb. This style of dough also stays softer for longer than standard bread dough would. Many modern bakers take this a step further by making a tangzhong first, which involves cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid into a paste before adding it to the dough. The paste helps the dough absorb more moisture, resulting in buns that are exceptionally soft and fluffy – they also go stale more slowly. The combination of an enriched dough and a tangzhong is the secret behind many of the pillowy milk breads, cinnamon buns and tear-andshare rolls found in bakeries today.
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 73
Tahini millionaire’s shortbread
I’ve loved millionaire’s shortbread since I got my first Saturday job in a bakery, where I’d treat myself to the biggest slice every week at lunchtime. These days, though, I find the classic version to be a little too sweet. Here, tahini brings subtle savouriness, sea salt complements the caramel and dark chocolate provides just enough bitterness to balance every bite. The result is everything a great millionaire’s should be: sweet, salty, buttery and extremely moreish. MAKES 16-20 PREP 20 mins plus cooling and 1 hr 45 mins chilling COOK 35 mins EASY V
225g plain flour 75g golden caster sugar 175g butter, softened 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract
For the tahini caramel 125g butter 125g light brown soft sugar 397g can condensed milk 100g tahini For the topping 200g dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa solids), chopped 2 tsp tahini 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5 and line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment. Rub the flour, sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 /4 tsp fine salt together until a dough forms. Or, pulse the ingredients together in a food processor until the dough clumps around the blade. 2 Press the dough into the tin in an even layer, and prick all over using a fork. Bake for 20-25 mins until lightly golden brown. Leave to cool. 3 For the tahini caramel, put all the ingredients in a saucepan with ¼ tsp fine salt and warm over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and everything is combined. Bring to
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a simmer and cook for 6-8 mins, stirring continuously until it has thickened and turned deep golden brown. Watch closely, as it can burn easily, and be aware that it is very hot and may splutter. Pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread base and spread out evenly. Chill for 1-2 hrs until firm. 4 For the topping, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or do this in short bursts in the microwave. Pour this over the set caramel and smooth the surface. Drizzle over the tahini, then gently swirl using a skewer to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Chill for at least 45 mins, or until the chocolate is firm. Remove from the tin and cut into squares using a warm knife. Will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to a week. PER SERVING (20) 361 kcals • fat 23g • saturates 13g • carbs 33g • sugars 23g • fibre 2g • protein 5g • salt 0.43g
weekend THE PERFECT SLICE
For bakery worthy slices with sharp edges, leave the caramel to chill until completely firm before adding the chocolate layer. Once the chocolate has set, let the tin sit at room temperature for 15 mins before slicing with a large knife that’s been warmed in hot water – wipe it clean between cuts for best results. This helps prevent the chocolate from cracking.
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Make more of
COOK THIS WEEKEND
meatballs
Get ahead for the week with these versatile meatball recipes from our new book, Good Food Best Ever Batch Cooks 76 Good Food Middle East September 2026
weekend
Meatballs in a tomato, cardamom & lime sauce SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 35 mins EASY ❄
400g 15% fat beef mince 20g dill, roughly chopped 1 /2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 3 tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 tbsp tomato purée 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 2 tsp ground cardamom, or 12 cardamom pods, opened and crushed 1 lime, zested and juiced 1 tsp sugar, plus a pinch couscous, rice or flatbreads, to serve
1 Mix the mince, half the dill, the bicarb and plenty of salt and pepper together in a bowl. Roll into roughly 20 meatballs (about 25g each), then chill while you make the sauce. 2 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow pan over a medium-low heat and cook the shallots, garlic, chilli and a pinch of salt for 8-10 mins until the shallots are lightly caramelised. 3 Add the tomato purée and turn up the heat slightly, cooking until it has darkened, about 2-3 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes, 150ml water, the cardamom, lime zest, sugar and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. Heat the grill to high. 4 Tip the meatballs into the sauce and cook for 8-10 mins until nearly cooked through. Remove the lid, then put the pan under the grill for 4-5 mins until the top has some colour. Remove from the grill and leave to cool slightly. 5 Mix the rest of the dill with the lime juice, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sugar and some seasoning. Dot this over the meatballs, then serve with couscous, rice or flatbreads. Once cool, will keep chilled for 48 hrs or frozen for up to three months. GOOD TO KNOW vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 362 kcals • fat 25g • saturates 8g • carbs 10g • sugars 10g • fibre 3g • protein 23g • salt 0.6g
Lemongrass & lime pork meatballs with pickled veg If you have leftovers, the meatballs would be great piled into a crusty baguette for lunch. SERVES 4 PREP 25 mins COOK 15 mins EASY ❄ meatballs only P
1 unwaxed lime, zested and cut into wedges 25g coriander, finely chopped 1 tbsp fish sauce 1-2 tbsp sriracha, or to taste, plus extra to serve 3 tbsp lemongrass paste 2 spring onions, finely sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp cornflour 500g pork mince 1 tbsp vegetable oil sticky rice, to serve For the pickled veg 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp caster sugar 250g carrots, peeled into ribbons or cut into matchsticks 1 cucumber, deseeded and peeled into ribbons or cut into matchsticks
1 First, make the pickled veg. Stir the vinegar and sugar together in a small non-metallic bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Season with a pinch of salt, and stir in the carrots and cucumber. Set aside. 2 Tip the lime zest, coriander, fish sauce, sriracha, lemongrass paste, spring onions, garlic, sugar, cornflour and mince into a bowl along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and scrunch together using your hands until everything is well combined. Roll into 20 small balls (about 30g each). Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the meatballs for 8-10 mins until dark brown and cooked through. At this stage, once cool, you can freeze the meatballs in an airtight container for up to three months. Defrost fully, then reheat in a pan until piping hot. 3 Serve over rice with the lime wedges for squeezing over, more sriracha, if you like, and the pickled veg. GOOD TO KNOW 2 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 320 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 4g • carbs 22g • sugars 17g • fibre 4g • protein 25g • salt 1.5g
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 77
Sausage fennel meatballs with creamy tomato butter beans Using sausagemeat and ricotta creates the juiciest meatballs, here baked with creamy butter beans and tomatoes. SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 25-30 mins EASY ❄ P
2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 tbsp tomato purée 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed 400g pork sausagemeat or sausages, skins removed 1 tsp fennel seeds 100g ricotta 20g parmesan, grated, plus extra shavings to serve 20g panko breadcrumbs 70ml double cream small handful of basil, finely chopped, to serve
1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the garlic for 1 min before adding the tomato purée. Cook for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, swilling out the can with water and adding that too, then the butter beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. 2 Tip the sausagemeat, fennel seeds, ricotta, parmesan and breadcrumbs into a large bowl, and season with pepper. Mix well using your hands, then divide into 12 balls. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cream and season to taste. 3 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Pour the creamy butter beans into a baking dish and put the meatballs on top. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins. Once cooled, will keep covered and frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed. Top with the shaved parmesan and chopped basil to serve. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • fibre • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 596 kcals • fat 39g • saturates 16g • carbs 31g • sugars 7g • fibre 10g • protein 25g • salt 1.6g
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weekend
Cavolo nero, meatball & cannellini soup SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 25 mins EASY ❄ P
BEST EVER BATCH COOKS Enjoy 100 fuss-free, freezable and prep-ahead meals with our new book, Good Food Best Ever Batch Cooks (Hamlyn). Photographs © Immediate Media Company London Ltd 2026.
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 6 sausages (we used Cumberland) 1 red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 /2 -1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 200g cavolo nero, kale or other hardy greens, chopped 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans 1 chicken stock cube 1 lemon, zested, 1/2 juiced
1 Heat the oil in a large pan and squeeze in the sausagemeat in rough meatball shapes (you should get about five meatballs from each sausage). Discard the skins. Fry the meatballs until browned all over,
then scoop onto a plate. Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 8 mins until softened, then stir in the garlic and chilli flakes (if using) and cook for a further minute. 2 Add the remaining ingredients to the pan along with the meatballs and 700ml hot water. Season and stir, then cover and simmer for 8-10 mins until the greens have wilted and the meatballs are cooked through. Add a little more water if you want a soupier consistency. Once cool, will keep frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 470 kcals • fat 27g • saturates 8g • carbs 34g • sugars 6g • fibre 6g • protein 19g • salt 2.3g
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 79
Table for
Northern nostalgia
Comedians Lucy Beaumont and Sophie Willan joined Mathew Horne and Joanna Page in our YouTube series to share dinner and childhood memories ON THE MENU Starter Herby fish fingers Main Steak & kidney pudding – find the recipe at bbcgoodfoodme.com Dessert Next level banoffee pie Drink Rhubarb & custard cocktail
Herby fish fingers SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 6 mins per batch EASY ❄ uncooked
50g crustless stale white bread 1 large lemon, zested 2 tbsp each roughly chopped dill, chives and parsley 500g skinless haddock fillets 2 tbsp flour, seasoned 1 egg, beaten vegetable oil, for frying
1 Pulse the bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor. Pulse in the lemon zest, herbs and a pinch of salt to make fine green crumbs. 2 Cut the fish into thick strips, about 3 x 10cm. Dust each in the flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the egg, then the herby crumbs. Will keep chilled for a few hours, or frozen for three months.
80 BBC Good Food Middle East September 2025
Being from Hull, I’ve always been very loyal to haddock. They used to call us the ‘codheads’ – we’d sell all our cod to the southerners, and keep the haddock for ourselves. My great-granddad was a trawlerman, and he’d never let us eat cod because he said it was a bottom feeder Lucy Beaumont 3 Heat a 1cm depth of oil in a large frying pan and, once hot, fry the fish fingers, a few at a time, for 3-4 mins on each side (you’ll need to do this in batches; cook slightly longer if frozen). Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm. When all are cooked, serve immediately. GOOD TO KNOW healthy • omega-3 PER SERVING 274 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 2g • carbs 12g • sugars none • fibre 1g • protein 26g • salt 0.77g
weekend
Next level banoffee pie SERVES 8 PREP 45 mins plus cooling and 4 hrs 10 mins chilling COOK 20 mins MORE EFFORT V
262g pack dark chocolate oat biscuits (such as Hobnobs) 65g butter 4 slightly overripe bananas 1 lime, juiced 4 tbsp light brown soft sugar 397g can caramel 80g banana chips 100g smooth peanut butter 100g icing sugar 340ml double cream
1 Blitz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor, or bash with a rolling pin. Add the butter and blitz briefly, then tip into a 22cm fluted tart tin. Use the back of a spoon to press the crumbs into the tin and up the side. Chill for 10 mins. 2 Heat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 8. Halve the bananas lengthways and tip into a shallow roasting tin. Add the lime juice and brown sugar, and bake for 15-20 mins until caramelised. Cool slightly, then mash the bananas well and spread over the biscuit base. 3 Tip the caramel into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and bubble for a few minutes until thickened. Add a pinch of sea salt flakes. Crush the banana chips on a board using a rolling pin. Take the pan off the heat and stir in most of the banana chips, then spread the mixture over the banana layer. Chill the pie for at least 4 hrs to set. 4 Beat the peanut butter with the icing sugar and 140ml of the cream until smooth. Whisk the rest of the cream until it just holds its shape, then gently fold this through the peanut butter cream until rippled. Dollop this over the tart, then scatter over the rest of the crushed banana chips to serve. GOOD TO KNOW healthy • omega-3 PER SERVING 835 kcals • fat 50g • saturates 29g • carbs 84g • sugars 69g • fibre 4g • protein 10g • salt 0.5g
This is my favourite pudding. I was so pleased when it turned up, because you just don’t see banoffee pie anymore. I don’t know why it disappeared – it’s never on the menu, which I think is a real shame Lucy Beaumont
turn the page for more
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 81
weekend Rhubarb & custard cocktail SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 5 mins EASY V
ice 100ml vodka 100ml rhubarb syrup (see below) 1 rhubarb stick 30ml advocaat 75ml lemonade For the rhubarb syrup 85g caster sugar 300g chopped rhubarb
1 For the syrup, put the sugar in
LISTEN OR WATCH
To enjoy the full interview, search ‘Table for Four’ wherever you get your podcasts, or catch the full episode on YouTube.
82 BBC Good Food Middle East September 2025
a saucepan with 75ml water and heat gently so the sugar dissolves, but the water doesn’t bubble. Tip in the rhubarb, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn up the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 5 mins until the rhubarb is tender but not disintegrating. 2 Turn off the heat and tip the rhubarb into a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing the rhubarb against the sieve using a spoon to release all the juices. Discard the rhubarb (or use it in a smoothie). Tip the liquid back into the pan and boil for a few minutes until just syrupy. Pour into a jug (you should have about 125ml) and leave to cool fully. Will keep chilled for a month. 3 Chill four cocktail glasses using a handful of ice, or put in the freezer briefly. Shake the vodka with 100ml of the syrup and a handful of ice until the outside of the shaker is cold. Shred the rhubarb stick using a vegetable peeler, then put in a bowl of iced water so it curls up. 4 Combine the advocaat and lemonade with more ice in a jug, then set aside. Divide the vodka and rhubarb mixture between the glasses, straining through a small sieve to catch the ice. 5 Pour 25ml of the advocaat mixture into each glass over an upside-down spoon (the mixture should float on the surface). Drain the rhubarb shreds, then use to garnish the glasses before serving. PER SERVING 126 kcals • fat 1g • saturates none • carbs 10g • sugars 10g • fibre none • protein 1g • salt none
KNOW in the
p84
THE ULTIMATE SMASH BURGERS
p86
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
p94 BOOKS FOR COOKS September 2026 Good Food Middle East 83
THE
smash ULTI burgers
MATE
Burgers come in all shapes and sizes, from mini sliders to thick grill house patties, but smash burgers have been the trendiest version in recent years. They cook quickly, but achieving a deeply caramelised crust can be tricky. Here, I’ve perfected the technique for home cooks, and added thinly sliced onions and caramelised mustard for one of the best burgers you’ll make at home.
Level up your burger game with these diner-style, double-stacked patties recipe BARNEY DESMAZERY photograph LIAM DESBOIS
ONION LAYER Made famous in Oklahoma, the technique of pressing thinly sliced, salted onions against the raw patty means they steam during cooking, softening and caramelising in the cooking juices. This gives the burgers deeply savoury flavour.
patty, and are less likely to slide out of the bun when you bite into it.
IN A PICKLE Slice the gherkins lengthways rather than in rounds. Longer, flatter slices cover more of the
HOLD THE SALAD This is an unapologetically messy burger built around crispy beef, melting cheese, onions, pickles and plenty of sauce – not salad!
FATTEN THEN FLATTEN Choose mince with around 20% fat to keep the patties juicy and help them develop a deeply brown, crisp crust when you press them in the hot pan. Even better, ask your butcher to mince good-quality steak trimmings for you. MUSTARD CRUST Drizzling mustard over the raw side of the patties before flipping them means that it caramelises and provides tang, depth and another satisfying layer of crust. YOUR BUN, YOUR WAY Burger buns are a matter of taste, so use the style you prefer. Our pick is soft sesame seed buns because they squash down easily. To elevate this recipe further, make your own – search for ‘the very best burger bun’ recipe on the Good Food app.
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SOME LIKE IT HOT We’ve added hot sauce to our classic burger sauce to cut through the richness of the burger. Add as much or little as you like.
in the know
1 large onion, thinly sliced 600g beef mince (at least 20% fat) 1 tbsp sunflower oil American mustard, for drizzling 8 burger cheese slices 4 burger buns of your choice 3 medium gherkins, sliced lengthways For the secret sauce 75g mayonnaise 1 tbsp ketchup 1 tbsp American mustard 1 tbsp finely chopped gherkins, plus 1 tsp brine from the jar 1-2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste 1 /2 tsp smoked paprika 1 /4 tsp garlic granules splash of white wine vinegar pinch of sugar
1 First, make the sauce. Stir all the ingredients together and season to taste, adding as much or as little hot
sauce as you like, then chill until needed. Will keep chilled for up to two days. 2 Heat the oven to its lowest setting with a sturdy baking tray inside. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions, scrunch together to distribute evenly, and set aside. Divide the mince into eight loose balls (about 75g each) taking care not to overwork the meat. Season generously with salt and a little black pepper. 3 Heat a drizzle of the oil in a cast-iron or heavy frying pan over a high heat and put one beef ball in the centre. Top with a small handful of the onions, then cover with a square of baking parchment and press down as firmly as possible using a burger press, small saucepan or sturdy metal spatula. Hold for 1 min, then remove the press and parchment. Cook undisturbed for another minute so the burger develops a deep, dark crust and the onions steam into the meat. 4 Drizzle over a little mustard, then flip the patty over. Move it to the edge of the pan and top with a slice of cheese.
Leave it to sizzle while the cheese melts. Meanwhile, smash a second beef ball in the centre of the pan as before. 5 When the second burger is ready to flip, drizzle with mustard as before, flip and top with cheese. Sit the first burger on top of it to make a double stack, then cook for 2 mins, or until the onions underneath are softened and charred. Transfer the burger stack to the tray in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining beef, onions, mustard and cheese to make four burger stacks. 6 Toast the cut sides of the buns in the beef cooking juices in the pan until golden. Spread half the burger sauce over the bun bases, then top each with a double burger stack and gherkin slices. Spread the remaining sauce over the cut side of the bun tops, then close the burgers and serve. GOOD TO KNOW calcium PER SERVING 961 kcals • fat 64g • saturates 24g • carbs 47g • sugars 8g • fibre 4g • protein 47g • salt 3.1g
Shoot director LAURIE NEWMAN | Food stylist AMY KINNEAR | Stylist HANNAH WILKINSON
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 20 mins EASY
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 85
Photographs JUSTIN DESOUZA, LAURI PATTERSON / E+ / GETTY, ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
the CUE POINT KITCHEN
Mursal Saiq and Josh Moroney offer a unique take on barbecue at their Kensington restaurant where Afghan heritage meets Texan tradition
“C
ue Point is the meeting point between Afghan recipes and brining methods, low-and-slow Texas barbecue and British produce,” says Mursal. “When we first met, Josh was cooking old-school Texan barbecue – brisket with demerara sugar, salt and coarse black pepper – while I brought the Afghan flavours. “Josh had worked at Smokestak and, before that, trained as a pastry chef and sous chef, so he had this very French and British culinary background, as well as a deep understanding of fire, smoke and meat. 86 Good Food Middle East September 2026
“For us, Afghan food and Texan barbecue connect naturally. Afghan cooking has relied for centuries on brining, fermentation and live fire, and a lot of the spices used in barbecue – cumin, coriander, black pepper – are rooted in central Asia. So, we take classic Afghan recipes – the kind I was taught to cook in an oven or pressure cooker, like onion brines with cardamom, black lime, garlic and lemon – and bring them to the pit with Texan technique, fire control and smoke. It’s not sweet, heavy barbecue. It’s aromatic, smoky, rich and sour, and balanced with yogurt, pickles and citrus.”
in the know
MENU DECODER BORANI BANJAN An ancient Afghan dish of aubergines traditionally slow-cooked and served with yogurt. At Cue Point, the recipe is the same, but we add smoke and live fire before finishing it like my mother did. TORSHI A central Asian and Iranian pickle – torshi means ‘sour’. At Cue Point, cauliflower pickle is both a symbol of those food cultures and a sharp barbecue condiment. CHAPLI KABAB A flat mince kebab bulked out with potato, onion, coriander and herbs. Think of it as Afghanistan’s cheap, generous street-food answer to a burger.
NACOS ...that’s naan tacos, or Afghan naan filled like a taco. They bring together Josh’s South American background, my Afghan heritage and Cue Point’s wet barbecue fillings. AFGHAN GREEN CHUTNEY My mother’s chutney, reworked by Josh; he swaps the usual water for oil, turning coriander, parsley, garlic and lemon into a bright, rich sauce. GHORMEH SABZI Iran’s national dish, with Afghan crossover through language and tribe. Cue Point smokes the meat, stew and greens separately before bringing everything together.
BLACK LIMES
Black limes are boiled in salty water, then dried in the sun, where they harden and turn black. Used whole in stews, they bring aggressive sourness. They’re more central Asian and Iranian, but those cultures cross with Afghan cooking. If using whole, pierce first so their flavour can infuse – use sparingly and balance with other spices.
what’s the one... …dish that best explains Cue Point? Brisket with Texas naan. It brings together Josh’s barbecue and my Afghan food culture perfectly. …Afghan dish that takes you straight back to childhood? Kabuli pilau with lamb shank. It’s Afghanistan’s national dish, my mum’s dish, home, Kabul and everything wrapped into one. …thing people misunderstand about Afghan food? How varied it is. Afghan food is a passageway between continents – noodles, dumplings, curries, jewelled rice, vegetables, breads and live-fire cooking. …barbecue mistake home cooks make most often? Not setting the grill up for what they’re cooking. Think about the protein, heat and whether the fire should sit to one side. …ingredient that cuts through rich, smoky meat? One ingredient is too hard, so we’ll go with a flavour: sour. Yogurt, pickles, onion and citrus – those sour, cooling things are crucial when the food is smoky, rich and aromatic. …other cuisine that inspires you most? Italian, for its simplicity. …dish you judge other barbecue chefs on? Josh judges them on sauces. I judge lamb ribs, because lamb breast is hard to cook well.
Dill & lemon yogurt Flavoured yogurt is one of the most common condiments in Afghanistan. We serve this dill and lemon version, which cuts through the richness of smoked meats. To make, combine 250ml yogurt with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 roasted garlic cloves, crushed to a paste, the juice of 1/2 lemon, a small handful of chopped dill, a pinch of sumac and pinch of salt.
DRESSING GRILLED MEAT When grilled meat comes off the barbecue, don’t just rest it, dress it. Moisture is just as important as the fire, smoke and seasoning, especially for bigger cuts. We rest our meat in ‘cowboy butter’ – butter mixed with garlic, rosemary and smoked fat from previous grills. As the meat rests, the butter catches the juices and turns it into a sauce. Spoon it back over the meat or use for dipping.
Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney are the co-founders of Cue Point, a British-Afghan barbecue restaurant built around inclusivity, smoke and fire. cue-point.co.uk | @CPLDN
SEPTEMBER September 20262026 Goodgoodfood.com Food Middle East 87 87
your cooking
Discover
personality
Are you a prepper, planner or batch cook? Or do you wrestle with what to make for dinner? We’re here to help you work it out
W
words LULU GRIMES
e recently published our 13th annual Good Food Nation Survey, drawing on a YouGov poll of 2,000 UK adults. We discovered 34% of you plan meals a few days in advance to save money, reduce food waste and stay organised, and that got us thinking about the different ways we tackle the challenge of getting dinner on the table. We all know that organising the weekly
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shop and doing the daily cooking routine is a feat of mental dexterity, and some are overwhelmed by it. That said, 87% enjoy cooking, yet 70% feel uninspired by your main meals. This is where planning, batchcooking or prepping can all be helpful – the defining features of three types of ‘cooking personality’ outlined here. Figure out yours and you might keep the panic at bay as dinnertime looms.
in the know
83% OF US FAVOUR COOKING FROM SCRATCH
87%
ENJOY COOKING BUT 70% FEEL BORED BY THEIR OWN OUTPUT
34%
Define your focus, then decide your approach from the following three types
Your focus is: • Enabling individual household members to assemble their own meals to suit their own preferences Your approach is: • Preparing and storing individual components of meals that can be quickly assembled later You’re the optimistic organiser who takes comfort in knowing that their efforts will pay off all week. Proteins are portioned, grains and carbs cooked, salads chopped, oats soaked – and all these are stacked neatly in the fridge. The point is that on Wednesday night, if you’re tired and your resistance to bad decisions (the ease of a takeaway or six slices of toast and jam) is low, the good decision made
several days ago is sitting in the fridge. To be a prepper, you need comfort with systems that other people find restrictive. Your motivation could be time or money, but it isn’t variety. Eating the same (or same-ish) lunch five days running is a feature, but you might already do this if you make or buy a sandwich every lunchtime. It tends to suit a life with reasonably predictable rhythms – a spontaneous night out means a meal not eaten. PROS: dramatically reduces weeknight decision fatigue, supports consistent nutrition and saves significant time CONS: requires repetition, has limited flexibility when plans change and might become boring
PLAN MEALS A FEW DAYS IN ADVANCE
74%
HAVE EXPERIENCED DECISION FATIGUE
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 89
in the know
Your focus is: • Time, and needing a variety of complete meals ready to go so they only need reheating Your approach is: •G etting everyone cooking together •P re-cooking and storing complete meals in the fridge or freezer You might say your organisational ability is something you’ve learned rather than decided to do: a parent, a period of not being flush with cash, the reality of feeding more than one or two people or because working hours mean coming home too exhausted to cook. A batch of bolognese means enough for eight; half goes in the freezer before anyone can ask for seconds.
Your focus is: • Budgeting and efficiency Your approach is: • Strategic – taking time to think before any shopping and cooking • Involving the whole household in making decisions Shopping is your superpower; you know that most of the week’s food problems are shopping problems in disguise. On Sunday, you spend 20 minutes with your phone and your head in the fridge to see what’s left, along with a mental list of everyone’s preferences.
Batch cooks are not necessarily optimising nutrition; you’re solving the problem of putting something on the table on a Tuesday when there’s no time. Soups, stews, casseroles, chilli, dhals and curries are easily doubled, portion well and forgive reheating. To be a batch cook, you need infrastructure – a decent freezer, enough containers, the presence of mind to label things and enough time at the weekend to cook. PROS: a high return on effort, reduced food waste, suits larger households, freezer stock provides fallback on difficult days CONS: needs space time, forward thinking, labelling and rotation discipline or food still gets wasted
You work out what needs using up, then dovetail it into what to eat. Mealplanning means almost nothing goes off. You’re likely great at making lunch from leftovers. All you need is time to think, look up recipes, gather ideas and dream a little. PROS: low waste, reduced spend, flexibility to cook fresh daily, no essential skills or equipment CONS: requires weekly time investment and mental discipline, and there’s no buffer on weeknights when exhaustion hits
TOOLS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER Freezer containers are the bane of many lives – lids escape and they never stack well. Instead, try a freezer ‘pod’ – freeze your food in blocks, then pop them out and stack in a bag. Don’t forget to label and date.
Glass stacking containers mean you can easily see what’s in them. The IKEA ones can be bought separately from the lids, so if you break or lose one part, you can replace it. They’re also handily ovenproof.
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A mini chopper makes light work of herbs, while a food processor with grating and slicing blades will sort out carrots, cabbage and onions. Unless you like meditative slicing and chopping, make your prep quicker and easier.
A fridge or storecupboard carousel helps you store and reach for the exciting condiments and flavourings that pep up your meals. It’s an old-school solution that still completely works.
in the know
A taste of the
Philippines At Naimas, chef Dabo Pamplona is rebuilding Filipino classics in new formats, from adobo burgers to palabok laksa
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“F
ilipino cuisine is a cuisine of memory,” says chef Dabo Pamplona of Dubai’s Naimas. “It is bold, comforting and full of contrast, salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami working together in ways that are deeply familiar to Filipinos but often surprising to people discovering the cuisine for the first time.” The cuisine is built on ingredients most home cooks will already recognise, he says: “Garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, calamansi, tamarind, coconut, seafood, rice and fermented ingredients.” Asked about the biggest misconception people carry about Filipino food, Pamplona points to the assumption that it can be reduced to one style. “That Filipino food is simply sweet, heavy or a fusion of other cuisines,” he says. “There is much more to it. The Philippines has enormous regional diversity and a sophisticated relationship with acidity, fermentation, smoke, seafood, coconut and preservation. Filipino food is not one flavour. It is a conversation between flavours.”
INSIDE NAIMAS At Naimas, that philosophy translates into a menu built around reworking familiar Filipino dishes into new formats. “Sometimes that means putting adobo into a Black Angus burger,” Pamplona says. “Sometimes it means taking palabok noodles and placing them into a laksa. Sometimes it means bringing sampaloc into an inasal skewer.” The approach isn’t about distancing the food from its roots, he stresses. “The format can change. The technique can evolve. But the story should remain.”
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WHAT TO ORDER For anyone new to Naimas, or Filipino food generally, Pamplona points to lumpia as the natural starting point. “It is approachable because the format is familiar, but the flavour introduces you immediately to Filipino cooking,” he says. Beyond taste, the dish carries real cultural weight. “Lumpia represents Filipino hospitality,” he explains. “It is made to be shared, usually in large batches, and it appears at celebrations, family gatherings and everyday moments. It also represents the Filipino diaspora. Wherever Filipinos go, lumpia often goes with them.” From there, the Adobo Burger is one of the menu’s clearest signature dishes, taking the Philippines’ most personal home-cooked dish and rebuilding it in Black Angus beef. “Almost every Filipino family has its own version [of adobo], which makes it more than a recipe, it becomes a family memory,” Pamplona says of the original dish. At Naimas, “the beef gives us the richness and texture of a great burger, while the adobo flavour brings the Filipino identity.” For dessert, the Burnt Brazo de Mercedes reworks a classic Filipino meringue and custard dessert with a deliberately caramelised finish. “I don’t want to make the dessert unrecognisable,”
in the know
Pamplona says. “The goal is to keep the memory of Brazo de Mercedes while giving it a more contemporary personality. You should still know what you’re eating. It just looks and tastes like it has travelled a little further.”
THE INGREDIENT BEHIND IT ALL Across the menu, one ingredient does much of the work: calamansi, a small Filipino citrus fruit. “It is one of the ingredients that can immediately make a dish feel Filipino,” Pamplona says, pointing to its range across the cuisine “in marinades, dipping sauces, seafood, drinks and desserts.” It’s also the ingredient he keeps closest at hand in his own kitchen. “A little can completely change seafood, meat, sauces, salads, desserts or drinks.”
THE ROAD AHEAD “I don’t want Filipino cuisine to be treated as something that belongs only to the past,” he says. “Our cuisine has always evolved. Filipinos have always adapted. We have taken ingredients, techniques and ideas from different cultures and made them our own.” He’s particularly keen to see the cuisine’s regional range travel further. “There is so much beyond the dishes that have already become internationally recognised,” he says. “The Philippines is incredibly diverse, and every region has its own ingredients, cooking methods and stories. I would love to see more regional Filipino cuisine represented internationally.”
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BOOKS
for
COOKS Fiona Forman tries Caribbean jerk butter steak from a new book by Original Flava, and casts her eye over other top titles
P
eople often think Caribbean food is complicated or time-consuming, because we picture jerk chicken, Jamaican patties filled with spiced beef or curried goat simmering on the hob for hours. Just thinking about these makes me want to go to the Jamaican food truck in town (Staines, if you’re interested), which always smells incredible. But, these are tricky dishes to recreate on a weeknight when you need something on the table in half an hour. Brothers Craig and Shaun McAnuff, aka Original Flava, are on a mission to show how easy and versatile Caribbean food can be, hence their new book, Easy Caribbean. With young families, kitchen residencies (try their food at pubs in Richmond and Peckham), cooking on TV and filming videos for social media, they can empathise with trying to cook in the hectic day-to-day. However, they point out, “This isn’t Caribbean food watered down or stripped of its culture. It’s simply Caribbean cooking that’s easier to fit into your life. Easier ingredients you can grab anywhere, easier prep that won’t take all day, easier techniques that still bring massive flavour.” There are everyday makes, barbecue dishes and a chapter of light bites – meals that helped Shaun lose more than seven stone in weight. There’s no ‘diet food’, but flavour-packed, filling dishes, like scotch bonnet & mango chicken salad and lemon pepper & honey salmon salad. I made the jerk butter steak with sweet potato wedges (opposite) – perfect for Saturday night. It’s so delicious for a meal you can cook in 20 minutes. Rich, spicy and fruity, the sauce and jerk butter give it just the right amount of heat. We couldn’t stop dipping the wedges in the sauce – we even used the leftovers to make jerk salmon and rice.
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This isn’t Caribbean food watered down or stripped of its culture. It’s simply Caribbean cooking that’s easier to fit into your life
in the know
Jerk butter steak with sweet potato wedges
Succulent, juicy rib-eye steaks cooked to perfection, glazed with a jerk butter and topped with mouthwatering jerk gravy. Served with crispy sweet potato wedges – quick, easy and pure flava. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins plus marinating COOK 20 mins EASY
4 rib-eye steaks (about 900g total) 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp jerk seasoning 130g butter, softened 2 tbsp jerk marinade 2 beef stock cubes 200ml jerk BBQ sauce For the sweet potato wedges 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
Good Food recommends
Recipe extracted from Original Flava, Easy Caribbean: 80 quick and easy recipes with feelgood flava by Craig McAnuff and Shaun McAnuff (Bloomsbury Publishing). Photographs © Matt Russell.
1 Pat the steaks dry using kitchen paper, then rub with the olive oil and coat all over with the jerk seasoning. Leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 mins so the flava soaks in. 2 While the steaks are marinating, make the sweet potato wedges. If cooking them in the oven, heat the oven to 200C/180C/gas 6. In a bowl, toss the wedges in the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, all-purpose seasoning and some salt. Spread the wedges out on a baking tray and bake for
The Curry Bible by Nisha Katona (Michael Joseph) Restaurateur and food writer Nisha Katona makes Indian food easy and accessible in her latest book – her recipes are reliable and always good. There are favourites (butter chicken, jalfrezis, tikka masala, aloo gobi) alongside lesser-known regional dishes, like homestyle cabbage curry and khari with pakora fritters. A must for fans of Indian food, this is a cookbook you’ll turn to again and again.
30-35 mins until golden and tender. If cooking in the air fryer, put the wedges in the basket in a single layer and cook at 200C for 18-20 mins, shaking halfway through, until crispy on the outside and soft inside. 3 Meanwhile, cook the steaks. If grilling, heat the grill to 200C. If pan-frying, heat a heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet over a medium-high heat until smoking hot. Cook the steaks to your liking, flipping halfway through – for medium-rare, cook for 9-10 mins total (internal temp of 54-57C); for medium, cook for 10-11 mins total (57-60C); and for medium-well, cook for 11-12 mins total (60-66C). Leave the steaks to rest on a chopping board for 10 mins. 4 While the steaks are resting, mix 115g of the butter with the jerk marinade to make your jerk butter. Melt it in the frying pan over a low heat, then return the steaks to the pan for 2-3 mins and baste well so every bite is full of flava. Remove the steaks from the pan once again. 5 For the gravy, melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 250ml water, the stock cubes and BBQ sauce. Simmer for 4-5 mins until smooth and slightly thickened. 6 Serve the steaks with the sweet potato wedges and gravy on the side for people to help themselves. GOOD TO KNOW vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 923 kcals • fat 67g • saturates 26g • carbs 33g • sugars 13g • fibre 5g • protein 45g • salt 3.11g
Pasta Therapy by Isabella Barbato (Nourish Books) After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 38, then losing both parents to cancer within months of each other, Isabella found the calming ritual of pasta making. In the book, she returns to her Sicilian roots and shares family recipes to help you master it yourself, and hopefully find peace as you do. The dishes are veggie, with plenty of vegan options too, from zia Rita’s baked pasta with mushrooms to radicchio & red onion lasagna. September 2026 Good Food Middle East 95
The expert’s guide to
hot sauce
Faisal Al Mutairi, Chief Chilli Officer of House of Habanero, shares his approach to discovering, tasting and collecting hot sauce, from first bottle to serious hobby
”Before my wife, Katy Gillett, and I, started House of Habanero, our fridge was always full of hot sauce, but very few were actually bought in the UAE,” says Faisal Al Mutairi, founder of the Dubai-based shop. “I’d pick up new flavours and my favourites while travelling, or people would bring sauce back into Dubai for me. That’s when it occurred to us that there was a huge gap to fill in the market.” The timing lined up with a broader shift in the hot sauce world. Hot Ones, the YouTube show in which celebrities are interviewed while working through increasingly hot chicken wings, was gaining a global following, and hundreds of small sauce businesses had emerged after the pandemic.
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in the know
Building a collection
“Sauce companies and chilli oil producers were popping up in the UAE, too,” Al Mutairi says, “but also, this country is filled with people of nationalities where having something spicy on the family dinner table is not uncommon. It just made sense to us that a shop selling exclusively spicy sauces, snacks and condiments would be welcomed.” He was clear from the start that the shop would not simply replicate the supermarket shelf. “We have enough Tabasco, Crystal and Excellence on the shelves here, and, frankly, they’re just not that good,” he says. “There is a whole world of flavour to explore out there, and so we set about tracking down the best of the best, the artisanal, handcrafted, gourmet, small-batch stuff. Those recipes that have been in families for generations or the new and innovative flavours you’ve never seen before, and everything in between.” Building the range meant a long process of trial and error. “We spent close to a year tasting and testing around 800 samples from companies all over the world,” Al Mutairi says. “Then
Charred – Mango Habanero
came the hard part, whittling that down to a selection for a market where we had no data on flavour preferences, other than the more vinegar-forward daqoos. While we hosted a sauce tasting event with a few dozen people, ultimately, it came down to the flavours we believed in. The ones that made our tastebuds dance when we first tasted them.” The result is a collection of more than 100 sauces, oils, honeys, snacks and condiments. Here, Al Mutairi shares where to start and how to build a collection that goes beyond heat alone.
This is one of our bestsellers – and made locally in the UAE by a couple from Ukraine and the Philippines. It gives a medium-high heat, but what makes this sauce unique is that they ferment their peppers then pass their blends through a cold smoker with hickory smoke, so what you get is subtle smokiness, sweetness from the mango, but also rich and deep flavours from the habanero peppers. It’s complex and lends itself best to highly flavourful dishes where that fruity, deep richness can complement other impactful flavours (i.e. Mexican food, hearty rice dishes, deep dish pizza etc.)
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Eaten Alive – Scotch Bonnet
This UK brand has a range of sauces handmade by chefs in South London. Eaten Alive’s Scotch Bonnet is a vinegar-forward sauce, what we call in the Arab world “daqoos”, which is popular with many dishes we love in the region. The higher acid content cuts through fats to complement fattier dishes where daqoos works best. Think shawarma, fried chicken or falafel. This is a medium heat sauce – where the Scotch bonnet pepper is they key ingredient with a heat that comes and leaves the palate pretty quickly. The pepper itself is fruity and delicious, one of my favourites.
Heartbeat – Camp Sauce
This is another one of our bestsellers. Camp Sauce is one of the most well-balanced sauces we have. It’s smoky without being over the top, has got a great texture, with sweetness from dates & maple syrup and a subtle spiced finish, perfect for adding balanced flavour and heat to carb-heavy dishes, like sandwiches, rice dishes, wraps and more. It’s from Canada and inspired by foods you eat around the campfire. It’s incredibly moreish.
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El Yucateco – Salsa Picante Verde de Chile Habanero
We can’t ignore a good classic, and El Yucateco Green Habanero is one that most people will recognize and probably already have in the pantry. It’s a green sauce that is bright, savoury with a medium heat that goes perfectly with the foods it was intended to be used with. Think tacos, quesadillas, burritos, rice bowls and grilled meats. El Yucateco has been around since the 60’s making traditional habanero based sauces, and is probably one of the best-loved Mexican brands around.
Smokin’ Ed’s – Wing Thing X
Any serious collector has to have something by “Smokin’” Ed Currie in their selection. He’s the guy who invented the two world’s hottest peppers – the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X. Wing Thing, which comes in both mild and extra hot varieties, is the ideal marinade & accompaniment with chicken wings, but also just as great with other grilled meats or vegetables. This version has a dose of Pepper X in it – officially the world’s hottest pepper, according to the Guinness World Records. Yes, it’s hot, but that doesn’t overpower the insane flavour that comes from the honey sweetness, dark brown sugar depth, rich garlic and tangy vinegar.
La Pimenterie – Queso Sin Queso
You’ve just got to trust us on this one. It’s one of our most unique sauces – but also one of our all-time favourites. La Pimenterie, from Quebec, delivers creamy, funky, salty, cheesy goodness – but without any dairy. It’s got an oat milk and nutritional yeast base that gives it that umami flavour, with habanero and bhut jolokia (aka ghost pepper)
in the know
Quick-fire • A sauce that surprised you with its flavour, not just its heat Heartbeat – Blueberry Habanero This is what you call a dessert hot sauce, because it goes super well with sweet flavours. My wife loves to eat it on her pancakes. She puts a layer of peanut butter, sliced bananas, maple syrup then finishes it with blueberry habanero all over it. Chef’s kiss. for the heat. It’s smooth, indulgent and so much more versatile than one would think, a must try! And it was featured on Season 23 of Hot Ones.
Eat On x House of Habanero – Habanero Relish
Once you’ve got a good base saucewise, it’s time to upgrade your condiments line-up to include our relish. Think sweet pickle relish that you’d put on Americanstyle hotdogs or burgers, but with much more intense heat from the habaneros. This is a collaboration between House of Habanero and Abu Dhabi-based Eat On, which is run by Culinary Institute of Americatrained chef Jordan Eaton. If you’re anything like us, soon enough you’ll be putting it on top of everything from avocado on toast to fish tacos.
• A UAE-made sauce you’d recommend to anyone starting a collection You can’t talk about UAE-made without talking about chillis oils, because they’re kind of a big deal here right now. If you can handle your heat, try Bhalla Spices, which has a cult following across the GCC – and for good reason. • A mistake people make when trying to build a collection too quickly Choosing one sauce to go with everything. There’s a reason why there are thousands of sauces out there. It’s like wine pairing – you could easily have a different sauce with every dish. I personally have 3 or 4 on the go with every meal. • What you look for in a sauce beyond how hot it is Flavour, flavour, flavour. Our motto is “flavour over fire”. It has to taste good and enhance your food, not overpower it. We also try to source preservative, nasties-free products as much as possible.
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-THE RESTAURANT WEEKENDBRUNCH & FAMILY ROAST WITH FREE POOL ACCESS
LEARN MORE
Gourmet
lifestyle
The quiet side of the Aegean p102
Three of the best p104
Competitions p106
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G R E AT ES CA PES
THE QUIET SIDE OF THE AEGEAN Feel fully looked after at Lujo Hotel Bodrum, where overwater villas and heated pools make the trip feel effortless
S
words LILY BARCLAY
ituated on the shores of Güvercinlik Bay on the Bodrum Peninsula just 20 minutes from the airport, Lujo Hotel takes a different approach to the traditional all-inclusive. Built into the pine-covered hillside overlooking the Aegean, the resort has a wealth of contemporary rooms, suites and overwater villas, some with private gardens, pools and direct sea access. Although it’s a sizeable resort, it rarely feels busy thanks to thoughtful design that creates quieter corners throughout. Be welcomed with a glass of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries before meeting your ‘joy adviser’ – a dedicated concierge who can arrange everything from restaurant reservations to buggy transfers via WhatsApp throughout your stay.
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The headline here is the food: rather than an array of busy buffets, every meal (including breakfast) is served à la carte, which reduces food waste and gives the resort a noticeably different feel from most all-inclusives. Breakfast can be taken overlooking the sea, with everything cooked to order – from eggs and pancakes to Turkish cheeses, pastries, fresh fruit and excellent coffee. Throughout the day, the patisserie offers homemade cakes, delicate pastries and freshly churned ice cream – children in particular will love the freedom of stopping by unaccompanied. Come evening, there are plenty of restaurants on offer, so you can try something new every night. Asma focuses on contemporary Turkish cooking with beautifully prepared meze, grilled meats and seafood, while Gaia specialises in Mediterranean fish served
travel
Overwater cabanas have more than a hint of the Maldives about them
simply with uninterrupted sea views. Sorriso offers handmade pasta, woodfired pizzas and classic Italian dishes, and Shibori serves made-to-order Japanese cooking, from sushi and sashimi to robata-grilled specialities. Elsewhere, there’s a steakhouse, Latin American restaurant and more relaxed beachfront options. Meals are highquality and feel like evenings out, rather than part of the package. Families are particularly well catered for, though the resort never feels dominated by children. The kids’ club goes well beyond the expected, with an arcade, art studio and gaming centre, football and basketball sessions, evening laser tag battles and performances in the resort’s amphitheatre. Plus, a waterpark provides enough slides to keep younger guests entertained for an hour or two. Heated pools mean comfortable swimming throughout the open season, and the overwater cabanas that stretch out across the clear Aegean have more than a hint of the Maldives about them. Alternate between swimming in the sea
and reading in the shade, with a bell service for drinks, lunch or snacks whenever needed. Even the everyday details are thoughtfully handled – sunbeds are prepared with fresh towels and chilled bottled water on your arrival. The rooms’ floor-to-ceiling windows make the most of sea or garden views, while generous balconies encourage an early coffee or evening drink. Bathrooms are spacious, with deep soaking tubs or oversized rainfall showers. A pillow menu allows you to tailor your night’s sleep, and the well-stocked minibar – included and replenished daily – means drinks and snacks are close to hand. It’s this combination of thoughtful service, considered details and genuinely good food that makes Lujo a relaxing stay for families of all shapes and sizes.
HOW TO BOOK
AED1,870 per night for a superior room on an all-inclusive basis, lujohotel.com
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T H R EE O F T H E B EST
PARIS HOTELS WITH POOLS
Make a splash in the French capital as well as enjoying the fine cuisine and café culture words JOEL PORTER
MOLITOR
While many Paris hotels struggle to squeeze a modest swimming pool into the basement, the Molitor – part of the MGallery Collection – is literally built around one. Opened in 1929, this landmark Art Deco leisure complex was once the place for stylish Parisians to cool off during the summer months, with its bright yellow-and-blue changing cabins as famous as the celeb swimmers. After falling into disrepair and closing in the late 1980s, the complex lay abandoned for more than two decades before being restored and reborn in 2014 as a hotel with 124 rooms overlooking the revived 46-metre outdoor pool. And, if that wasn’t enough to keep swimmers busy, there’s also a stunning 33-metre indoor pool, which is heated year-round. Bathed in natural light beneath a soaring glass roof, the pool is framed by colourful cabin doors and mosaics, making it every bit as good to look at as to swim in. Elsewhere, the rooftop restaurant is one of the hotel’s biggest draws, with a leafy terrace and Mediterraneaninspired menu that feels made for long lunches. Expect grilled sea bream, creamy burrata with roasted tomatoes and other seasonal dishes, best enjoyed with a chilled glass of rosé. Downstairs, the more relaxed poolside brasserie serves everything from leisurely breakfasts to beach club classics (think salade niçoise), all overlooking the famous outdoor pool. Book rooms from AED1,380 per night, molitorparis.com
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This landmark Art Deco leisure complex was once the place for stylish Parisians to cool off during the summer
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Photographs @AXELDELAI, @ALDO_PAREDES, MRTRIPPER
MOB HOUSE
Parisian hotels are often historical with beautiful design and plenty of character but not so abundant in space and amenities. Head to the outskirts of the city, however, and you may be surprised at what you can find. Case in point: MOB House, a design-led hotel (co-founded by renowned architect and designer Philippe Starck, no less) located in the up-and-coming Saint Ouen neighbourhood in the north of the city, just a short stroll from the famous Marché des Puces flea market. Aimed squarely at the digital nomad crowd, with office space and larger apartment-style rooms geared toward longer stays, the hotel successfully combines work and play, with a mix of functional urban minimalism and surprisingly luxe touches like marbleclad vanity units and plush furniture. The large lobby has a communal workspace and there’s a lounge strewn with chunky coffee table books, plus a bar and restaurant that spills out into a pretty courtyard garden and serves fresh, veg-focussed dishes. While the outdoor spaces already provide welcome respite from the heat and crowds of central Paris, MOB House’s standout feature is undoubtedly the 20-metre outdoor swimming pool. Tucked into a peaceful, tree-shaded corner of the gardens, there are few better places to cool off on a hot day. Book rooms from AED510 per night, mobhouse.com
EXPERIMENTAL MARAIS
If you’d rather prioritise location over a sprawling outdoor swimming pool, this chic hotel offers a happy compromise. Not only is it located in one of Paris’ most fashionable neighbourhoods, Marais – on the doorstep of galleries, cafés and boutiques – but it also offers a serene underground spa that’s centred around a Roman Bath-inspired pool. Set beneath atmospheric, centuriesold vaulted stone ceilings, the petite plunge pool is intentionally intimate, rather than a place to swim laps. But, after a day pounding the pavements, it’s a wonderfully tranquil place to cool off, especially when paired with a treatment at the spa or visit to the adjoining hammam. Being part of the Experimental Group, this is a cool place to stay in more ways than one of course. Upstairs, you’ll find stylish apartment-like bedrooms decked out in vintage furnishings, and a lobby anchored by a reception desk with retro key pigeonholes that could be straight from the pages of Accidentally Wes Anderson. The hotel’s restaurant, Temple & Chapon, channels New York’s Mad Men era with a chophouse-inspired menu of lobster rolls, beef sirloin, seafood towers and slices of cheesecake, all served in a smart wood-panelled dining room. Book rooms from AED1,660 per night, experimentalmarais.com
PARIS HOTELS Photos clockwise from bottom left: steak frites and the Art Deco pool at Molitor, twists on French classics at MOB House’s Feuille de Chou brasserie, the outdoor pool at MOB House, and the Experimental Marais’ Roman Bath-inspired pool
September 2026 Good Food Middle East 105
competitions
WIN A DINING VOUCHER FOR COFFEE PLANET, WORTH AED500
Fabulous prizes, from dining vouchers to gourmet goodies, up for grabs
WIN A DINNER FOR TWO AT RARE BRASSERIE & BAR, CITY WALK, WORTH AED600 RARE is your neighbourhood brasserie in City Walk, made for just about any occasion - whether it’s a quick dinner that turns into drinks, a leisurely lunch, a date night or a catch-up with friends. Expect generous plates, a well-crafted drinks menu and a lively atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer. Bring your favourite person, choose your picks from the menu and make a night out of it.
WIN A RAMEN & YAKITORI DINNER FOR TWO AT DAIKAN IZAKAYA, CITY WALK, WORTH AED500 Daikan Izakaya at City Walk serves ramen, handpulled noodles, charcoalgrilled yakitori and izakaya small plates in an industrial-style setting. One winner will receive a three-course dinner for two worth AED500, including a signature ramen bowl, charcoalgrilled skewers and classic izakaya dishes, paired with beverages.
One lucky winner will receive an AED 500 gift card, redeemable at any Coffee Planet café across the UAE. Use it towards your favourite coffees and drinks, whether you’re grabbing your morning coffee, meeting friends or taking a break. Enter now for your chance to win.
WIN A SUNDAY ROAST FOR TWO AT THE STRAND CRAFT KITCHEN, WORTH AED500 Enjoy a Sunday dining experience at The Strand Craft Kitchen with a voucher for two people to enjoy its award-winning Sunday Roast and a complimentary house drink. Served every Sunday from 12 pm, guests can enjoy a delicious roast while taking in the relaxed marina-side setting on Palm Jumeirah.
WIN A DINING VOUCHER AT SUPA - UZBEK CULINARY HOUSE, WORTH AED500
Opening this September at Millennium Al Barsha Hotel, SUPA Uzbek Culinary House brings Uzbek cuisine to Dubai following its success in Saudi Arabia. Named after the traditional Uzbek SUPA, a raised platform where families gather to eat and talk, the restaurant focuses on Uzbek dishes and hospitality. Its menu combines Uzbek traditions with subtle Middle Eastern influences, served in a modern setting inspired by Uzbek heritage and nature. One winner will receive an AED500 dining voucher to experience SUPA with family or friends.
To be in with a chance of winning these prizes, visit our competitions page on bbcgoodfoodme.com, or simply scan this QR code with your mobile to directly to the website. *Terms & conditions apply. Employees of CPI Media Group and entrants below 21 years old are not eligible to enter. Winners will be selected on random basis from correct entries.
106 Good Food Middle East September 2026
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Discover BA - Boldly Asian at Fairmont The Palm, where contemporary Asian cuisine takes centre stage in a vibrant and sophisticated setting. Drawing inspiration from across Asia, the menu brings together exceptional ingredients, creative techniques and dishes designed to be shared and discovered.
Call: +971 4 457 3457 | Email: palm.dining@fairmont.com