Chefs & Culinary Concepts

The festival will feature ten leading chefs and makers in dedicated pop-ups, each showcasing their unique cultural and culinary heritage through curated menus.

Cream

Not Just Another Ice-Cream Brand

Cream is an innovative and exciting experiment in how they experience ice cream. Founded by hrmny in collaboration with Minus Eighteen (M18), Cream operates on a unique drop-based model, offering limited-edition ice-cream flavours that create excitement with each release.

Their mission is to explore new and untapped flavours, constantly innovating not just in taste but in the way they serve their ice cream. From their debut collection featuring sandwiches like 'The Big Abood' and 'Ashta La Vista,' to our custom 'Chop It Up' menu. Cream provides a one-of-a-kind experience that blends creativity, gastronomy, and culture. With each new drop, they aim to redefine ice cream for today's audience, making each bite as memorable as the moment it's served.

Hoe Lee Kow

Hoe Lee Kow promises a memorable dining experience where Chef Reif showcases his passion for exploring diverse cultures, ingredients, and flavors, resulting in a non-traditional, yet deliciously exciting interpretation of Korean cuisine.

​From succulent BBQ classics to innovative Korean-inspired creations, our menu features premium ingredients along with Chef Reif's creative flair for unforgettable flavors.

Kooya

Modern Filipino food by Chef JP Anglo. A hearty and soulful cuisine not familiar to all but is something that’s easily enjoyable by most.

Theyl’ll be serving up a whole new menu that you can’t always get at the restaurant, just to spice it up a little bit. Prepare your appetite for a lot of grilling and leave room for dessert!

One Life Kitchen and Cafe

Chef Kelvin Kelly of One Life, presenting a diverse menu crafted from natural ingredients.
Indulge in their striploin cubano, flame-grilled striploin, chicken and halloumi, or a grilled cajun chicken breast.

Tacos Los Hermanos

Chefs Isaac and Josue of Tacos Los Hermanos, will bring an authentic Mexican taco experience from their hometown of Guadalajara.

MONNO

Simply Designed to Celebrate the Beauty of Italian cuisine.

Monno, is an Italian homegrown restaurant specialising in Neapolitan pizzas, and handmade pastas.

Their warm ambience along with their menu will take you straight to the lively street corners of Italy, where the aroma of freshly baked focaccias fills the air.

The menu is curated to offer something for everyone, whether you are a foodie in search of new flavours, a family looking for a satisfying meal, friends to gather around one table, or kids eager to try something deliciously different.

Sagra Italia

A Taste of Italy in Dubai

Sagra is an artisanal Pastificio, a small, family-run pasta laboratory, located on Jumeirah Road in the heart of Dubai. What makes Sagra unique is its commitment to producing fresh, handmade Italian pasta and sauces daily. Each dish is crafted with care, using high-quality ingredients to ensure a genuine Italian dining experience. At Sagra, we offer more than just pasta; we create moments that connect our guests to Italian culinary traditions.

Sagra is proud to be a homegrown business in Dubai, focusing on artisanal craftsmanship and creating a warm, intimate dining experience. They serve all-day pasta from Tuesday to Sunday in a cosy trattoria-style setting that seats up to 16 people. Every dish from their kitchen is prepared fresh, offering an unforgettable, authentic taste of Italy right in the city.

Chef Brandos Morros - YAMRA

Chef Brandos brings his Colombian heritage to life with mouthwatering grilled specialties. This brand-new concept, created by two accomplished chefs, will make its exciting debut at What The Food.

OMA

OMA is a Dubai based home-grown bakery, serving classic cookies and cakes with sustainability at the heart of their business. One of their trademark mouth-watering goodies is the irresistibly soft sponge cake infused with festive spices, finished with velvety sticky toffee and custard whipped cream.

Below Farm will showcase desert-grown mushrooms from Abu Dhabi.

At Below Farm, they grow mushrooms in the desert, bringing the wonders of the fungi kingdom, to the Middle East. Because, until recently, the only mushroom you could find in the UAE supermarket was a white button mushroom. But reducing the vast fungi kingdom and all of the edible mushrooms within it to just that one, is equivalent taking the animal kingdom and all the meat that comes from it, and just eating chicken. There is a huge range of diversity in flavour, texture, preparations and health benefits. We saw an opportunity to establish the region’s first localized mushroom farm: from seed to fruit.

Carnistore x Lila Molino

A collaboration between Chef Shaw of Lila Molino and Carnistore, featuring hand-pressed tortillas paired with premium meats that blend tradition with innovation

Health Nag

Health Nag's founder Natasha was facing a variety of chronic health diagnoses and ultimately decided to take control over her own health journey. Conventional medicine's limitations prompted her to advocate for holistic approaches, and over a decades research into natural medicine and holistic therapies she decided to create Health Nag.

Health Nag is here to show the world that health is the act of becoming your greatest version through the process of good choices and self healing.

KUTO Knives
The leading Japanese knife shop in the UAE, will offer a curated selection of top-quality Japanese knives and kitchen tools.

Maknoon
An extra virgin olive oil crafted to honour Levantine heritage and support local communities

Pure Harvest

Experience farm-fresh, premium-quality produce, sustainably grown locally in the UAE.

The Goodness Company

Makers of vegan plant-based indulgent snacks that are truly good for people & the planet - with no compromise on taste.

Yalabucha

YALA Kombucha is the only globally awarded kombucha made in UAE. It’s a natural fermented drink based only on natural ingredients – tea, herbs, berries and fruit. Its casual and refreshing, with something for everyone: from fruity, berries flavours, to floral and aromatic, to citrusy and spicy.

Bhalla Spices
Your Chilli Oil Dealer, The Bhallas

Introducing this homegrown chilli oil that's been a staple in the "Bhalla" household for over a decade!

It's not just a condiment; it's a flavour enhancer that complements any cuisine perfectly. Add it to noodles, dumplings, eggs, pizzas, sandwiches or just dip some bread in it. Plus, it's versatile enough to double as a marinade for seafood, meats, veggies, and more.

Their chilli oil is crafted with olive oil, offering a unique twist not commonly found in other chilli oils.

They can't wait for you to try it and see how you use it!