Truck Food Obsession Hits Dubai

By Author: David O'Brien
Total Articles: 1
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Imagine a vintage van serving fresh gourmet food exclusively prepared by an on-board chef. The food scintillates your starving taste buds as you relax and let your hair down at a party. If you are in Dubai, now you don’t have to limit yourself to just imagining about the mouthwatering food. Truck food has taken Dubai by storm. And guests still don’t seem to get enough of it. Suddenly, it is a must have in every party in Dubai.

Mobile van food is no more just about tacos, greasy fries, burgers or cupcakes. They now serve curated gluten-free specialty food and beverages. Particularly in Dubai, because of government supported initiatives (a company named Roundup is helping entrepreneurs set these up); the trend is catching on like wild fire. Complying with Dubai’s Municipality rules, the main cooking is done at a central kitchen. Only the final assembling of the food happens in the mobile van.

Dubai has warmed up to street food like never before. With this increase in appreciation, several different types of events that serve gourmet cuisine to foodies who enjoy street food on mobile units have been ...
... planned and are being hosted regularly. So huge is this business that UAE now has an entire mobile food market on its primary highway.

All over Dubai, truck food festivals and jams are being talked and written about. The festival is a much looked forward to event in Dubai. It has the ambiance of a homely backyard party with a variety of fusion food and music, and includes cuisines from India (particularly Goa), Nepal, Japan, Lebanon and Mexico. The food festival or Food Truck Jam like it is sometimes also called is often set-up in luscious green lawns or playgrounds with numerous mobile food vans parked in different places selling a variety of food and beverages. It is usually accompanied by live performances and sometimes also has a flea market setup that sells handmade items and jewelry. The carnival like atmosphere is exciting and people are lapping it up for it offers them an experience different from the humdrum mall visits.

Such is the hype that in many places across Dubai they have now taken over as the official party caterer. Be it birthday or anniversary parties, or engagement dinners, hosts see the value of engaging them instead of hiring a caterer to do all the cooking. Mobile food units are obviously more effortless, efficient and hassle-free.
In Dubai, they can be rented exclusively for catering to parties, large scale concerts as well as outdoor sporting events. It is however important for hosts to remember to select a truck that serves a variety of food, so all their guests' dietary needs are met. An even better idea is to adjust the menu based on the size of the event and the tastes of the invitees. If it is a party at home, it is best to get the traffic cone indicators that can be used to mark the spot for the truck. Before the event, it is also advisable to plan with the mobile food van and set up a dining area in the front of or around it. Tables and chairs can be placed along with garbage cans around the mobile food van so that guests can grab their food and pull up a chair.

Interestingly, mobile food vans have been the preferred option in Dubai for small weddings as well. Instead of spending a fortune on a tiny amount of food, smart brides and grooms have been opting for food vans that churn out lip smacking delicacies in a small budget. Since most mobile van units offer full-service, the hosts have relatively less things to take care of or worry about.
If you are a wedding host and planning to include more than one food van, you should ideally check with your venue for adequate space and parking for multiple food vehicles. That way the trucks will be easily accessible to the guests and will also not take up more than necessary space at the venue.

Food vans help party hosts stay within budget, serve guests plenty of food and stay true to the idea of the celebration. With its popularity soaring, truck food in Dubai is definitely here to stay.

Ghaf Kitchen is a proud owner of a restored vintage Citroen which serves gourmet truck food in Dubai. It caters to both at-home small get-togethers as well as large outdoor events. Their Cafe Rider and the Motorcycle coffee shop are also equally popular amongst foodies.