Alserkal Avenue’s food festival will span films, workshops, guided walks, art installations, and culinary pop-ups.
Made a trip to Alserkal Avenue lately? Dubai’s art and culture district has transformed into a bona fide foodie destination as of late, with the likes of BKRY, Kokoro, and Pekoe Tea & Bread Bar, and Lila Molino + Cafe taking over our social media feeds. Now, with the third edition of What The Food on the horizon – running from 26 to 27 October – it’s set to bring together the city’s most exciting homegrown chefs, artisanal makers, and creative culinary minds.
We’re told that this year’s edition is anchored in pushing boundaries, showcasing cutting-edge culinary experiments, and sparking critical conversations about the role of food in shaping communities and culture, so expect a packed programme that features thought-provoking talks, immersive installations, workshops, food walks, and film screenings — all aimed at educating, inspiring and challenging everything we thought we knew about food. Here’s what to expect.
Conversations
At the heart of What The Food are conversations that dig deep into the culture of food, translating into a line-up that includes talks by chefs Shaw from Lila Molino and Soleman from Moonrise. The Matbakh series by afikra, meanwhile, will feature Leen Al Zaben and Ziyad Ayass celebrating the rich food and drink traditions of the Arab region. Also on the roster is Rotating Histories: Chutneys, Bread, and the Taste of Resilience led by Akshita Garud and Saba Sheikh of Two-Odd, set to explore multicultural heritage and representation through food. Other highlights include Food as Medicine by Health Nag (a dive into the healing power of what we eat) and Desert-Grown Healing by Below Farm (exploring the unique ability of mushrooms to support both human and planetary health).
Workshops & Food Walks
True to the enterprising DNA of Alserkal Avenue, this year’s programme is packed with hands-on workshops and food walks designed to inspire participants to become creators themselves. Highlights include a masterclass on knafeh-making with chef Halawa, Do The Rice Thing (an exploration of rice’s significance as the backbone of the global agricultural economy), and Tools and Tales of a Kitchen (a ceramics workshop led by multidisciplinary artist Rania Jishi).
Kuto Knives will offer Edge Craft, a Japanese knife-sharpening workshop, while CarniStore is scheduled to lead a steak workshop to master the art of preparing the perfect steak. Tonique will host a mixology workshop, revealing the secret art of ice-cutting, while Nightjar will offer a coffee roastery tour to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from bean to cup. Nada Badran of Wander With Nada will take participants on a curated Food Crawl across What The Food, spotlighting the festival’s culinary diversity, followed by a foraging workshop led by Shereen Saif through The Yard.
Chefs & Culinary Concepts
Simultaneously, the festival will feature ten leading chefs and makers in dedicated pop-ups, each showcasing their unique cultural and culinary heritage through curated menus. Highlights include chefs Isaac and Josue of Tacos Los Hermanos, who are bringing an authentic Mexican taco experience straight from their hometown of Guadalajara. Chef Shaw of Lila Molino will team up with Carnistore for a collaboration featuring hand-pressed tortillas paired with premium meats.
Elsewhere, chef Federico Bartoli of Monno fame will offer a handcrafted Italian menu filled with small bites and bowls, while chef Reif Othman of Hoe Lee Kow will reimagine Korean cuisine with a contemporary twist. Joining them will be chef Brandos, who will present his Colombian heritage through delicious grilled specialties. Supporting exceptional food entrepreneurs and concepts, What The Food will feature Maknoon (an extra-virgin olive oil crafted to honour Levantine heritage and uplift local communities), Sagra Italia (freshly made pasta meticulously handcrafted in the Italian tradition), What’s In Z Box (ready-to-bake cookie kits for kids), and Yalabucha’s selection of fruity and playful kombucha. You can also expect The Goodness Company’s plant-based chocolate treats and Below Farm’s desert-grown mushrooms onsite.
Installations
Using art as a means to raise questions, Rotating Histories: Chutneys, Bread, and the Taste of Resilience is a thought-provoking food installation created by Akshita Garud and Saba Sheikh of Two-Odd. It invites participants to gather around a table laden with an array of chutneys and dips from various regions, each bearing a history of suppression. At the centre, a rotating bread machine continuously provides fresh bread, embodying the spirit of sharing and community.
At a time of escalating unrest across the region, this communal experience symbolises resilience, cultural blending, and the ongoing fight for identity, honouring those who advocate for their dignity. Additionally, Jaipur Rugs will host an exhibition showcasing rugs from the Manchaha series, featuring food motifs that highlight the centrality of food and agricultural cycles in everyday Indian traditions, culture and history.
Films
Cinema Akil will also join the bandwagon, screening two food-centric films across the weekend: The Truffle Hunters and Sweet Bean. The former is a documentary that follows a group of men searching for rare white Alba truffles in the forests of Piedmont, capturing a vanishing way of life in Italy. The latter is a lesser-known Japanese drama, but just as engaging, depicting the deep and strong bond between a bakery owner and the elderly woman who she hires.
DSCVR: What The Food. Alserkal Avenue, 17th Street, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, Dubai. @alserkalavenue
