The Rise of Chinese Food Culture in Dubai

As an important hub for East - West exchanges, Dubai in the UAE is well - known for its open business environment and inclusiveness towards diverse cultures. In recent years, Chinese food culture has risen rapidly in Dubai. It not only serves as a "nostalgia comfort" for the local Chinese community but also gradually wins the favor of Arab consumers and tourists from all over the world with its unique taste experience and innovative integration.

Recently, a Dubai food blogger named Kiani posted a video about hot pot on his social media account. In the video, he introduced his visit to a hot pot restaurant in Dubai, saying, "The delicious food here can make you feel as if you've traveled directly to Chengdu." This video got thousands of likes and became one of Kiani's most popular food videos. There are many other local food bloggers like Kiani who are attracted to Chinese food.

The hot pot restaurant is located in a Chinese - populated area, but 40% of its customers come from all over the world. On the day of a visit, all the private rooms in the restaurant were fully booked, and the lobby seats were turned over twice on average. Clint, a beverage distributor who has lived in Dubai for more than 40 years, was having hot pot with his family. He said that he has trade relations with China, often travels to different parts of China on business, and has eaten Sichuan hot pot in Chengdu. "Chinese food is a part of Chinese culture. In China, having a meal together is the best way for friends to get to know each other better. I really enjoy the experience of having hot pot and singing karaoke with Chinese friends. This is already the third time I've come here with my family."

Shira, an Iranian - origin customer, was having hot pot for the first time. "I had no idea what it was like to have hot pot, and I was worried that I wouldn't get used to it before coming. But unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the restaurant, I was infected by its decoration style and dining atmosphere. This is a gathering of several of my business partners. I especially like the feeling of sitting around the hot pot, chatting and cooking food in it."

Pan Guoyu, the chairman of the Dubai Ouma Group, the investor of the hot pot restaurant, said that the restaurant adopts a traditional Chinese decoration style. "In terms of ingredients, we keep the original taste while also making some innovations in the dishes considering local customs."

Hadi, who has lived in Dubai for a long time and is from Lebanon, once lived and worked in Xi'an for three years and loves Chinese culture very much. He is crazy about Xi'an noodles and hopes to introduce Chinese food culture to the world as a foreigner. Hadi founded a Chinese restaurant in Dubai that specializes in Xi'an noodles. Food lovers from all over the world praise Hadi's Chinese food. Hadi is not only the restaurant owner but also the head chef. Besides cooking delicious Xi'an noodles for diners in the restaurant, Hadi also teaches how to make Chinese pastries on social media, with more than 10,000 followers.

In recent years, Chinese tea shops have sprung up in Dubai. Holding a cup of Chinese milk tea has become a new sight in Dubai malls. Middle - Eastern people love sweets and have a tradition of drinking milk tea. With the entry of Chinese milk tea into Dubai, drinking milk tea has become more fashionable and also serves as a window for locals to understand and experience Chinese culture.

The exchange of food is not only a fusion of tastes but also a cultural empathy. For this reason, local hot pot restaurants arrange performances such as Sichuan Opera face - changing, noodle - tossing shows, and guzheng playing, and also provide traditional costumes for guests to take photos. Clint's four - year - old daughter was very curious about the face - changing performance, and the noodle - tossing show won rounds of applause. While enjoying Chinese food, guests are also deeply attracted by Chinese culture.

"The decoration of the hot pot restaurant is in the antique and elegant Western Sichuan style, and the names of the private rooms also have cultural characteristics of the Shu region, such as 'Plum Wine in Spring', 'Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage', and 'Oath of the Peach Garden'. Whenever foreign friends ask about the meanings of the private - room names, we will carefully explain their historical allusions. While serving good food, we also tell good Chinese stories." Pan Guoyu hopes that more people will start to like Sichuan hot pot, then Chinese food, and further become lovers of Chinese culture.