As the holy month of Ramadan draws to an end, several homes across the country and preparing for Eid Al Fitr lunch with various plans. While some residents are planning made-from-scratch feasts, others are ordering in or conducting potluck gatherings.
Irrespective of the cultures and backgrounds, the one common denominator for Eid seems to be biryani. Restaurants across the UAE are preparing for the great biryani rush during the Eid week as families and friends gather for a holiday feast. This year, residents could potentially get a 9-day break if Eid Al Fitr falls on Tuesday, April 9 or a 6-day break if it falls on Monday, April 8. Eid holidays are a time for large groups of friends and extended family members to come together and enjoy hearty meals after a month of fasting. Big gatherings are very common during the holidays. Sharing food with family and friends is central to Eid celebrations.
City Makani is more than a restaurant. They bring Malabar – Kannur homely special dishes in UAE and serve authentic delicious delicacies. On the eve of Eid, while the rest of the neighborhood sleeps, a kitchen in Dubai’s Karama is buzzing with activity. Starting at 3am, City Makani restaurant is bustling with preparations for Eid Al Fitr meals — it’s all hands-on deck during the entire week, from cutting the meat to peeling onions.
At Zam Zam Mandi restaurant, which has ten branches across the UAE, a whopping 21,000 customers are expected to dine in during the first two days of Eid. “Apart from that, we are expecting a total of 12,000 delivery orders,” said Shaijal Hussain, owner of the restaurant.
In addition to the restaurants, public kitchens are very busy. Shantanu owns Mushrif Catering, which has branches in both Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. “Our Dubai orders are fully booked,” he said. “I have some spaces in Ras Al Khaimah. My largest order is for 1,100 people, for a company Eid party.”
At Dhaba Lane, the restaurant is expecting a good uptick in business. “With the expected nine days of Eid holidays, we anticipate a good level of sales coming in early on,” said Eti Bhasin, owner of the restaurant.
At the Little Lahore restaurant, the team starts work early to ensure customer wait time is minimal. “To avoid queues, we allocate time slots to people,” said Saira Ahmed
Smoki Moto, Dubai’s first Korean steakhouse, invites guests to celebrate Eid with friends and family over dinner. The restaurant is open from 5pm to 1am from Monday to Thursday and 5pm to 2am from Friday to Sunday. Smoki Moto is in Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah.
