Seven new food delivery brands in Dubai for 2021

Lockdown may be a distant memory, but being a sofa hog is hard to shake, especially when you’re working from home. Good thing, then, that you don’t need to step into the kitchen because Dubai has such a range of home delivery options – more, dare we say, than anywhere else on the planet! After all, we like to do things to excess under the sunny blue skies. We also like the latest thing to come down the internet webs, so it’s a good thing there’s a slew of new food brands doing door drops. Below are delivery-only options for every night of the week.

Indybox: Curry a la carton

One of our guilty pleasures here at the Gulf News villa is eating straight from the box – often while shouting at the telly. So there was no end of excitement to hear about Indybox, a contemporary, Covid-friendly take on curry night that was launched in October. From melt-in-the-mouth lamb galouti kebabs and chilli chicken sliders to 24-hour burrata dal, we’ve bookmarked several items on the menu. The owners believe home delivery should reproduce the restaurant experience so everything comes prettily packaged in a box – which means – drum roll, please – no dishes (Not to mention perfect Instagram content)! Prices begin at Dh21 for starters, ranging to Dh43 for the most expensive item (Irani berry pulao). Book on Zomato.

Gangnam Kitchen: Seoul food

Remember the catchy beat of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” that a few years ago was a real chart topper and gets us humming even now. Now we have the Korean Gangnam Kitchen that comes to the UAE by way of Austria and Singapore, serving up a range of dishes and meals to pick from. The best sellers so far are The Sweet and Savoury Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, and The Angry Chicken (hot). New on the menu is their Korean BBQ Cheeseburger, which – whether you’re dripping diamonds Gangnam Style or not – promises to have you licking your fingers. Choose your favourite one and book on talabat.

Padosan: Vegetarians are good neighbours

Good neighbours should be willing to share a recipe or two and send over the occasional treat or two. At least, that’s the custom across India, where there’s always a snack – and some neighbourly news – to accompany a cup of steaming tea. New in town is Padosan (which means neighbour in Hindi), a delivery-only vegetarian kitchen with an extensive menu from across the Indian subcontinent. It offers 10 types of Nepalese dumplings or momos, Bombay street-style Frankies or wraps, and desserts to spark your curiosity: carrot halwa momos and Nutella hot dogs. Just because it’s the end of January is no reason to abandon your new year’s resolutions. Order via Zomato or Careem.

Army Navy: A salute to fast food

With restaurants inspired by the Quonset military huts so common across the Philippines, Army Navy needs no introduction to UAE’s Filipino community , for whom it represents a taste of home. Those new to the brand now have an opportunity to appreciate the impact of the American presence on the archipelago thanks to a number of classic Pinoy-American dishes: the burgers and burritos are popular here, while the cheese-slathered open-faced Querida Mia quesadilla is part-pizza, part-TexMex. You can cool yourself later with a draught of Libertea iced tea. Available on talabat.

Open Sesame: Hummus is where the heart is

For everyone who believes that hummus rules the world, the launch of Open Sesame will come as no surprise. One of several new homegrown brands to spread the love of Middle Eastern food to a chill new generation, it offers innumerable variations on the classic chickpea-tahini marriage. There’s a pesto crunch hummus bowl with grana padano and roasted mushrooms, a spciy babaghanoush hummus bowl with almonds, habaneros and aubergine, and the one we’re leaning to, the Beef Marinara hummus bowl, with roasted peppers, feta cheese and herby marinara sauce. Is that a dip too far? There’s only one way to find out: plan a hummus tasting. Book via Zomato or talabat.

OPTP: Twice the (fried) fun

The best potatoes come from Idaho but the best recipe for French fries comes from Belgium. That’s the beginning of a food fight right there, but a proud Karachi-born brand has figured out how to make it all work. Over 20 years old, OPTP specialises in hand-cut, twice-cooked fries that are crisp on the outside but fluffy on the inside. If you can’t make a meal of potatoes (what sort of person are you?) they also have chicken wings, and burgers. Available on talabat.

Pedalo gelato: A chilled desert rose for dinner

Couldn’t get away to Italy last summer? With travel on hold for the foreseeable future, why not let the Italian Riviera come to your private sand dune? Pedalo Gelato & Floats is a brand of melty, gooey authentic Italian ice cream that was created by two Dubai expats and inspired by the city we all call home. That means you can summon up some out-there flavours, including desert rose (vanilla and rose water) and banana cheesecake. Not only can ice-cream be a meal, when it is gelato, it’s acceptable to have it with breakfast – there’s even a special gahwa and dates flavour, called majlis. Go on, you owe it to yourself at the finale of a long day of work (from home). Book on Zomato.