There are tens of thousands of food lists on the internet. But, here's a list only for ambitious eaters. Did you know that there are restaurants around the world that serve portions of food so big that only the most aspiring eaters can finish them? Some dishes are so huge that they are well-known challenges among professional eaters (yes, that is a term!), and have their own Wall of Fame! Surely, you won't be surprised that one of the dishes on our list, is from Dubai, because who knows how to be extra like Dubai does? Behold, here are our picks for seven extra large foods from around the world.
1. The Giant Sicilian pizza from California, US
Let's start with pizzas, the midnight snack of champions. In the United States, the Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria in Los Angeles, California, serves the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Called the 'Giant Sicilian', it measures a massive 54 inches wide and 54 inches long. The pizza is cut into 200 slices and it is impossible for one person to finish it. This dish that costs a cool $250 (Dh918.25) can feed up to 70 people.
Wondering if there is a giant oven that bakes this pizza? Well, not really. According to their website: "The Giant Sicilian Pizza requires multiple pizza experts to make and bake. Our ovens don't have the capacity to cook this pizza so we use a custom made extension that sits on the open door and creates a seal between the door and the oven to keep in the heat, as almost one-fourth of the pizza sticks out of the oven. The pizza is rotated throughout the cooking time to assure it cooks evenly on all sides."
2. The giant Indian jalebi at Satu's Sweets, Mumbai, India
Have a sweet tooth? Then you will love the crispy, sweet, Indian dessert called the jalebi. But, a small restaurant in Chembur, in the heart of the Indian city of Mumbai, takes jalebis to the next level. Where a usual piece of jalebi weighs just 50-55grams, Satu's Sweets makes a jalebi that is no less than 1 kilogram in weight. Here's how they make it. First, a thick batter of refined wheat flour and cornflour is crispy-fried in oil using a circular motion of the hand. Then, it is given a long dip in a huge bowl of sugar syrup and served with crushed pistachios and edible silver. Sounds delicious, but is it really possible for one person to finish it alone? The restaurant has a challenge for its customers. Anyone who can finish this jalebi worth Rs.400 (Dh20.18), in 15 minutes, can have it for free. "In 2019, popular American YouTuber Randy Santel took the challenge and finished one whole giant jalebi in under 15 minutes," the restaurant manager Kapish Jawani told Gulf News.
3. Texas-sized donuts from Round Rock Donuts, Texas, United States
Wait... one donut the size of 12? We donut know who would attempt to finish this 14-inch-long dessert alone. At two whole pounds, it’s not particularly light. You will probably need a few hands to even hold this giant dessert that costs $9.98 (Dh36.66) at Texas’s Round Rock Donuts. Apparently, each mega-donut comes glazed and frosted. It is so big that it is even called the Texas-sized donut. Here's a picture comparing it to a regular donut, just for perspective.
4. The Beast Burger at Claw BBQ, Dubai
In the city of Dubai, where we hold many records for the world's biggest and the largest, a big food challenge may not be surprising. But, this Dh250 burger is a sight to behold. At Claw BBQ in Dubai's Souk Al Bahar, this behemoth of a burger weighs over 3 kilograms, comes with lettuce, tomatoes, onion rings, pickle, and all. But, that's not it. The beast burger arrives on a giant plate surrounded by a sea of chili cheese fries. Anyone who can finish the burger in 45 minutes sees their name immortalised on the Wall of Fame and gets the meal for free.
5. Blondies Kitchen, London, United Kingdom
Have a special place in your tummy for cookies? Can't resist the aroma of that baked goodness? Then the next time you’re in London, head straight to Blondies Kitchen at London's Selfridges department store. The restaurant serves a 12-inch cookie pizza made with a vanilla dough base, which is then topped with Nutella and peanut butter and cut into eight slices.
The giant cookie costs £30 (Dh151.36) and is available only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (however, coronavirus restrictions seem to have affected this).
6. Yasmine's Steakhouse & Butcher Shop, Shanghai, China
Love a mean steak? A steakhouse in China is known to serve an impossibly large over-4-pound porterhouse steak. Served juicy, it comes accompanied with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, a side salad, and bread. Yasmine’s Steakhouse and Butcher Shop sells the dish at approximately $145 (Dh532.58) and comes with free soft drinks to help you wash it all down.
7. Giant tacos at O’Tacos in Lille, France
Who doesn't want to taste some fine French cuisine with fancy names when in France? But, if you want to do things a little differently, then head straight towards the Belgian border, to the industrial city of Lille.
Here you’ll find a restaurant called O’Tacos serving up a humongous taco weighing around 2.5kg loaded with ground beef, chicken, sausage, chicken nuggets, french fries and cheese sauce, all wrapped up in six tortillas. Should you be successful enough to finish the dish within a two-hour time limit, your name will earn a permanent spot on the restaurant's Wall of Fame, and get the 22€ (Dh97.36) dish free of cost. But, don't underestimate it, the taco is truly bigger than your face.
