‘What The Food’ by Alserkal returns on 26-27 October

What The Food by Alserkal returns for its third edition, bringing together the city’s most exciting homegrown chefs, artisanal makers and creative culinary minds. This year’s programme is about pushing boundaries, showcasing cutting-edge culinary experiments and sparking critical conversations about food and its role in shaping communities and culture. Taking place on October 26 & 27 at Alserkal Avenue, the weekend 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.

Conversations

At the heart of What The Food are conversations that dig deep into the culture of food. The lineup includes Keynote Talks with Chef Shaw from Lila Molino and Chef Soleman from Moonrise, Matbakh series by afikra featuring Leen Al Zaben and Ziyad Ayass celebrating the rich food and drink traditions of the Arab region—focusing on the art of eating, making, and appreciating these culinary practices, and Rotating Histories: Chutneys, Bread, and the Taste of Resilience, led by Akshita Garud and Saba Sheikh of Two-Odd, explores multicultural heritage and representation through food. Other highlights include Food as Medicine with Health Nag which dives into the healing power of what we eat, Homegrown Businesses featuring Chef JP of Kooya and Necip Camcigil of One Life, How Mushrooms Nourish & Nurture People and Planet with Below Farm, Finding Community at Alserkal with Kokoro and Subko, and The Role of Anti-Inflammatory Foods in Holistic Health with DNA, and Non-Food Food Collectives brings rappers AY & Moh Flow alongside Dukkan Media to share their stories of founding food businesses.

Workshops & Food Walks 

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 with Shannon Holden, 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 leads 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, and Nightjar will offer a Coffee Roastery Tour, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from bean to cup.

Shereen Saif will guide a Foraging Workshop through The Yard, and Nada Badran of Wander With Nada will take participants on a curated Food Crawl across What The Food, spotlighting the festival’s culinary diversity.

Chefs & Culinary Concepts 

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 that features hand-pressed tortillas paired with premium meats. Chef Federico Bartoli of MONNO, 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. Chef Brandos will present his Colombian heritage through delicious grilled specialties and Kooya’s JP Anglo will revive his native Filipino cuisine with vibrant flavours. Chef Kelvin Kelly of One Life will present a diverse menu crafted from natural ingredients, and Cream by hrmny will offer limited-edition ice cream sandwiches in exclusive flavours created specially for What The Food.

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 will present freshly made pasta, meticulously handcrafted in the Italian tradition; What’s In Z Box will offer ready-to-bake cookie kits for kids; Yalabucha’s selection of kombucha with fruity, elevating, and playful blends; The Goodness Company’s vegan plant-based chocolate treats; desert-grown mushrooms from Below Farm in Abu Dhabi; and organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables from Pure Harvest, among others.

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. 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 screen two films focused on food: The Truffle Hunter (2020), which follows a group of men searching for rare white Alba truffles in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, and Sweet Bean (2015), in which a bakery owner hires an elderly woman after tasting her food, leading to a deep bond between them.

Across the weekend, What The Food brings together an exciting lineup of music curated by Quoz Encore—the platform for debuting artists at Quoz Arts Fest––featuring Ammar Ashkar, Soli Y, Sandra Ivette & Gigi Milán, DJ Hend and Akkaouiz.