You’ve seen the splashy malls, but have you tried the kebabs in Old Dubai?

Before Dubai became a maze of Michelin spots, skyscrapers, swanky bars, coffee shops, and all that jazz, and chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsuhisa transformed it into a world-class dining city, the dining options were few and far but the fare—shawarmas and kebabs to steaks—was stellar. Sisters Arva and Farida Ahmed remember that time well.

In an attempt to nudge locals, expats, and tourists to look beyond the sheen and shine, they started Frying Pan Adventures in 2013, a guided food tours company that gets you into the deepest corners of Old Dubai for some seriously good food. Over a decade, the duo has found their niche in curating immersive and very informative three- to four-hour food experiences that make walking with them a shortcut to gaining insider knowledge. You can sign up to sample traditional Emirati food or taste street food found along the old souks like an old-school Dubaian.

On a recent trip to Dubai, I tried their Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage in Deira—a 3.5-hour tour that led me to Palestinian falafel, Arabic baklava, traditional Iraqi dishes, and a surprising amount of fun facts. From hole-in-the-wall kebab joints to secret hangouts, here are some food stops that offer a real sense of the history and the diverse influences that shape Dubai today.

Make your own falafel sandwich at Sultan Dubai Falafel

By now, we have all become hummus-and-falafel people. The Middle Eastern snack is a constant on menus across India, but a visit to this place is likely to ruin every falafel you get back home. From the outside, Sultan Dubai Falafel looks like just another neighbourhood spot, but walk in once and you’ll keep coming back on every trip. The owner is Palestinian-Jordanian, and you’ll taste it in the bright green pepper and lemon tatbeela dip that he drizzles all over the creamy hummus.

While their build-your-own falafel sandwich is a stroke of genius, you can also opt for their falafel mahshi—a stuffed fried ball made in an aleb (falafel scoop), topped with tangy sumac and hot shatta. Here, the shatta’s the real star: a punchy mix of sweet red peppers and spicy red chillies. Add a side of their slow-cooked emerald-green fava beans; totally worth it.

Kunafa watching at Qwaider Al Nabulsi

Before pistachio-stuffed kunafa chocolate bars achieved cult status and became a global sensation, this Palestinian-Jordanian sweet shop is where the aroma of butter, cheese and sugar wafted through Al Muraqqabat late into the night. The magic lies in the salty Nabulsi cheese—a goat-and-sheep-milk blend topped with fine, crunchy kataifi noodles straight from the city of Nablus in Jordan, which makes their kunafa special. The staff is ultra-friendly and, if you ask nicely, they may just take you inside the kitchen to watch a kunafa come together—the trippiest kitchen experience I’ve ever witnessed.

Besides their bestselling kunafa, the space also does savoury dishes like mansaf (meat slow-cooked in preserved yoghurt, served over buttery rice) and musakhan (chicken with sour sumac and caramelised onions, served over bread).

Iraqi kebabs at Kabab Erbil Iraqi

While you’ll find kebabs pretty much everywhere in Dubai, this Iraqi spot in Deira does them its own way. Their crowd-favourite, Kabab Erbil Al Iraqi, traces its roots back to Kirkuk, where the original restaurant opened in 1973. These kebabs are richer than anything I’ve tried before, thanks to Iraqi cooks who blend in fat from the tails of special fat-tailed sheep. The result is juicy, smoky, and melt-in-your-mouth morsels of meat.

Don’t forget to leave room for Iraq’s national dish, masgouf—often described as the “taste of freedom”—a buttery freshwater carp dish that showcases a centuries-old cooking technique. Call ahead (+971 4 220 8020) to pre-order the fish by weight (a 2 kg fish is perfect for two to three hungry diners) and don’t skip the classic sides: amba (a sharp, tangy mango pickle), rayhaan (the anise-kissed basil) with hot tanoor bread.

Flaky, nutty baklava at Al Samadi Sweets

This shop will make you feel like a kid in a candy store. There are sweets in all shapes and sizes, and honestly, it’s hard to decide. The baklava, of course, is one of the more popular desserts. If you’re up for something new, their ma’moul is a must-try. These semolina cookies are usually stuffed with walnuts, pistachios or dates. There’s also basbousa, another semolina-and-nut treat—sweet and delicious—and the halawat al-jibin, a sweet rosewater-tinged cheese roll with clotted cream topped with pistachios and preserved lemon flower petals

In Arabic culture, you always accept a cup with your right hand, Arva tells me. And soon I am handed a glass of gahwa to taste—an unsweetened drink brewed with lightly roasted beans and infused with cardamom.

Book the tour on fryingpanadventures.com. Non-refundable option: AED 435; Flex option: AED 478.50