Expo 2020 Dubai’s Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week highlights sustainable diet plans

DUBAI: Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week, the ninth of 10 Theme Weeks that underpin Expo 2020 Dubai’s pivotal Programme for People and Planet, and trends shaping the future of food will be in the spotlight.

Hosted in conjunction with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the week aims to deliver healthy and nutritious diets in a sustainable manner.

With the goal to develop and commoditise new products and processes that are unique, sustainable and accessible to all, change-makers, innovators and stakeholders will set out to shake the future of food and agriculture.

Expo 2020 Dubai is at the forefront of innovation, so it follows that many of its restaurants are already diversifying the way we eat.

Alif Café by Farm2Table

An experiential dining space, Alif Café by Farm2Table is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Jessica Queitsch and Humaid Alremeithi, serving natural meals sourced fresh from heritage farms. The couple pride themselves in spearheading the local sustainable food movement and Alif’s novel menu changes every month, with February’s focus on the Arabian Peninsula, starring specialities from the UAE and its neighbours. Diners can enjoy 25 per cent off the menu during Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week.

Alif – The Mobility Pavilion

Alkebulan African Dining Hall

A gateway to African food, culture, art and music, Alkebulan – curated by celebrity chef Alexander Smalls – spotlights the flavours of the continent’s diaspora in an innovative yet authentic manner. The concept has proved so popular at Expo 2020 Dubai that Smalls plans to transport it to London and New York. From a Durban bunny chow – lamb curry served in a hollowed-out bread loaf – to low-cholesterol ostrich sliders served on plantain bread, and Mombasa mahi mahi served with pigeon peas, a unique culinary adventure awaits all tastes.

Jubilee

Kojaki

Diners will find traditional Korean favourites at Kojaki, including sweet and spicy chicken and kimchi stew, but they will also be introduced to a healthy, modern take on a traditional dessert: bingsu. Japanese ice, shaved into a fluffy consistency, is flavoured either with green tea – with different textures of white chocolate and matcha cheesecake – or strawberry, topped with a frothy pink mousse.

Opportunity District

Mudra

With an upsurge in demand for innovative products that fuel a healthy lifestyle, plant-based alternatives are growing increasingly popular. Step forward best-selling author and raw-food maestro Matthew Kenney with his rooftop restaurant Mudra, which serves plant-based pizza, Nikkei sushi – featuring Peruvian ingredients – fusion plates and cocktails. The kabob, which features tempeh (fermented soybeans), pineapple and herbed couscous salad, is a must-try. Diners can enjoy 25 per cent off the menu during Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week.

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion

Schengen Lounge

Celebrated chef Kim Kevin de Dood has re-invented the traditional Luxembourgish dumpling for Expo 2020 Dubai by using smoked duck to make it more accessible to Middle Eastern diners.

Luxembourg Pavilion, Opportunity District

Veg’d

Veg’d is another project from Kenney, who is determined to show the world that plant-based food is the future. Just because it’s fast food, however, doesn’t mean it has to be calorific, and Veg’d’s nourishing plant-based dishes on the go – from ‘Protein for Pros’ smoothies, to bowls, burritos and burgers – are testament to this. Diners can enjoy 25 per cent off the menu during Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week.

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion

Wofl

While most people are familiar with sweet waffles served with butter, fudge sauce or berries and cream, at the Wofl food truck in front of the Norway Pavilion, they’ve reimagined the traditional waffle to create a selection of savoury versions. Toppings range from New York deli-style to Indian – a hot favourite is the Dragon’s Breath, packed with sweet chilli beef, fresh crispy yellow bell peppers, romaine lettuce and spring onions, on a bed of sour cream. To keep up with the rise in food sensitivities and allergies, are also wholegrain organic buckwheat or gluten-free options. 

Norway Pavilion, Opportunity District

XYST

Kenney makes it a hat-trick with his third vegan concept, XYST. With its mixed Mediterranean-Middle Eastern approach, featuring plant-based shawarmas and stuffed flatbreads, plant-based food is made accessible to everyone.

Diners can enjoy 25 per cent off the menu during Food, Agriculture & Livelihoods Week.

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion

Source: Expo 2020 Website