Well, same... So here are 5 (non-viral) dishes that I haven't stopped thinking about.

Hi guys,

In this job, I'm always eating... I've lined up, I've over-ordered and I've probably spent way too much on dishes that are TikTok viral or Insta-famous. Sadly, they're not always worth the hype.

But we don't want to be negative Nellies rn. So let's switch gears a little and talk about the five best dishes I've tried this month.

"But Yousra, it's only January 17th, you can't recap the month with a whole two weeks to go..."

First of all, yes I can because it already feels like January 52nd. (How do we still have two more weeks of this?) and second of all... I've eaten at enough places already.

So let's go... here are 5 of the best dishes I ate in January

Café Isan's laab cakes

My first bite of 2025 (at 12.05am to be exact) was the crispy, deep-fried mince chicken goodness at Café Isan. Packed with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, fresh mint, coriander and onion. It's a flavour bomb.

Maison Revka's Norwegian smoked salmon

It's a pretty simple dish, but I enjoyed it from start to finish. You get a hefty portion of thinly sliced smoked salmon, a plate of mini crêpes and glorious sour cream (the best condiment IMO). I could eat that every day and not get sick of it.

One Life Kitchen & Café's barbecue platter

Every Sunday, One Life hosts a cookout, where you get a huge platter of grilled meats for Dhs500 (and it's good for four people). We chose brisket, kofte, burgers, spicy prawns and tenderloin slices. I honestly could not get enough. Don't skip the baked sweet potato on the side. It slaps.

Alaya's short rib manti

I wouldn't be me if I didn't eat Turkish food at least twice a month. While I typically prefer a casual Turkish experience, the manti at Alaya is fire. Homemade beef-stuffed pasta is served with tomato sauce, garlic yoghurt and chilli oil. *Chef's kiss*.

Isola's truffle taglioni

My favourite hidden spot to grab a sunset dinner. Tucked away in Jumeirah Islands, this cute Italian restaurant makes a mean truffle pasta (yes, I like truffle). It's perfectly creamy with just enough of the black pungent stuff.

But over to you. What are your fave dishes? What plates can't you stop thinking about?

Slide into my inbox at yousra.zaki@itp.com because I'm always hungry for more.

Until then... stay hydrated besties,

Yousra