UAE: Onam festival comes early; restaurants dish out gourmet meals

UAE: Onam festival comes early; restaurants dish out gourmet meals

One of the best parts about living in Dubai is the opportunity to experience various traditional cuisines. The feast that accompanies the harvest festival of the southern Indian state of Kerala — Onam — is one such experience. Served at lunchtime on a banana leaf with over 25 curries and rice, it is a unique meal.

Over the last few years, the demand for this feast — called Onasadhya (Onam feast) — has risen exponentially with people of various nationalities flocking to try the all-vegetarian fare. With Onam just around the corner, restaurants around the country are starting to serve the sadhya early and over various times to cater to the burgeoning demand.

The Indian fine dining restaurant The Crossing is teaming up with self-taught chef Simy Mathews to plate up a gourmet sadhya over 9 days for dinner as well as lunch. Served as three menus of vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, the price of the sadhya starts at Dh175.

Thiruvonam, or the main day of Onam, will fall on Tuesday, August 29. It will come at the end of a ten-day celebration that begins with Atham.

“We have received an immense amount of interest,” said chef Simy. “Since most places serve sadhya only