Frying Pan Adventures Leads Dubai Food Tours Where Couples Bond Over a Hot Plate

The Short Version: Whether you are meeting for lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack, food is a big part of a date. Where you go out to eat has the potential to make or break a first date. You don’t want a seafood boil if your date is allergic to shellfish, and you don’t want to go to a steakhouse if they’re vegetarian. To set you and your date up for success, the Frying Pan Adventures offers an experience you will always cherish. Frying Pan Adventures combines the love for food and exploration, leaving guests full and with an appreciation for Dubai culture.  

I truly believe that food speaks to your soul. Nothing satisfies the same way as having a plate full of your favorite food right in front of you. It’s even better when you’re sharing it with the one you love. Whether you’re having a rough day or going on vacation, food has the power to transform moods and create memories. 

Back when I was dating, one of my favorite things to do was try new food with my new potential boo. It was a thrill discovering what we shared in common and where we differed in taste. Food gives daters the chance to connect and try something for the first time together.   

As someone who knows a thing or two about good food, CEO Arva Saleem Ahmed created the food tour company Frying Pan Adventures to share her knowledge about where to find the best local cuisine in Dubai. What first started as a blog reviewing food places has grown into a personal tour of Dubai’s hidden gems. 

“I really wanted to be the person who became synonymous with street eats and after a point, it became so intense for me that I realized this can’t be something part-time,” said Arva. “I need to actually physically take people to the places I love. It’s not enough for me to just write about these places, I want to make a life around this.”

Arva cooked up Frying Pan Adventures, a Dubai-based food tour company, to take people to the restaurants, souks, and food stops she loves the most in her hometown.

Arva told us that her blog recommended unique local haunts around Dubai. These weren’t places that people talked about in food magazines and best-of lists. She found beauty in humble eateries, and she wanted to offer foodies something different. Arva said she enjoys discovering the small unassuming eateries around Dubai, and her passion grew into a successful business that many value and love. 

“Frying Pan Adventures is thoughtful, authentic, and professional. You will fall in love with the cuisine and the stories of this fabled city. I recommend it as one of the best things you can do in Dubai, whether a newbie arrives, a visitor or a veteran of the place,” reads an online review from a satisfied tourgoer. 

Frying Pan Adventures is run by an all-women team — girl power at its finest! As a small team, the Frying Pan Adventures naturally has created a tight-knit family vibe. This contributes to the welcoming environment of each and every tour. Many guests have told Arva and the team’s passion for food, history, and Dubai is contagious. 

The tours are all conducted by someone from the team who is educated on Dubai culture and multicultural cuisine. Depending on the tour, Frying Pan Adventures tours can last up to four hours. Arva told us they like to keep the group tours small. Since COVID, group tours consist of around 10 people, making it easier to conduct a personalized experience. Guides use audio systems during the tour so that guests don’t have to stand close to one another and can feel more comfortable. 

Frying Pan Adventures ensures that everyone leaves with a full belly. Guests should come prepared and hungry as the food tour averages between four and five eating stops, including a warm-up snack in the beginning. Each spot entails more than just a simple taste tester. Arva shared that by the end of the tour, many people say they will need to skip breakfast the next day because of all the food they consumed on the tour.

“Do not hesitate to book this tour! Our guide was one of the locals herself, Farida. She was upbeat and so passionate about the area and the food,” said a Frying Pan Adventures guest in a review. “We learned a lot from her about the history and culture which helps you to really appreciate the area and food more! If you want to go where the locals go and not touristy food, this is the tour for you. Book this tour, you won’t be disappointed!”

The Frying Pan Adventure receives guests from all over the world. The tour leaders welcome world travelers, vacationers, as well as local couples seeking a fun date night. It’s reassuring for visitors to see that plenty of tours also appeal to people who live in Dubai. Arva told us that the ratio of residents to tourists is fairly high compared to other tour companies. She said it’s approximately 50% residents and 50% of visitors. 

Date nights are meant to be special for you and your special person. Frying Pan Adventures is on a mission to help you take your relationship to the next level by having a one-of-a-kind date night experience. For a more intimate experience, guests can reserve private tours. Private tours help people get one-on-one attention from tour guides. 

The tour guides are the secret sauce of the whole experience. Frying Pan Adventures prioritizes having a well-educated team that loves what they do.Tourgoers can have fun learning from tour guides. When the tour guides are more personable, it makes the experience all the more enjoyable for everyone. 

“Absolutely captivating and first-class experience through and through. Much learning about Dubai culture and history besides the culinary experience. Our guide Moza is a fascinating person with unique insights into life and the human experience; she is the kind of person we hope to see again and again in the future,” said a TripAdvisor user in a review. 

Frying Pan Adventures is more than just a food tour company. The team is truly invested in showcasing Dubai’s food scene in more ways than just one. Arva shared that they have a podcast called Deep Fried that showcases local food stories and entrepreneurs.

“Our goal is to have our hands out there in many different ways showing people how they can really taste this very delicious city in ways that they might not have expected. So whether you sign up for a tour, reach out over Instagram, or buy one of our self-guided tours. not everyone for example will join a guided tour, some people want to do it on their own,” said Arva. 

Arva also told us that DIY people can go online and purchase the tour guide route so they can do the tour on their own. Couples can take advantage of this source whenever they want to show off their hosting abilities and invite friends for a tour of the best food in town.

Creating an immersive culinary experience is at the heart of Frying Pan Adventures. From the tours to the podcast, Frying Pan Adventures has the right tools to help you create a yummy adventure your next date night. It’s time to say goodbye to microwavable foods and hello to authentic Dubai food.

Frying Pan Adventures has created an interactive experience that feels more like a dinner party than a traditional food tour. The easygoing and knowledgeable guides whisk people into their supper club and give them a taste of Dubai from a local perspective.

We can expect even more delicious food and good conversations from the Frying Pan Adventures team in the future. Its latest project is a food scavenger hunt designed in partnership with WanderWithNada. The mobile app game invites people to solve a mystery and collect clues by having certain dishes at local eateries.

Arva told us that the team is also actively looking to hire new guides who share the same passion for food and people as they do.