Foul is slow-cooked fava beans mashed with oil and spices, eaten with bread. In Abu Dhabi, a Sudanese cafeteria in Al Zahiyah opens in the evening for it.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Ful medames is a stew of cooked fava beans served with olive oil and cumin, and its place of origin is Egypt. Some writers trace it to ancient Egypt, and it is mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud, so the dish is old in the Middle East. It spread across the Arab world and Africa, reaching Sudan among many other countries. In Abu Dhabi, Abu Al Afwal has served Sudanese food in Al Zahiyah since 1975, and FACT magazine singles out its ful medames. Khaleej Times said diners scooped the creamy foul with bread on a 2025 food walk.
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Common allergens: None typical
Tip from the editors. Mash only half the beans so the dish keeps texture, and add the lemon at the end because acid slows softening while the beans cook.
Abu Al Afwal has served Sudanese foul and falafel in Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, since 1975, opening each evening and named an Urban Treasure in 2023.
Why locals goA Sudanese cafeteria in Al Zahiyah that opens only in the evening for foul and falafel, named an Urban Treasure in 2023 and a stop on a 2025 food walk of lesser-known cuisines.
TipFoul is an evening dish here: the cafeteria opens in the late afternoon and runs to 23:30 daily, so a lunchtime visit finds it closed.
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