Dubai cafe’s ‘Chocolate Kunafa Pani Puri’ sparks outrage; Desi Indians are upset

Dubai’s food scene is no stranger to bold experiments, but a recent fusion dish at Bhukkad Cafe, based in Al Karama has left food lovers both bewildered and outraged. The viral dish—‘Chocolate Kunafa Pani Puri’—has’ triggered a heated debate on social media, with many demanding its removal from the menu.
A fusion no one asked for?
Bhukkad Cafe's newest fusion combines two traditional dishes from each other's cooking cultures—Kunafa, which is a Middle Eastern treat of chocolate layered with cheese and syrup-soaked crispy layers of dough, and India's popular street food popular, Pani Puri – a crispy hollow poori that is typically filled with boiled chickpeas or chana and some spicy & tangy chutneys along with spicy water.
However, in this controversial reinvention, the Pani Puri shells are stuffed with Kataifi (shredded phyllo dough) and pistachio cream, then drenched in chocolate syrup—a combination that has left food purists horrified.
The viral moment
A Dubai-based food vlogger named Zehra A Syed recently posted a video featuring the hollow Puris filled with Kunafa dessert served on a toy cart with glasses of chocolate syrup, which has amassed thousands of views. Her verdict? The presentation was impressive, but the taste didn't live up to expectations. She admitted she wouldn't try it again, echoing the sentiments of many netizens.
Social media backlash
It is an online storm of negativity where people are saying that the nation's favourite old dishes are “being experimented with” in the name of fusion.
People took sarcastic jibes on this video and one person commented that she’ll send her ‘enemies’ there, while another commented that “we need to stop with the Kunafa pistachio trend please.”
Another person taking a sarcastic jibe at the video said that “I am waiting when this trend will get dip into Kunafa Nihari & muddle itself in Kunafa biryani.”
Fusion or culinary offence?
This creation joins a growing trend of experimental fusion foods that blur culinary boundaries. While food innovation is generally welcomed, some traditions seem best left untouched. Many critics argue that the success of a dish shouldn't be measured by its viral appeal but by its ability to honour the heritage and authenticity of the flavours it represents.
The debate rages on, but one thing is for sure, not all fusion dishes are crowd-pleasers, and Chocolate Kunafa Pani Puri might just be one fusion too far!
(Thumb image courtesy: Instagram/@z.blogs & Canva)