Two homegrown kitchens known for their bold, expressive flavours come together for the community as Khadak and LILA Wood Fired Taqueria present a limited-time, collaborative dining experience celebrating the shared language of spice, fire, and fermentation. Taking place across both venues in Jumeirah, the collaboration will be held on Wednesday, 22 April at LILA Molino, Al Serkal, followed by Thursday, 23 April to Friday, 24 April at Khadak in Jumeirah, with seatings available at 7 PM, 8 PM, and 9 PM. The experience brings together the vibrant street food traditions of India and Mexico through a specially curated vegetarian tasting menu created by the teams behind both restaurants.
While rooted in distinct cultures, Indian and Mexican cuisines share surprising parallels. Both celebrate the deep layers of spice, the slow transformation of ingredients through fermentation, and the joy of food meant to be shared. This collaboration explores those connections through a playful and thoughtful menu that blends techniques, ingredients, and flavours from both culinary traditions.
Chef Naved Nasir, the culinary mind behind Khadak and formerly of London’s celebrated Dishoom, brings his storytelling approach to Indian cuisine, drawing inspiration from the forgotten recipes and vibrant food streets of India. Alongside him, Khadak’s Executive Chef Zuber has helped translate this vision into dishes that balance authenticity with creativity. Completing the collaboration is Shaw Lash, founder of LILA Wood Fired Taqueria, whose cooking celebrates the bold flavours, wood-fired techniques, and vibrant spirit of Mexican taqueria culture.
Guests will experience a series of dishes that bring together Khadak’s bold Indian flavours with LILA’s wood-fired Mexican cooking. The menu opens with inventive small bites such as the Jalapeño Tepache Panipuri, where roasted pineapple, spiced chickpeas, and potato cubes are tucked into crisp puri and finished with house-fermented pineapple tepache infused with jalapeño, ginger, and lime. The Chayote Tortilla Chaat follows, layering chickpea chaat with chayote, heirloom corn tostada, house spice blends, and cooling yoghurt.
From there, the menu moves into indulgent shared plates, including the Kulcha Fundido, where Khadak’s signature kulcha is stuffed with melted Chihuahua cheese, poblano chillies, serrano peppers, and spring onions, then served with burnt garlic butter. Another highlight, the Paneer Khurchan Quesadilla, combines cottage cheese, bell peppers, and onions, cooked in a creamy tomato masala and wrapped in house-baked ghee tortillas, finished with vibrant Yucatán Xnipec salsa.
The experience continues with dishes that showcase the natural harmony between the two cuisines. Saag – A La Mexicana reimagines the North Indian classic through a Mexican lens, presenting cheesy baked greens topped with queso fresco and served with heirloom corn chips. Meanwhile, wood-roasted cauliflower is paired with a rich cashew-and-raisin mole, bringing together Kashmiri chilli, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and the deep complexity of traditional Mexican sauces.
The dessert brings together both culinary worlds with a Saffron Flan topped with sesame chikki and toasted chironji, followed by warm churros infused with star anise and cinnamon served alongside brown butter custard and cardamom.
Priced at AED 185 per person, the experience invites guests to explore how two vibrant food cultures can intersect in unexpected and delicious ways. For those looking to deepen the experience, guests can also opt for a curated house fermentation pairing featuring four pours designed to complement the menu’s bold flavours.
What began as a creative exchange between two kitchens, blending culture and community, has evolved into a menu that celebrates curiosity, craft, and the shared spirit of street food culture. Through fire-roasted ingredients, house ferments, and deeply layered spices, Khadak and LILA invite diners to experience a menu that travels from the streets of India to the taquerias of Mexico, all around one shared table.
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