Yes, Dubai chocolate is worth the hype — and it’s all over Philly now. Here’s where to buy it.
Philadelphia is obsessed with Dubai chocolate. Here's where to find the viral dessert.

In 2023, an influencer posted a TikTok of herself in a car munching on a FIX Dessert Chocolatier chocolate bar. The video went viral — racking up more than 7 million likes — and sparked cravings around the world, including in Philly.
That’s what inspired Bishara Kuttab and Zohra Saibi to hop on the trend at their Northeast Philly market and café in 2024. A year later, LeSouk Market continues to sell out of its expanded Dubai chocolate menu, which now includes six variations of the viral dessert.
“We always had all the products — we had the chocolate, the kataifi (phyllo), the pistachio cream," Kuttab said. “But once the craze came in and they put it all together, we tried it out. We realized the trend had legs — it wasn’t like others."
What is Dubai chocolate?
Dubai-based FIX Dessert developed its signature bar — “Can’t Get Knafeh Of It” — to satisfy founder Sarah Hamouda’s knafeh and pistachio pregnancy cravings, according to BBC.
The original bar is made with milk chocolate, pistachio cream, tahini, and crunchy shards of knafeh (phyllo dough). Online, it evolved into a category of desserts loosely dubbed “Dubai chocolate.”
For Kuttab, the viral treat highlights flavors from his Palestinian background. Ingredients like kataifi and pistachios are widely used in Arab cuisine, and sharing them with Philly has been a draw.
That cultural connection also inspired Nima Etemadi of Cake Life Bake Shop in Fishtown to create his own spin on Dubai chocolate.
“It’s not specifically Persian, but [the dessert] brings in a lot of these Middle Eastern flavors into a rice Kispie treat,” he said. “Part of the enjoyment of Dubai chocolate is the various textures, along with the flavors — so we thought, ‘what it be like in a rice Krispie.’"
Kuttab and Etemadi aren’t the only ones crafting Dubai chocolate dupes. From mochi doughnuts to strawberry cups, here are the best places to get your fix:
Haraz Coffee House
Inside Philly’s first Yemeni coffee shop, Dubai chocolate comes in three forms: mosaic triangle-shaped cakes, gooey brownies, and dessert cups layered with fresh strawberries, pistachio cream, and kataifi.Each offers a creamy, crunchy medley of textures and flavors. Pair one — or all three — with a steaming cup of Adeni chai. If you ask nicely, the baristas might even whip up an iced latte with chocolate and pistachio.
📍3421 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, 📞 855-427-2985, 🌐 harazcoffeehouse.com
Cake Life Bake Shop
What if all the elements of Dubai chocolate were nestled in a rice Krispie treat? At Cake Life Bake Shop in Fishtown, folks can find Dubai chocolate Krispie rice squares on the weekends. The fluffy, chewy base is filled with a nutty, crunchy filling that offers the perfect contrasting textures in this treat.
📍1306 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19125,📞 215-268-7343, 🌐 cakelifebakeshop.com
Paris Baguette
Walk up to the display cases at Paris Baguette and choose from two options of Dubai chocolate. There’s a chewy mochi doughnut drizzled with pistachio and chocolate, and a silky chocolate tart topped with crushed pistachios. Wash it all down with a matcha latte swirled with pistachio cream and chocolate, finished with a sprinkle of shredded phyllo. Dubai chocolate items are available at all locations.
📍1717 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, and other locations,📞 215-419-5933, 🌐 parisbaguette.com
LeSouk Market
At LeSouk Market in Northeast Philly, there’s an entire menu dedicated to Dubai chocolate. Choose from cups filled with strawberries smothered in pistachio cream, milk chocolate, as well as chocolate cakes topped with the same signature ingredients. For ice cream lovers, consider the Dubai sundae: vanilla and chocolate soft serve coated in pistachio cream, kataifi, peanuts, and a milk chocolate cast for a crunchy, cream version of the popular dessert.
📍7952 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19111, 📞 267-748-2477, 🌐 lesoukmarket.com
Aroma Bakery
Old City’s newest bakery, Aroma Bakery, is known for sweet treats like cinnamon buns and fruit cakes — so it’s no surprise they’ve added Dubai chocolate to the mix. Find slices of Dubai cheesecake coated in milk chocolate and topped with crushed pistachios, or pick up a chunky, decorated Dubai chocolate bar to go.
📍160 N 3rd St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 445-245-9284, 🌐 instagram.com/aroma_bakery_coffee
Weckerly’s Ice Cream
Owner Cristina Torres created a deconstructed version of Dubai chocolate to bring the viral dessert to her ice cream shop. The flavor, introduced with the opening of Weckerly’s Center City location in May, has quickly become a favorite. It features sweet cream churned with shredded phyllo dough, imported Italian pistachio cream, and housemade dark chocolate — available at both locations.
📍9 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19125 and other locations,📞 215-423-2000, 🌐 weckerlys.com
Apricot Stone
At the bottom of the menu at this Northern Liberties BYOB, diners will find Dubai chocolate listed amongst the collection of desserts. The thick chocolate bar layered with kataifi and pistachio. It pairs perfectly with a cup of the restaurant’s strong, bitter Armenian coffee.
📍428 W Girard Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19123,📞 267-606-6596, 🌐 apricotstonephilly.com