What Happened After Netflix Put Her Dubai Food Business on the Map | Arva Ahmed

Send us Fan MailChef JKP sits down with Arva Ahmed, Co-Founder of Frying Pan Adventures, for a conversation about food, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and the cultures that have shaped Dubai’s food scene.Arva shares how her relationship with food evolved from childhood memories in the UAE to running a late-night food business from her university dorm in the US. After returning to Dubai, she began exploring the smaller restaurants and communities that were largely missing from the city’s food conversation, eventually turning that curiosity into Frying Pan Adventures.She also opens up about building the business through years of experimentation, the impact of appearing on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil, and why she stopped waiting for her dream food show to happen and created Ditch the Silver herself. They also explore how Dubai’s food scene has evolved, what makes great food storytelling, and why understanding the audience matters when creating content.WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE• Growing up in Sharjah and Dubai and her earliest food memories• Running a food business from her university dorm• How food became a way to connect with people• Why she wanted to change the narrative around Dubai’s food scene• Building Frying Pan Adventures and learning through experimentation• The impact of appearing on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil• Why she stopped waiting for her dream food show and created Ditch the Silver• What makes great food storytelling and contentCHAPTERS00:00 Growing Up With Food In The UAE18:44 Starting A Food Business From Her University Dorm35:35 The Idea Behind Frying Pan Adventures44:19 The First Food Tour & What Went Wrong49:23 Building Frying Pan Adventures01:09:10 Appearing On Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil01:25:18 How Dubai’s Food Scene Has Changed01:42:24 Advice For Food CreatorsFEATURED GUESTArva AhmedCo-Founder, Frying Pan Adventureshttps://www.instagram.com/arva.ahmed/SEASON 13 PARTNERThis season is proudly sponsored by Elle & Vire Professionnel, trusted by chefs around the world for exceptional French dairy products shaped by decades of expertise and craftsmanship.Elle & Vire Professionnel Middle Easthttps://www.instagram.com/ellevirprofessionnel_me/AUDIO PARTNERRØDEhttps://rode.com/SUPPORT THE SHOWChef JKP Thermos Flaskhttps://chefjkp.com/product/jkp-thermos-flask/FOLLOW CHEF JKPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjkp/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefjkp/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjkpWebsite: https://chefjkp.com/Food is Memories™️ 🍸#chefjkp #thechefjkppodcast #arvaahmed #fryingpanadventures #ditchthesilver #dubaifood #foodculture #foodstories #entrepreneurshipSupport the showFollow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE