'I just tried Dubai's viral $30 chocolate and I have so many thoughts.'

My phone has clearly heard me munching on one too many Caramello Koalas, because a few weeks ago my TikTok feed was suddenly filled with one thing.

Chocolate.

More specifically, the 'viral Dubai chocolate' — thick, brick-like bars painted like works of art filled with a bright green pistachio filling. I could barely scroll for one minute without seeing another influencer cracking open a bar and recording ASMR videos of the crunch (which is deeply satisfying and weirdly calming).

The viral choccy is the brainchild of Dubai local, Sarah Hamouda, who initially set up her business, Fix Dessert Chocolatier, as a side hustle while on maternity leave in 2021, CNN reports.

But now the chocolate is known the world over and when I say it's viral, I mean viral. One video from food influencer Maria Vehera trying it has been viewed 93 million times.

I mean… LOOK AT IT.

Yum. I'll take 14 of 'em.

So, how do you get the viral Dubai chocolate?

You can only order the Fix chocolate bars at 2pm and 5pm on one delivery service in Dubai (bizarrely, it's Deliveroo).

There's no storefront and no pre-ordering, so any products you see in the shops are dupes. And because the chocolates are handmade, there's a limit to how many can be made and sold each day.

I'm a sucker for anything limited edition and the challenge of getting it only made me want it more.

So when I was lucky enough to travel to Dubai last week, I had one mission: get my hot little hands on that chocolate and see if it was really worth the hype. (And, you know, experience the culture, visit the souks, shop like a maniac, eat at amazing restaurants and make lifelong memories… but the chocolate was a priority.)

Did I know I was getting caught up in the hype? Yes.

Did it stop me? Absolutely not.

I knew the process of getting this chocolate had been gamified to create demand and I was happy to play along.

One more thing to know is that these chocolates are NOT cheap. One block set me back $29AUD. Yep, about the same price as nine Cadbury blocks in a Woolies sale but I did it for the plot, let's move on.

There's also a limit of six blocks per order, which is lucky because I wouldn't have been able to control myself.

After a particularly stressful experience on shotty wifi, I managed to get my hands on two types — the original 'Can't Get Knafeh Of It' with crispy knafeh mixed with pistachio and tahini paste encased in milk chocolate and the 'Pick Up A Pretzel' with crispy knafeh and crushed salted caramel pretzels encased in milk chocolate.

My review of the viral Dubai chocolate. 

I'll admit, the minute I hit 'confirm' on the order and watched the money drain from my bank account,  I had a sinking feeling that I'd just made a stupid purchase (again). After all, is anything that goes so viral ever really worth the hype?

But I must say I was pleasantly surprised because… IT. WAS. BLOODY. DELICIOUS.

First, I tried the original bar and the filling was the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet and creamy all at once. I may have squealed a little bit.

It's also incredibly rich. I can regularly devour a family block of chocolate in one sitting but I only got through two of the 10 squares and was ready to stop (but I'm no quitter).

Stuffing my face with the 'Can't Get Knafeh Of It' bar, then the gooey insides of the 'Pick Up A Pretzel' flavour. Images: Supplied. 

While the pistachio option is the one that put Fix on the map, the pretzel option was the standout for me. Think Reese's Peanut Butter Cups mixed with Lindt chocolate. Soooooo good.

The knafeh — a traditional arabic dessert — also added a unique flavour combination I hadn't experienced before and felt fitting of the boujie holiday I was enjoying in Dubai.

Yes, $29 is a ridiculous amount to spend on a bar of chocolate, I know this.

But I justified it in the same way I justify everything: I don't drink coffee so I save (make) at least $5 a day to put towards other little treats. It's just math.

So if you ever find yourself passing through Dubai, I highly recommend trying one for yourself. And bring me back a bar, will you?

Feature image: Supplied.