Sufret Maryam Dubai

“The truth is I tried to dine at Sufret Maryam three times, but it was always fully booked until one fine Saturday lunchtime.

Busy is a good sign, but this is expected from a relatively new opening by Chef Salam Daqqaq; a woman exalted across multiple fronts.

Her worshipped Bait Maryam started a snowball effect that led to Michelin Guide gongs, MENA 50 Best list slots and a MENA’s Best Female Chef Award and, of course, the irresistible PR catnip of Somebody Feed Phil. The likes of Massimo Bottura and others flocked to Bait Maryam and, now, we congregate around Sufret Maryam which, if you did not know, means “Maryam’s Dining Table”. ”

These are the first paragraphs from a write up I wrote about @sufretmaryam by national treasure Salam Daqqaq, @bait.maryam.

You can read more about it via the link in my profile!

#sufretmaryam #itsliamcollens #substackwriter #dubairestaurants #levantinefood #wheretoeatdubai #wasl51 Less

International accolades from Michelin and 50 Best have catapulted Palestinian chef-owner Salam Dakkak’s @bait.maryam in JLT to stardom. Seven years after opening her first baby, her second-born @sufretmaryam in Jumeirah’s Wasl 51 complex pays tribute to the Levant region with a compact, elevated menu of meze plates - in contrast to the cosy charm and mammoth selection at the OG.

A pause here to flag the use of the words ‘Levantine’ and ‘Levant’ and their colonial adoption. Something I had never considered until I saw chef, cookbook author and historian @bethanykehdy ‘s recent video and article. All linked in my newsletter on this new opening, emailed to my tribe yesterday - see second link in bio, and stories 🔗 So will you join me in referencing this cuisine as Shami?

This is NOT a restaurant review. Why? A couple of reasons.

🍉 I broke my rule of visiting new restaurants in their opening month. In line with my editorial policy, I like to give new openings a month or so to settle in and iron out any teething issues. However, I was keen to include Sufret Maryam in a feature that I wrote for an international publication - and paid it a visit a month ago.

🍉 Palestinian-owned restaurants can benefit from as much love and custom (i.e. paying the bill) as we can shower upon them. So whilst I find it hard to turn off my critical eye and palate anywhere I eat, it’s unfair to willingly dish out criticism to restaurants whose owners, families and friends are suffering from a genocide. 🇵🇸 #UAERestaurantsUnite Less

“I want to eat that dish that makes you cry.”

That was the request from The Serb as we travelled the length of the city to Jumeriah and Sufret Maryam - the second chapter in Chef Salam Daqqaq’s astonishing restaurant journey.

In some ways, food is the great leveller.

On a Friday night, there were families, friends, cultural differences, different religions, beliefs, different histories and different futures, all coming together as equals.

Menu items like Fatet Mousakhan, Yafa Orange Juice and Watermelon Soda remind us of the importance of gastronomy in protecting cultures, and history.

And humanity.

A restaurant table may strip away the complexities of identity for an evening, but the very food we share is a reflection of the societal structures that shape our world.

Never better illustrated than Sufret Maryam – a haven for peace, conviviality and tolerance, serving food from a culture under dire threat and extreme distress.

The Serb wanted to eat the dish that makes you cry. Take your pick.

Silky hummous, moreish meat dumplings, charred and chewy Khobez bread and shish tawook so soft you could cut it with a spoon. And of course, the famous, emotional Tarsheeha dish.

The waiters, creating table real estate out of thin air, transformed our table into a banquet of premium comfort food.

With Chef Salam checking in on you from time to time, this is comfort dining at its finest.

Chef Salam is building something important with Sufret Maryam.

Legacy, generational dining and cultural guardianship, all wrapped up in a homely, embracing restaurant that welcomes you into its arms, in a mothering, loving hug you didn’t know you needed. Less