In 2014, I published kitchen literature in Arabic with my short story collection, Tabikh Al-Wahda. A first of its kind, the book included a variety of recipes alongside stories for each dish, all rooted in the Egyptian kitchen. The book also featured two stories—one about Syneyat El Patates (Potato Tray) and another about El-Molokhia. 

The new TV mini-series streamed on Shahid and titled El-Habayeb Restaurant, resonates strongly with me, as it brings to life the flavours of the Egyptian traditional homes through recipes and stories embedded in centuries of the country's history and culture.

Directed by Essam Abdel Hamid, the series features several known actors, including Sawsan Badr (voice), Huda El Mufti, Entesar, Bayoumy Fouad, and Ahmed Malek, among others.

The recipes presented in the series create a big contrast with the Egyptian cuisine of the past thirty years, a time during which many Egyptians have distanced themselves from the traditional kitchen and forgotten the magic of households filled with the aromas of authentic dishes.

While some may view this loss as a sign of backwardness, Egyptian cuisine—from the Delta to Upper Egypt, Cairo, the Canal cities, the Mediterranean coast, the oases, and Sinai—is one of the richest and most delicious in the world.

El-Habayeb Restaurant captures this essence, offering viewers a captivating journey into the realm of ancient Egyptian cuisine, dating back to the Mamluk era.

At the heart of the series is an imagined character, Wadeeda, a simple Egyptian woman, and her beloved husband, Ali, who is sentenced to death by Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah. In a remarkable twist, Wadeeda saves her husband by preparing Molokhia, a dish forbidden by the ruler. Impressed by her cooking, Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah decides that she must prepare it exclusively for him for the rest of her life, and in return, he grants her husband his freedom.

The story walks us through generations of Wadeedas, and makes it even more touching is the voice of Sawsan Badr, who embodies the first Wadeeda. It is her who shares the story of all the Wadeedas and their restaurant, El-Habayeb Restaurant.  We learn that the restaurant closed in the 1980s, when fast food and takeaway services became popular, and people began eating quickly, abandoning the tradition of gathering around the table to savour meals.

Wadeeda Abu Al-Majd discovers the book of the Wadeedas, where each Wadeeda recorded her favourite dish or the dish that changed her life. The current Wadeeda must uncover her own dish and add her personal touch to it. This marks the development of the character of Wadeeda, who embodies the superficiality of a modern era filled with glittering yet empty images.

Wadeeda adopts the name "Didi," rejecting her real name. Despite her father being a renowned chef, she chooses to work as a gourmet—a role in which she tastes, judges, and promotes restaurants for a fee. Didi navigates a life of pretence, involved with someone who mirrors her own superficiality—a person with a fake persona and a meaningless job that generates millions without providing any real value to society.

Amidst the falsehoods surrounding her, Wadeeda's world is turned upside down when her father decides to reopen El-Habayeb Restaurant, a place once owned by her grandmother, Wadeeda Felfel. This last of the Wadeedas had vowed to close the restaurant forever, hiding her kitchen utensils, plates and pots as if they were treasures, while also concealing the Wadeedas' book for the day when it would reach the Wadeeda who truly deserved it.

The plot takes shape when Ali, a modern-day home economics teacher and talented chef from the popular Al-Qalaa area, meets Wadeeda. He dreams of opening a restaurant specializing in liver sandwiches. Ali and Wadeeda cross paths at her engagement party, where he challenges her stance on his liver sandwiches. In a playful moment, Wadeeda takes a selfie with him for her social media account, even though she hasn't tasted his food, which sparks a conflict between them.

On another front, Wadeeda’s father, Abu Al-Majd, becomes interested in Ali's liver sandwiches and asks for his contact information. However, Ali faces several setbacks: he loses his dream of opening a liver restaurant when the municipality confiscates his liver cart, and his fiancée leaves him to marry a wealthy man.

Abu Al-Majd decides to reopen El-Habayeb Restaurant after his own setbacks. He had been dismissed from a major TV channel, where he hosted a popular program because he refused to serve low-quality food catering to the fast-paced demands of the era. As a result, he seeks solace in the culinary traditions passed down by his grandmothers, embarking on a new adventure with an old restaurant in a vibrant neighbourhood.

Here, he collaborates with talented local chefs, including Elset-Ghalia, affectionately known as Umm El-Tawagen (played by Entesar), who prepares her tagines on the street, embracing the challenges that come with it. He also teams up with Mo Bashandy, a specialist in traditional dishes, and Chef Hassan (Hassan Raghif), along with his assistant Hamza El-Eili, who, like Abu Al-Majd, has struggled since leaving the renowned cooking program, facing similar hardships.
 

A group of characters finds a new beginning at El-Habayeb Restaurant, a place that opens its doors when all others have closed. They gather around Wadeeda, a young woman whose father makes her assist in the kitchen after a scandal that resulted in a one-million-pound fine. Her fiancé leaves her, and she has nowhere to turn but El-Habayeb Restaurant. Here, we witness the changing fates of everyone involved and follow the journey of "Didi," a modern girl lost in a world of superficiality, as she reconnects with Wadeeda, whose deeper roots and historical ties ground her in a different reality.

The kitchen and food in the series symbolize our ancient Egyptian heritage, representing an identity that only needs subtle touches to remain relevant to modern times. We do not need to imitate others or adopt the food, clothing, or customs of other cultures, for Egypt, with its rich historical identity, is self-sufficient and capable of preserving its own traditions.

El-Habayeb Restaurant has also highlighted the talent of young actress Hoda El Mufti, who impresses in her role with remarkable professionalism. Ahmed Malek also stands out as Sobhi, a son of El Qalaa (one of Cairo’s historical districts) who sells liver from a cart. Despite his humble occupation, Sobhi is educated and has big dreams. Together, they captivate us with their portrayal of real, grounded characters.

Additionally, Hamza El Eili, or Chef Hassan, continues to amaze with his diverse roles in various series. Alongside him, the other talented artists take us on a journey through a magical and elegant drama.