Since the first few episodes of the romantic comedy The Lovers’ Restaurant started airing, it has captured a wide audience. Viewers have begun to engage in a series of intriguing speculations linking the Egyptian show to various American, including animation works. Premiering on Shahid on 3 October, Mataam Al-Habayeb (The Lovers’ Restaurant) offers a delightful blend of humour and kitchen drama in 12 episodes. Directed by Essam Abdel Hamid and produced by Abdullah Abu El Fotouh, it was developed through a dedicated screenwriting workshop.
The series is an entertaining glimpse into the competitive world of professional chefs, highlighting the intense rivalries and unique personalities that shape the culinary landscape. With a stellar cast including Ahmed Malek, Hoda Al-Mufti, Bayoumi Fouad, Entesar, Islam Ibrahim, Mahmoud al-Bazawi, Aida Riad, Sami Maghawri, and Hamza El Eily, the show also features numerous cameos.
This isn’t the first time Ahmed Malek and Hoda Al-Mufti have shared the screen. Their collaboration began with the 2020 film Rass al-Sana (New Year’s Eve), followed by the 2021 Shahid series Bimbo. They reunited for the 2022 hit film Kira and El Gin, which grossed LE120 million, and later that year teamed up for the crime series Tahqiq (Investigation) on Watch It.
Their familiarity from working together on successful film and TV projects has evidently fostered a unique chemistry and dynamic in their joint performance. This helped to mitigate some of the weaknesses in the script and dialogue, which tended towards predictability and conventional storylines despite the series’ unconventional premise. In addition, the performances of most cast members were strong, and the casting choices can hardly be described as lacking.
The series, which centres on the theme of restaurant chefs, a rare topic in Egyptian and Arab drama, skillfully blends realism with magical realism. Most of its events unfold at a single location: a family restaurant passed down among a series of grandmothers, dating back to the Khedivial era in Egypt. Each manages the establishment during a different historical period. As the current generation of grandchildren strives to reopen the historic restaurant, they explore its past stories through traditional Egyptian recipes handed down from one generation to the next. This is where magical realism comes into play, as their journey through this preserved heritage generates enchanting moments.
On the surface, the series offers an exceptional glimpse into the tense lives of its chef characters in the kitchen, blending comedy and romance while highlighting the overlapping worlds they inhabit. But it also distinguishes itself with several unique features. One of those is its gentle and unconventional portrayal of the powerful role women play as preservers of heritage and central pillars connecting generations. A key character in the series, the young Wadida (Hoda Al-Mufti), belongs in a whole lineage of women all sharing the same name. These grandmothers, at various points in history, guided the restaurant’s journey, using their creativity to craft recipes that evolved into traditional dishes in Egyptian cuisine. They navigated numerous dangers and challenges along the way.
Initially, Wadida rejects her name, opting instead for the nickname Didi. However, she gradually realises that her name is more than just a label. It is a fundamental part of her identity, rooted in the strong foundations laid by an exceptional maternal line. As she discovers the magic of her family’s history, particularly the grandmothers who created these enchanting dishes, Wadida begins to understand her identity and inner strength. Over time, she transforms into a leader of the restaurant, drawing strength from her connection to her family’s rich heritage.
This aspect of the series elegantly leads us on a journey to explore the source of strength in Egyptian society, its diversity and richness, by showcasing unique traditional dishes originating in various regions of Egypt, from Upper Egypt to the Delta, and from the East to the West.
Essam Abdel Hamid, the director of the series, has previously directed some TV shows in Egypt and the Gulf, many of which were featured on streaming platforms. However, his most notable work is the 2022 series Suits, produced by OSN, adapted from the popular American series of the same name. In Suits, Abdel Hamid successfully crafted a unique blend preserving much of the American show’s structure in terms of style, art direction, set design, and performances, while seamlessly integrating the legal drama with narratives drawn from Egyptian reality.
It appears that Abdel Hamid aimed to replicate this approach in The Lovers’ Restaurant. While the episodes are rich with narratives that connect the present to an authentic Egyptian identity through the country’s rich culinary heritage and the characters’ backgrounds, the art direction of the series, particularly in terms of cinematography, colour palette, set design, and visual effects — especially within the restaurant, where most of the events unfold — draws heavily on American cinema and drama. This has prompted audiences to speculate about specific influences on social media, especially given the rarity of an Arab production primarily set in a restaurant.
Some viewers have drawn comparisons between The Lovers’ Restaurant and the acclaimed American series The Bear, created by Christopher Storer. The Bear follows a chef returning to Chicago to manage his late brother’s chaotic kitchen, and has received widespread acclaim for its writing, direction, acting performances, technical quality, and production values, as well as its realistic portrayal of restaurant life and its exploration of complex themes such as trauma and suicide.
While The Lovers’ Restaurant shares with The Bear an exploration of the world of restaurant chefs, their intricate relationships, and the tension inherent in their work, the comparison has not favoured the Egyptian show. This is particularly evident as many viewers remain loyal to The Bear, which aired its third season in June of this year and won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, along with two directing awards and three acting awards. It also received four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
One viewer commented on X, questioning whether The Lovers’ Restaurant is simply The Bear in disguise. Another viewer expressed frustration with The Lovers’ Restaurant on Facebook, stating, “When your mom tries to make you The Bear at home.” Yet another viewer remarked, “It feels like The Lovers’ Restaurant is The Bear, but it was ruined in the oven, like when you try to make pizza and end up with a pie.”
Despite these criticisms, the series has garnered many positive comments. One viewer noted that while The Lovers’ Restaurant may be American in essence, “the atmosphere of the filming locations in Old Cairo, the story of Grandma Wadida, and the concept of the restaurant and food evoke a beautiful nostalgia that connects us to family memories, mothers, and grandmothers.”
Nonetheless, the creators of the series have not indicated any direct borrowing from the American show. The Lovers’ Restaurant has soared to the top of the most-watched shows in Egypt on Shahid, climbing from sixth to first place after just three episodes. The series is available for streaming three times a week, airing from Thursday to Saturday.
Notably, the narration of the series, which includes segments recounting the grandmothers’ stories about the restaurant from various historical periods, is provided by the iconic star Sawsan Badr. Her distinctive voice and delivery add deeper dimensions to the narrative, capturing the aforementioned sense of nostalgia.
This is further enhanced by the set designs, art direction, and colour palette, which features warm, subdued hues such as sepia tones, gentle blues, and pale greens. These colours evoke old photographs and vintage aesthetics, stirring memories and emotions linked to the past.
Along with the exaggerated comedic performances of the actors, these elements have prompted some viewers to reference the renowned American animated comedy-drama film Ratatouille, produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.
Several social media users have shared images comparing shots from the American film to ones from the Egyptian series. Viewers likened Sobhi, played by Ahmed Malek, to Alfredo Linguini, while Wadida, portrayed by Hoda Al-Mufti, was compared to Colette Tatou. Chef Ahmed Abu El-Magd, played by Bayoumi Fouad, resembled Pompidou, and Hamza El Eily’s character, Chef Hassan, was associated with Chef Skinner. In addition, Shendy, played by Islam Ibrahim, drew comparisons to Larousse. Interestingly, Chef Ghalia, a female character portrayed by Entesar, was likened to Horst, a character played by Will Arnett in the American film.
While many argue that there are significant differences between the action and roles of the characters in the series and their animated counterparts, some of the exaggerated comedic reactions, particularly those of Hamza El Eily’s Chef Hassan, amusingly resemble Skinner’s reactions. This was especially evident in one episode featuring a giant rat that created comic tension, despite this being a VFX-generated character.
Regardless of the audience’s references and speculations, the series has successfully captivated viewers with its entertaining events, particularly through its profound themes that earnestly explore Egyptian identity and intergenerational communication via Egyptian cuisine in a non-traditional and playful manner. Infused with a touch of romance and nostalgia, the narrative is infused with the aroma of molokhia, baked rice, and traditional Egyptian pastries made with ghee, alongside numerous stories that blend reality and fantasy, connecting to the rich and diverse oral and cultural history of Egypt.
The series approaches intergenerational dialogue not with blame or preconceptions, as is often the case in dramas addressing this issue, but rather fosters understanding, empathy, and a deep sense of love that emerges within The Lovers’ Restaurant.
It is worth noting that the script was developed through a writing workshop supervised by Sard, the organisation established and managed by the renowned screenwriter Mariam Naoum, who has produced many notable works in recent years. The series was conceptualised by Mostafa Suleiman, with Sarah Lotfy leading the writing team, which includes Mostafa Suleiman and Bula Thabet. Nasreen Al-Zant oversaw development. The series is produced by EProducers and is exclusively available on Shahid.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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