This 'Somebody Feed Phil' episode Changed How I Want to Travel
Phil Rosenthal is the charming, drôle, innocuous host of his Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil that premiered on Netflix in January 2018. Through his food series, he combines his love of eating with a drive for connection, for immersion in culture and understanding of the history that's inspired restaurants around the world.
I'm going to state here, plainly, that I was never a huge fan of Phil- sometimes I can find him quite grating. Maybe it's the cynicism in me to not trust someone who seems overtly humbled and awed by every single dining experience he finds himself in. There is that longstanding problem with all food presenters (I'm looking at you, Rick Stein)- when they have just taken a bite and dramatically react to the food with pure amazement without giving themselves time to chew. I mean, not every dish can taste that good.
So, when my gourmet ex-restauranteur parents popped on Somebody Feed Phil earlier this year, I had taken out my phone to do some texting when my interest was piqued...
If you haven't ever watched the show the TL;DR is Rosenthal tours a city- amazed and awed at every corner, and he also spotlights charities and non-profit organizations that operate in the region.
The Episode
It's Season 7, Episode 5 that premiered on March 1st 2024 that we were watching. Phil is in Dubai, most excited about what he calls 'the best burger ever'. He visits the Orfali Bros, Nihal's restaurant with Drew and Diana (Dubai influencers) and goes falconing.
At 18 minutes, 32 seconds into the show- Phil visits Bait Maryam located in Cluster D by Jumeirah Lake Towers.
Translated to House of Maryam, Bait Maryam aims to deliver the experience of eating a home cooked meal within the city of Dubai. The restaurant is named after the owner's mother, who presents welcoming, home-styled Levantine dishes. Customers can enjoy the sanctuary of the restaurant's cool dining room or sit in the glass-enclosed lakeside terrace. I read that the lunch 'dish of the day & soup' is a steal and dessert is a must.
The Levantine food on offer has similarities with Egyptian, North African and Ottoman cuisine. The history of the food itself can be traced back to the early civilizations that flourished in the region, such as the Canaanites, Israelites, Phoenicians, and Hittites. These ancient cultures developed complex agricultural systems, producing grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that would become staples of the Levantine diet. Bread, olive oil, and wine were integral to the cuisine from the very beginning, and remain so today. It is particularly known for its meze spreads of hot and cold dishes, most notably among them ful medames, hummus, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush, accompanied by bread. They might not be complex dishes, but they are complex flavours and this is what Phil is about to embark on.
The Chef
The episode centres around the owner and chef of the restaurant, present in the episode alongside her own daughter, Nada. Two-time Michelin award winner Chef Salam Daqqaq is inspired by the food she grew up with, the diversity in the Levant and how it translates directly to the region’s culture and cuisine. In the episode you can almost immediately tell through her big eyes and nervous expression that this isn't just about food to her, it's about philosophy and a careful approach to cooking, and how food has shaped her identity as an immigrant in Dubai.
Daqqaq was born in Palestine and grew up in Jordan before moving to Saudi Arabia as a young woman. While living in Saudi, she met her husband, settled down and had children. A few years later came a relocation to the US followed by a move to the UAE, where Daqqaq’s husband was setting up a business.
Sensing that the UAE would be their base for the foreseeable future, Daqqaq felt it was the right time for her to do what had been in the back of her mind for many years. “My dream has always been to become a chef,” she says. “I taught Arabic cuisine in a cooking studio when I lived in Saudi Arabia. I then began a career, but had to put it on hold as I moved to the United States.” Daqqaq opened Bait Maryam in Dubai’s residential Jumeirah Lake Towers district in 2017.
The Reaction
Before Daqqaq prepares the food, we find that even the curtains in the restaurant belonged to her mother, "I feel she is around me" she says. Nada, the daughter, predestines the food's power "[Daqqaq] always says when she stirs the pot, it's as if she's not stirring the pot, it's Maryam. Honestly not just because it's our food, when you taste it you will feel some sort of energy."
"Arabs are known for their spices," says Nada, "so we have a special dish for you today called kibbeh nayyeh. It's raw meat. She's from a village called Tarshiha, known for its raw meat so they want to bring that to you here."
Daqqaq prepares the dish by washing bulgar, removing the water, adding spices like cumin, murdiqush (margoram), cloves and cinnamon all to mix for the kibbeh which is raw lamb from inside the leg, blended to a smooth texture in the machine.
The dish itself looks like a wet mince, and doesn't feel like it's going to be anything special.
"I'm gonna show you how it's done, because you gotta eat it the right way," says Nada. Phil is instructed to peel of a bit of bread, add a large onion slice and eat the kibbeh in one bite.
And he does, and then... he goes quiet (for once.) He smiles, hesitates and asks for
Phil smiles, closes his eyes and says, "I don't know what happened but when I bit into this- I'm not sure it..." There's a catch in his voice, like the start of a cry.
He ignores Nada's question: "Where is it taking you?" And continues to hesitate.
Later he says, "There are some moments that are transporting. And I'm not just saying to another land like Dubai I'm saying to another time and place and human being."
Back in the restaurant he says, "I have to tell you something it's so crazy... I feel emotional."
Daqqaq feels Maryam in the room, saying, "Always when I make it, I feel my mom..."
Sniffling, Phil says "it's magic..."
Daqqaq says, "I put all my love all my heart in the food..."
He sighs, as if grating himself, "I swear I was going to say that but I didn't want to make it sound too..." He doesn't finish the sentence, but the word might be 'too saccharine'
Later on he says, "It doesn't happen all the time, certain dishes are delicious and that's the bottom line .... but now we're talking about another dimension..."
Why it Changed How I Want to Travel
This reaction still give me goosebumps no matter how many times I've watched it. And it really isn't too saccharine or self-aggrandizing or insincere, it feels special. And that's why it's changing how I want to travel this year.
I've had tasters of experiences like this myself- eating $5 ramen in Kyoto's famous Men-ya Inoichi Hanare or a ham and cheese sandwich in Madeira, a ravioli in Lake Garda. Hell, I've even had it with a Yo!Sushi temaki once or twice. But I've never been transported, I've never cried, I've never felt like I've partaken in a culture's timeless heritage after having a single bite of a single dish.
So, travelling with the intention of seeking out immersive food experiences is my new thing. Food experiences that not only bring you the sense of the destination you're in, but also to the lives and histories of the immigrants who make up the backbone of that very same destination.
What do you think, have you ever had a food experience as transporting as this one?
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