Salam Dakkak, the chef-owner of Bait Maryam in Dubai, is the recipient of the Middle East & North Africa’s Best Female Chef 2023, sponsored by Nespresso Professional accolade, recognising her pioneering work in creating a community-focused restaurant that unites people beyond borders through perfectly executed family recipes. Claudia de Brito tells her inspiring story
Initially putting her culinary ambitions on hold to raise a family across the globe as a trailing spouse, Salam Dakkak had faith that her time would eventually come.
Dakkak 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 Dakkak’s husband was setting up a business.
Sensing that the UAE would be their base for the foreseeable future, Dakkak 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.”
Dakkak opened Bait Maryam in Dubai’s residential Jumeirah Lake Towers district in 2017. ‘Bait’ means home in Arabic, while Maryam is a tribute to the chef’s mother and inspiration behind the restaurant. Touches of home are everywhere, from the wooden tables, vintage crockery and traditional ceramic tiles to the warm, familial service and – of course – the food.
Though Dakkak describes her cuisine as Palestinian, Bait Maryam offers dishes that pull from the shared Levantine culinary traditions that mothers and grandmothers have been placing on dining tables of homes across Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan for generations.
One of Dakkak’s signature dishes: hummus with pine nuts
A taste of tradition
More than a restaurant, what Dakkak has created is a sanctuary in a city largely populated by expats, where diners long for a taste of nostalgia. “Bait Maryam is a place where people can come and feel at home, no matter where they are from. Those who miss that home-away-from-home feeling are the reason we opened the restaurant,” she says.
“We recognised a market void for an authentic homegrown Arabic restaurant. People of any nationality can relate to what they eat and experience here. The feeling of being welcomed into a cosy home and tasting homemade food is what we hope everyone can experience when coming to Bait Maryam.”
Still, Dakkak isn’t afraid of putting her own twist on traditional dishes, creating signatures such as her renowned Fattet Musakhan, a dish of chicken, sumac and onions bathed in garlic-infused yoghurt and topped with crispy shards of fried Arabic bread; and Maryam Fukhara, a preparation of kibbeh (quenelles of spiced ground meat, onions, bulgur wheat and pine nuts) cooked in a thick tamarind-based sauce.
Fiercely proud of her heritage, Dakkak says her biggest achievements are that Bait Maryam is being recognised as a Palestinian restaurant and that she is helping to introduce her native country’s cuisine to the world. Speaking about the impact of her cooking philosophy on the region and beyond, she says: “I think we show how nostalgia can really connect people and touch their hearts, and also how sticking to your roots and being true to yourself will always lead to success.”
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Bait Maryam’s comfortable interior was designed to make diners feel at home
Passionate about people
Anyone who has spent time in Dakkak’s company – as is the case with most who have dined at her restaurant – has experienced the nurturing energy she emanates. It’s the reason why, in a trend-driven city known for attracting the biggest culinary names from around the world, Dakkak has managed to retain an army of loyal followers. It’s not about business for her. “I am passionate about food and culture and how they tie together in a way that really takes people on a journey,” she explains.
“What motivates me every day is seeing people’s positive reactions when they eat or come to the restaurant. This makes me want to keep innovating, pushing to keep our standards and uphold the quality of service we are known for.”
Her propensity to be of service was apparent long before Dakkak opened the restaurant. The first job she held in Saudi Arabia was as a social worker at a prison, where she helped rehabilitate inmates.
When a massive explosion devastated the Lebanese capital of Beirut in the summer of 2020, Dakkak knew she had to do something. She announced on social media that the restaurant would donate the day’s sales to help those affected – and was met with an overwhelming response. Dakkak’s plea went viral, the phone rang off the hook and Bait Maryam’s online ordering platforms crashed. All the proceeds from sales made on 5 August 2020 were donated to charities helping with relief efforts in Beirut.
Closer to home, Dakkak recently had the opportunity to be of service to a member of her community: “We had a customer who came to Bait Maryam one day. He is Palestinian from Gaza and had no work experience. He had been looking for a job for more than a year and had lost hope of finding anything. After we spoke to him we decided to take him in – he has been working with us for four months now.”
Salam Dakkak was named Middle East & North Africa’s Best Female Chef 2023, sponsored by Nespresso Professional
Challenge accepted
Speaking about her own struggles, the biggest barrier Dakkak overcame was starting a business in the hospitality industry with no prior experience. Fuelled by a dream and the belief that she had something to offer, she was able to learn along the way and worked hard to develop her business with unwavering support from her family.
The community that Dakkak has built around her restaurant has also been instrumental. “Bait Maryam reflects our core values and the environment at our home. Having a genuine connection with our community is what has built the strength of the restaurant,” she says. Being based in the UAE has also had a big impact on her success: in a country filled with residents from all over the world, the multicultural community has helped spread the word beyond borders.
Although she was able to bypass the typical experience of a female chef rising through the ranks of a professional kitchen, she is cognisant of the fact that there is certainly room for improvement. Arab female chefs with Dakkak’s level of success are still few and far between in the region.
Bait Maryam’s kibbeh bel laban (spiced ground meat and bulgur wheat in garlic yoghurt)
Aware of the importance of visibility and representation, she doesn’t shy away from the role model label. Instead, she leans into it: “I feel that because of where I am now, I have inspired a lot of women to follow their passions and chase their dreams. It’s important for them to see that they can do it.”
On advice she would give to aspiring chefs, she says: “Put your heart and soul into what you do, because it will show in your product or service.”
Dakkak works closely with her daughter, Nada Darraj, and freely admits that none of this would be possible had she not been involved. She explains: “My daughter and I complete each other, so I couldn’t imagine opening a restaurant without her. She manages operations and I oversee the kitchen and the food. Managing a business and dealing with paperwork are not my strong suits.”
No stranger to accolades, it’s clear that this latest recognition is one very close to Dakkak’s heart. On hearing the news that she had been named Middle East & North Africa’s Best Female Chef 2023, sponsored by Nespresso Professional, she says: “It is a dream to be chosen and I am honoured. This award means a lot to me, as I believe that hard work pays off. The fact that people are recognising this and acknowledging it is what makes my heart full.”