June 9, 2023
Alexandra Kinias

Photos via Haya’s Kitchen

Haya Bishouty describes herself as Palestinian by blood, Jordanian by nationality with a bit of Greek, Emirati and Egyptian by residency. In 2020, she created Haya’s Kitchen, an experience-based concept that’s a tribute to Palestine, Tetas and Traditions. Haya runs sufra dinners to bring people together around a communal table, workshops to preserve the ancestral traditions and skills, and pop ups to spread the love for street food.

WoEgypt: What inspired Haya’s Kitchen?
Haya Bishouty: I was born in Greece and have lived in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo and Amman. I’ve lived a very typical expat life, which I’m very grateful for. I was able to blend into the communities and learn about the different cultures. But, as a Palestinian who has never visited Palestine I’ve always felt a disconnect with my heritage and identity.

I wanted to reconnect back to the land and find a way to preserve the traditions that I grew up celebrating with my own family, and the idea of Haya’s Kitchen came to existence.

WoEgypt: Haya’s kitchen started with your sufra dinners? Can you please explain what you mean by surfa dinners and how they led to Haya’s Kitchen?
HB: The Sufra is where it all began. Sufra, meaning communal table in Arabic, is where I would gather with my own family at my grandparents houses and our own home. It was a time where we would take a minute in the fast-paced world we live in and enjoy a meal together communally. And those were my favorite memories growing up.

Living in Dubai, people don’t really take the time to enjoy a meal, get to know new people and share comfort food together. I wanted to recreate that feeling I had when I was growing up through my Sufra and decided to run with it.

WoEgypt: You have been given the title of the community Teta (grandma) who loves to feed everyone. Why you were given this title and what it means to you.
HB: It’s a title I hold very close to my heart and is the ultimate compliment for me. Growing up, my grandmothers would love to feed people. Their homes were always open to neighbors, friends and family and they were always ready to feed anyone. They would grab your plate, pile on a big serving of comfort food and would have big smiles on their face when everyone would compliment their food.

When I’m hosting a Sufra, running a workshop or running a pop up, I channel my grandmothers with my own guests. I’m always telling people to keep space for a second serving and I feed people like a Teta would. I feel even more connected with them when I’m feeding people, and now that they’ve both passed it’s a feeling I greatly cherish.

WoEgypt: What are popups. What does Haya’s Kitchen focus on in its pop ups? What is your approach in creating your own dishes for your pop ups?
HB: Everything that I do with Haya’s Kitchen is with the intention of preserving traditional food and dishes. So, everything I serve to people is truly traditional, without a modern day twist on it. With my pop ups, it came about as a way of me preserving street food and I discovered people’s love for my falafel sandwiches and decided to pursue it. I participated in a few food festivals this year to celebrate the beauty of Palestinian falafel and street food flavors. 

WoEgypt: At Sufra, people come not only to enjoy the flavors of Palestine, but also to listen to stories. Where do you get the stories from?
HB: During the Sufra experience, guests sit at a communal table where I share with them the origins of the dishes, my own personal stories and the diversity of Palestinian food across the land. Throughout the courses, I offer a glimpse into the significance of the dish, its relevance to Palestinian culture along with the traditional ways of eating the dishes.

The stories come from my own family traditions and from my research of the land and culture. There are some dishes that I serve at the Sufra that my own family hadn’t tried, and so I’ve put time into researching and discovering new flavors to introduce to people. Because of the diversity of the land, different regions of Palestine have different dishes and there’s so much to discover, enjoy and create awareness for.

WoEgypt: Do you have favorite chef/s? Do you actively seek inspiration from other chefs or cuisines?
HB: Growing up, I gathered cookbooks from my travels and I’ve now collected a decent amount of books from around the world. But, my biggest inspiration comes from my grandmothers and my mom. I was blessed growing up understanding good food and I believe it’s essential to keep that food alive. As the generations continue, recipes get lost and food is forgotten. And through Haya’s Kitchen I hope to keep the food alive for as long as I can.

WoEgypt: How do you ensure that your customers have a memorable and enjoyable experience at your popups?
HB: Haya’s Kitchen is very personal to me and I put my heart and soul into everything that I create within it. When people see the passion and love that I put into it, they always appreciate it. And I’ve been blessed with an incredible community of people who support me.

WoEgypt: What do you hope to achieve with Haya’s Kitchen?
HB: There are so many things I’d like to do with Haya’s Kitchen. Opening a traditional restaurant isn’t one of them. But hopefully one day I’ll be able to create a space that celebrates Palestine in all its forms. To support other Palestinians and come together to create something beautiful.

Photos via Haya’s Kitchen
Haya’s Kitchen