The Art of Egyptian Storytelling on Embers

When news broke of a London restaurant opening by chef Meedu Saad evoking his personal journey and Egyptian heritage, I knew that something big was about to happen.

For too long, Egyptian cuisine barely made a dent in the culinary consciousness of Western societies. Outside of a koshary shop here, or a ful and ta’amiya stand there, Egyptian food seemed inaccessible, mysterious. Unlike its Lebanese and Turkish counterparts, whose food spread like wildfire through restaurants and ocakbaşi grills around the world, the Egyptian diaspora kept its food to itself—recipes were family heirlooms, rather than edible exports. When I ask my London friends what they think of Egyptian food they shrug: “It’s not your strongest suit,” they say. This misguided comment shows they haven’t been to the home of an Egyptian who knows how to cook.