A surprising intimate encounter with another mother, her age-old traditions, her family’s history, their pain of having to leave their home for ours, with a sturdy hope that they will endure within a new culture with their own intact. The flavours and taste, so foreign and familiar at the same time. A moment shared through the transcendence of a mother’s act of cooking, and the fine nuances of flavours passed down from generations. The feeling of intimacy of food shared between mothers, as I had brought back Sakina’s Qhabeli and Mona’s biryani leftovers for my own parents. The spark of the genius and recognition of three mothers in my mother’s kitchen as soon as she saw what I had brought home: exclaiming at once she’ll cook her Nyonya chicken curry as accompaniment. The essence of three mothers melding, three complex flavours complimenting, three traditions rolled into one palate. Afghan, Gaza, Nyonya mothers; with their singular, unique food traditions, with the exact same feeling residing in their hearts: the same love, concern and hope for their daughters and sons.

The food was fantastic. As I predicted, the Mantu was a big hit! That was a favourite, with the falafels “a close second”. The hummus was light and creamy, great to dip into with the falafels. The light bites took centre stage, my friends were impressed and pretty full before we hit the main course. The Qhabeli was really flavourful, loved the rice and the curry!” – Su Mei, Customer