Zaim

 

Sobhi Ismail: "I left a bit of paradise."

Sobhi Ismail has plenty of stories to tell. He grew up in Lebanon's capital city of Beirut and he inherited his love of cooking from his father, a renowned chef, who had much to teach his son. When Sobhi Ismail left for Australia in 1969, he ended up opening a Lebanese fast food stand in Sydney instead. Later, in 1975, he opened Berlin's first Lebanese food stand in the Europacenter. The shop – which was only twelve square meters in size – was a hit. But when the Europacenter was slated for renovation, Sobhi Ismail got an eviction notice. He went back to Australia for a while before returning to Berlin to open a new restaurant. He opened several, and closed them again. Then, in late in 1998, he began pouring his heart and soul into a new restaurant, Zaim.

Zaim in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district

The restaurant opened its doors in a corner building in the eastern city district. "Zaim" is actually Ismail's nickname, and means more or less "chef." Since its expansion in 2015, it has space to seat 50 people.

 

 

Tabbouleh

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 30 g finely ground bulgur
• 5 T water
• 400 g flat-leaf parsley
• 400 g firm tomatoes
• 50 g fresh mint
• 50 g onion
• 40 g green onions
• 100 ml fresh lemon juice
• 150 ml olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• A few leaves of Romaine lettuce or lettuce hearts for garnish

Preparation:

Soak bulgur in 5 T water for around ten minutes. The water should just cover the bulgur. Wash parsley, remove stems. Chop finely and place in a large bowl. Slice mint and green onions into fine strips and add to bowl. Finely dice tomatoes and onions and add to bowl together with remaining ingredients. Add soaked bulgur. Season with salt and pepper, add olive oil and lemon juice, and combine thoroughly.

Decorate a plate or bowl with lettuce leaves, and distribute tabbouleh over the top.

Tabbouleh can be eaten as a main dish with bread or as a “meza,” or Lebanese appetizer.

 

Editor's note: Unfortunately after 17 years, ZAIM had to close it's doors by now.