Palestinian chef builds Michelin recognized restaurant from family recipes

Chef Salam Daqqaq opened Bait Maryam in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers in 2017 to honor her mother's Palestinian cooking.

Daqqaq, a 63-year-old grandmother, grew up in a family that moved frequently between Jordan and Saudi Arabia. She spent her childhood learning traditional recipes from her mother, Maryam, who passed away in 1996. After moving to the United States and then to Dubai, Daqqaq began teaching cooking classes from her home before deciding to open a commercial restaurant.

Daqqaq’s daughter, Nada Darraj, joined the business to manage marketing and operations. While Daqqaq focuses on the kitchen and maintaining authentic flavors, Darraj handles the commercial decisions and growth of the brand. The pair established a professional boundary where they act as colleagues inside the restaurant and as mother and daughter at home. This collaboration helped the business grow from a modest space with four tables into a large operation.

The restaurant has since expanded to include a central kitchen and a second concept called Sufret Maryam. Both establishments received Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. Daqqaq continues to use traditional tools, such as her mother's pounding stone for making kibbeh, to preserve the customs of her home village, Tarshiha. The family plans to publish a cookbook titled Bint Maryam in 2026 to share their multi-generational culinary history.