Al-Qalam 
A new restaurant serving authentic and traditional dishes of Palestine has opened in Westville, Ismail Suder was invited to savour some of the dishes.
Durban’s first Palestinian restaurant called “Gazalicious” opened its doors in Westville last week with an array of dishes representing the region.
The restaurant is situated at the entrance of the Westville Village Market, 123 Jan Hofmeyer Rd. It was officially opened by a Palestinian couple: Ayesha Seyam, a pharmacist, and her husband, Dr Mohammed Seyam, a civil engineer.
Al-Qalam attended the event. A few dozen friends and Palestinian activists were also present to enjoy a taste of Palestine.
The tastefully decorated restaurant has seating both inside and outside the restaurant.
When the steaming hot food, set on a table outside the restaurant, was unveiled, all heavy political talk switched to sounds of appreciation for the large spread.
For this scribe, at least, it was hard to tuck into the food and not think of the genocide in Gaza, including the deliberate starvation of people used as a weapon of war.
Every dish was tastefully presented and the aroma of typical Palestinian spices came through rather subtlety.
The spread included traditional Maqluba (famous Palestinian dish of rice, vegetables and meat); Musakhan (Traditional Palestinian flatbread with sprinkling of sumac, chicken and caramelised onion); mujadara (Traditional Palestinian dish of lentils, rice and caramelized onions served with a variety of sauces); Sawani (oven baked meat dish mixed with vegetables). Deserts included Basbousa (coconut Farina cake soaked in light syrup and topped with nuts) and Qatayef (pancakes stuffed with nuts dunked in syrup).
Addressing the small gathering, Ayesha Siyaam said although she was a trained pharmacist, she has a passion to create culinary delights, hence the opening of her dream restaurant.
The couple arrived in South Africa six years ago when Dr Seyam was offered a position at the Durban University of Technology as head of the Department of Civil Engineering. When his wife spoke about opening a restaurant in Durban that “will serve as a voice” of Palestine, he immediately supported her in her restaurant venture, and also that it would bring them added income.
Dr Seyam also introduced his elderly mother. He told the invited guests that she was the mother of a Shahida: her daughter Asma – his beloved sister – was martyred in the Zionist-perpetrated genocide. It was at this stage that his mother was overwhelmed with emotion, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Dr Seyam comforted her with a warm hug.
One well-known personality who attended was Dr Lubna Nadvi, an ardent activist for a free Palestine.
Asked to comment on her Palestinian culinary experience at Gazalicious, Nadvi told Al-Qalam she was very impressed with the taste of Palestinian cuisine served at Gazalicious.
“The selection of food was extremely delicious and healthy. From the classic Maqlouba to the falafel and dips with pita bread … Everything was truly delightful and satisfying. Maqlouba was my favourite dish,” she said.
She urged people to support the venture. “Given the extent of the challenges that Palestinians are facing on a daily basis, it is critical that we as South Africans support any and all efforts that our brothers and sisters are making to earn a living. The Palestinians are very hard-working people and do not want handouts, but rather opportunities and support so they can work and earn an honest income. If we have the capacity to assist, we should be helping however we can,” she added.
A handful of Gazans have managed to flee the war-torn enclave to seek refuge in South Africa – some of them have settled in Durban.
One such person was Yousof, an engineer from Gaza, who together with his wife, have started a home industry selling chilli sauce and Dukkah – a blend of nuts, seeds and Palestinian spices. Their products are available at the restaurant.
The team at Gazalicious can be contacted on 074912 8088.
