A Palestinian man has opened a Dublin restaurant honouring his Granny's recipes.
Adnan Shabab opened his restaurant Shaku Maku in Rathmines at the beginning of this year, 25 years after moving here to fulfil his dream.
He told Dublin Live: “I moved here in 1997. I used to have coffee in this very building. It used to be a cafe, then a vegan restaurant and then I took over.
Read More: Chicago review: Timeless musical perfect at tackling modern day fame issues
Read More: Popular Dublin bars make the cut on Lonely Planet's best 20 pubs in Ireland
“I’ve been working in hospitality for 25 years, I’ve lots of business experience here.
“But I wanted to offer a wider menu from the Middle East to give people the chance to sit down in a slower environment and have a different type of starter or main and try a few on small plates.
“I’m from Palestine, many of the items are from Palestine. The dishes remind me of growing up there, my grandma inspired some of the recipes on the menu and my mother too.
“I’m involved in cooking, designing the menu, cooking, and running the restaurant. My love is for food.”
The restaurant opened in the capital on Valentine’s Day of this year and is a fantastic spot to grab a quick lunch and even an ideal spot for an evening out if you’re wanting to try new flavours, according to Adnan.
He said: “I’ve been working in hospitality for 25 years, I’ve lots of business experience. But I wanted to offer a wider menu from the Middle East to give people the chance to sit down in a slower environment and have a different type of starter or main and try a few on small plates.
“My favourite thing on the menu is the zibdieh with garlic shrimp, it’s topped with a tomato sauce, garlic and chilli. It’s nice and spicy, you can have it with bread or rice. It’s from the coast of Palestine.
“When you walk in here, it takes you to the Middle East. It took a while to come up with the concept, there’s a lot of movie star posters from the 1940s and 50s and we've the traditional music too. It’s to bring this culture to Dublin.
“The people in the area are great, we’ve had so many positive comments and support. They love healthy food, it’s very light and it’s different.
“People like to experiment and try new things and that’s what we’re offering.”
Read More: Things to do in Dublin this weekend: Best nights out, foodie experiences and family fun
Read More: Irish Rail passengers treated to free concert as Gavin James plays Heuston Station piano
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
