A Tunisian woman who opened a restaurant in Co Down said she feels happy to be able to bring a piece of her home to Northern Ireland.
Sabeh Cyndi, 43, first moved to Northern Ireland when she was 20-years-old, and opened Carthago restaurant in Moira last October as a way to share the culture and food of her North African home.
Working as a chef years ago but later moving on to different jobs, Sabeh said lockdown inspired her to open her own authentic Tunisian restaurant, and said they have been blown away with the support of local people.
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The 43-year-old said she is proud about what she has been able to set up in the Co Down town over the past year, with tables fully booked since they first opened their doors.
"I'm very happy because Northern Ireland has given me a lot of stuff, I have a family here and this is my home. But I'm happy now because I'm able to give something back to people here," she told Belfast Live.
"When I see people coming in and enjoying learning about a different culture, and trying the different foods, and having a good time - I feel happy that I'm able to give something back.
"I've spent more of my life now in Northern Ireland than at my home. I moved here when I was 20 and now I'm unfortunately coming 44.
"It felt like it was the right time to do something like this. I know I'm not going to be going home for a while, maybe when my kids are grown up. I just wanted to do something here to show people our culture and enjoy something new."
Sabeh said they focus on making their dishes as authentic as possible, with their most popular dishes being their tagines and lamb shanks.
As well as the food, she said it was important to them that the restaurant had a good atmosphere too.
Sabeh added: "Whenever you come into the restaurant, it feels like you're in North Africa. The kitchen is open plan and everything is cooked in front of you, people love it. Being here makes me feel like I'm back at home.
"We wanted to bring a bit of a different culture, something new, and something different to the area.
"Customers have said they've been eating Indian and Chinese food for years, so were happy to see something different, new, and healthy too.
"We have a lot of regular customers who keep an eye on the new dishes we have, and we even have customers who will come in twice a week."
Sabeh said she hopes to continue delighting people with North African dishes for the foreseeable future, and wishes to use Carthago restaurant as a way to educate about the culture of the region.
"I would like to see more of this, having different cultures and different types of restaurants is a good thing for everybody," she added.
"We have had a lot of support and encouragement from people who have tried our food. We want to give our best, we use the freshest ingredients and we make sure the quality of everything is high."
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