![]() It’s better to wait and see: some people you might think are good turn out not to be, and others who make mistakes or don’t initially impress you can turn out to be the best and most trustworthy later. I think everyone has a problem with thinking they know people before they’ve properly given them a chance to show themselves, possibly even just based on the first few minutes. Not to judge people based on first impressions. What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Those are two of my absolute favourites and my job and hours make them very difficult to get to! Either that or Diyarbakir in Green Lanes. There’s a restaurant me and my family love called Antep Kitchen in Oxford, down the Cowley Road. What one restaurant do you wish you could pick up and drop in Reading? My old childhood photos – and my wedding ring, which was engraved in Palestine. The kitchen gives me a place to really feel at home and relaxed, because I just love what we do. I wanted to make the change because I wanted a more hands-on role. Technically I’m still the manager, but I run the kitchen at the same time because I love it and I’m so passionate about the food we are giving to people. What prompted you to move from management back into cooking, and what do you enjoy most about being in the kitchen? I love action movies and I never get bored of Denzel Washington films, so probably The Equalizer. What one film can you watch over and over again? I had to sit in the car park all night on patrol. I worked as a security guard throughout one winter. Probably not letting go and being worried about things when it comes to work. It’s spicy, rich and meaty and perfect for the carbs to soak up! We also do red couscous (called “couscousi”) with pumpkin, although here in the U.K. That sauce involves tons of onions, chickpeas, usually lamb neck and some tomato puree. So for example we have a dish called rishda which is a dough put through the pasta machine and steamed (sort of like a noodle) and then added to the traditional Libyan sauce which features in most dishes. Libyan food is heavily influenced by Italian culture (but with an Arabian twist) because Libya was occupied by Italy in the past and that’s created some kind of fusion. How would you describe Libyan food to somebody who doesn’t know about it? There were several dishes I really loved, but my favourite was the flaming lamb ribs.Įvery Friday having brunch with my family before the Friday prayer started: my dad had Fridays off. It was in Istanbul last year, where I had a special feast with my best friend at a restaurant called Medeni (the chef there, Boraq, is very famous). I just fell in love with everything about the place from day one. My first impression of Reading was that I loved the Riverside! I arrived in winter, and everything looked so nice around with the lights and the snow (which I had hardly ever seen in Libya). I never went anywhere else after that, and I’ve never looked back. So I packed again and came to Reading, because I already had a few friends living here. I only stayed there two nights and I just knew it wasn’t for me. Well, I arrived into London from Libya and the very first place I went was Southampton. How did you find yourself ending up in Reading? What were your first impressions of it? Also travelling, which is one of my favourite things. I’ve missed having coffee with close friends and catching up with them. He lives in Lower Earley with his wife and three small children.īakery House has reopened post-lockdown, and also delivers via Deliveroo (at crazily reasonable prices). Mohamad now does much of the cooking there (“I love it: my heart was always in the kitchen and I was very hands on”). ![]() Over the last 5 years, Bakery House has built up a devoted following for its shawarma, falafel and my personal favourite, the boneless baby chicken. He got into cooking through entertaining friends, cooking traditional Libyan food, and he joined Bakery House as its manager when it opened in 2015. Mohamad Skeik was born in Tripoli but moved to the U.K. ![]()
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