When Michael Mina was a young chef, he shied away from Middle Eastern food, because he didn’t think it would be well-received.
As a child he felt embarrassed by the smells of Egyptian cooking wafting from the kitchen of his mother, Minerva, and wondered what his friends — who served burgers, tacos and spaghetti — would think.
Now that Mina is deep into his award-winning career as a chef, he’s going back to his roots and rediscovering his love for Egyptian food.
His just-released new cookbook, “My Egypt” (Voracious, 2024), retraces his heritage and blends his mom’s cooking with his own refined techniques.
To help celebrate the occasion, Mina recently shared his story and recipes such as Mina’s twist on a watermelon and halloumi salad, his mom’s classic koshari and a feta-brined chicken that’s so simple, Mina says anyone can make it.
He’s also offering this as a gift to food lovers: his five favorite Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area right now. In no particular order, they include:
1. Mourad
From chef/owner Mourad Lahlou comes this modern interpretation of Moroccan food. Lahlou first won a Michelin star for his Aziza restaurant in San Francisco’s Richmond district in 2010. When he opened Mourad in 2015, the restaurant immediately received a Michelin star. Mina says a lot of high-end Middle Eastern restaurants have flavor profiles that pay homage to Mourad.
Details: Open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 140 New Montgomery St. in San Francisco; mouradsf.com.
2. Oren’s Hummus
What began in Palo Alto in 2011 has since expanded to five more locations serving fresh hummus and pita, made multiple times throughout the day, and other authentic Mediterranean cuisine — kebabs, shakshuka, hummus bowls, pita sandwiches and more — with many ingredients sourced from the Middle East.
Details: Locations in Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Cupertino and San Francisco; orenshummus.com.
3. Dalida
Boasting familiar flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, Dalida opened last year in San Francisco’s Presidio to immediate success. Within six months, it earned a Michelin recommendation, won best new restaurant of the year from Eater and landed on Esquire’s best new restaurants list. The restaurant bills itself as “a little Turkish, a little Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Arabic and Persian.”
Details: Open for lunch Wednesday-Friday, dinner Wednesday-Sunday and weekend brunch at 101 Montgomery St. in San Francisco; dalidasf.com.
4. Oasis Grill
Call it “fast food,” “good food, quickly” or whatever you want: Oasis Grill is a favorite of Mina’s because of its simplicity. Fresh Mediterranean flavors roll out in wraps, bowls, salads and plates.
Details: Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 2114 Center St. in Berkeley and four San Francisco locations; oasisgrill.com.
5. Beit Rima
It’s a family affair at Beit Rima, where Samir Mogannam converted two of his father’s old BurgerMeister locations into restaurants serving what he calls “Arab comfort food” featuring recipes from his Jordanian and Palestinian heritage. Hummus, kebab plates and shakshuka are on the menu at these well-reviewed, quick-service spots in San Francisco.
Details: Locations in the Castro and Cole Valley districts of San Francisco, hours vary by location; beitrimasf.com.
