Makarem Mazalim leans back in his chair recalls his first experience of
working in an Irish kitchen and startles the customers in his Swords
restaurant with a belly laugh. Home is Alexandria, Egypt’s largest port
city, and a place Makarem left for Ireland after he had finished college
and his compulsory one year army duty. ‘There were three places I
could have gone to, Italy, Greece or Ireland and I chose Ireland because
it was the smallest of the three and also I had friends here. ‘I worked in
kitchens in Taylors of Three Rock and Wrights of Howth, firstly as a
second chef then as a head chef before the opportunity arose to get
involved in my own business, well I say my, I should say our as my
brother Ibrahim is very much involved too.

‘We decided from the start we were going to have a Middle Eastern
restaurant but we reckoned if we gave it an Arabic name people
would not know what it was so we went for an Irish name and called
it the Grill House’.

The name may be quintessentially Irish, the food on the other hand
is definitely middle eastern. Ibrahim chips in, ‘The food is from the
middle east and the Mediterranean, it’s not what the Irish are used
to but we are teaching them,’ before echoing his brothers earlier belly
laugh. Makarem adds, “The difference between us and other similar
restaurants is we don’t compromise, most other places take the taste
out of the food to suit the Irish palate, the texture is not the same, we
don’t do that”.

‘Every single dish we use our own spices, if you walk into any other
Lebanese or middle eastern establishment in this country and order
the same food you have ordered here I guarantee you that you won’t
get the same taste. ‘It’s working as well as we are getting some very
positive feedback, we have seen a lot of first time customers who don’t
exactly know what they are going to get in terms of food, turn into
regulars and that’s a definite plus. ‘We import all our basic spices from
the middle east and create our own variation of them, every Monday
and Thursday we take delivery of fresh beef, chicken and lamb, and
people are always intrigued by the fact they can see us front of house
preparing their food’.

‘One thing that has caught my attention is that a lot of customers have
told us that when they dine here they actually feel like they are on their
holidays, I am so pleased to hear that as it means the authentic
experience we are striving for is working.’ Perhaps the middle east dish
that Irish people know best is Moussaka, and Makarem explains why
that is. ‘It suits the Irish palate, it works because of the spice, tomatoes
and then the aubergine compliments the rest of it.’ Quite small by
comparison with other similar enterprises, the Grill house certainly
has a unique atmosphere. Arabian music fills the room and the scent
of exotica is everywhere, just how the brothers, and it seems the
punters too, like it. ‘When we came in we revamped it, built a new
front of house kitchen and decided to keep the dining area nice and
tight, we have seen how that works in so far as people at one table
chat with those on another, it builds a lovely atmosphere.
‘I suppose you could call us a hidden gem, our name is getting
out there though, we are seeing more and more new faces come
through the door. “I always dreamed of running my own business,
I can’t say I ever imagined it being in Ireland, but you know what
I am very glad it is.. And there are plenty of customers glad it is
as well”.