24/02/2023

Mamafri

Mamafri is an exclusive enclave founded in Jumeira that specializes in South East Asian food, served in a warm minimalist atmosphere.Our guests are taken on an exquisite culinary experience to the South Eastern streets of Asia, where stir-fry food is an essential element of their cuisine.

Our compact menu of selective dishes are only cooked using the finest ingredients that is supplied locally and intentionally on a daily basis.

Mamafri’s vision is to grow into an internationally-recognized brand that represents South East Asian cuisine through an unforgettable experience. We promise the delivery of fine quality ingredients, superb customer service, and unique recipes that will meet every guest’s satisfaction.

Dubai-born, Emirati-owned restaurant, Mamafri first opened in Jumeirah in 2019 with just five tables. The venue launched at the height of the pandemic and offered a compact menu of Asianfusion dishes. It quickly gained popularity among those living in the neighbourhood and beyond.

Two years later, Mamafri has launched a second location in DIFC’s Gate Avenue. Caterer Middle East caught up with co-founders and cousins Rashed Belhoul and Saif Al Romaithi about how they started Mamafri and what it feels like to expand to one of Dubai’s most prestigious neighbourhoods.

Belhoul and Al Romaithi grew up with a shared love of food. Both travelled abroad for university and were inspired by the restaurants they came across. Belhoul, who studied in London, spent most of his time there trying different restaurants with different cuisines. He said: “I love trying new recipes. That’s where my interest in food grew. My family has been in the F&B business for over 15 years now. I also love cooking and being in the kitchen.”

“I felt like there was an opportunity to start something of my own right after coming back from London in 2018. There were a lot of new restaurants that opened while I was away and every time Saif and I tried something new, we had many different comments and ways to improve them, and how we could create something new.

“The interest in Asian food became a passion, which led to us thinking about launching an Asian restaurant with unique recipes that would attract everyone, even people who have no interest in Asian food.”

Al Romaithi’s father launched a restaurant when he was young, which also inspired the young operator to launch his own restaurant.
He said: “We received plenty of support from the UAE, which encouraged us to do our best. We saw that the UAE believes in startups and we wanted to live up to the standards. We applied to the Mohammed bin Rashid Est. for Young Business Leaders which offered us financial support, as well as assistance and support by providing us with market opportunities.”
 