onal matters. The Rahbani brothers, Asi and Mansour, grew up surrounded by food and the art of cooking. Their father, Hanna, was a skilled cafe and restaurant owner, while their mother, Saada, was known for her delicious cooking. As children, Asi and Mansour would help out at their family’s cafe, “Fawar Antelias,” serving food to customers and enjoying the leftovers of cold grilled meat.
The Rahbani family’s dining table was always filled with delicious Lebanese dishes. Saada, or “Umm Assi,” as she was affectionately called, learned the art of cooking from her husband and became a master in the kitchen. Customers would come from near and far to taste her vegetarian dishes and light Lebanese appetizers, such as hummus and spiced eggplant. The table was also famous for its potatoes seasoned with tahini and garlic, as well as various meat and dairy-free dishes.
However, one dish that has become a legend on the Rahbani table is “sea zucchini.” This simple yet flavorful dish consists of thinly sliced zucchini fried with a little oil, served with a sauce made of lemon, garlic, hot pepper, salt, and olive oil. This dish has been passed down through four generations of the Rahbani family and holds a special place in their hearts. It is a reminder of their great-grandfather Hanna and the memories of Assi and Mansour, who even mentioned it in one of their plays, “Lulu.”
Food played a significant role in the Rahbani brothers’ works. Their plays and movies often featured references to traditional Lebanese dishes. Tabbouleh, okra, kibbeh, and fish were among their favorites. The brothers’ dining table was not only a place for eating but also for writing. Late-night work sessions were accompanied by tea, coffee, sweets, and ice cream brought by their sisters.
The Rahbani brothers’ love for food extended beyond their own table. They often invited friends and fellow artists to share a meal with them. Poet Saeed Akl and musician Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab were frequent guests at their table. The brothers’ office on Badaro Street in Beirut became a gathering place for their comrades, where they would order food from nearby restaurants or dine out at their favorite spots.
While Mansour was known for his experiments and tests related to food, Asi was more of an eater. Mansour would inject needles of liquid butter and lard into kibbeh to enhance its flavor and texture. He enjoyed food immensely and would often abandon any diet he started. During one play preparation with Carole Samaha, he even swapped meals with her so he could indulge in his favorite dishes.
After the death of his wife, Mansour developed a habit of calling upon the women in his family to prepare specific dishes for him. He would compare and critique each version, treating it with the same seriousness as critiquing a play or song.
In the Rahbani household, cooking and eating were not just personal matters but also professional ones. Food was a source of inspiration for the brothers’ artistic creations and a way to bring people together. The legacy of their love for food and the memories created around the dining table continue to live on in the hearts and taste buds of the Rahbani family.On the table of the Rahbani brothers… cold grilled meat and “sea zucchini”
Between the tables of their father Hanna’s cafe, Asi and Mansour Rahbani moved around as children. And between a father who professionally “crafted” cafes and restaurants, and a mother who was known for her “good breath” in cooking, the first features of their relationship with food were drawn.
Assi and Mansour used to help the family in the “Fawar Antelias” cafe, serving food to customers and emptying the tables after they left. On the way to the kitchen, they devour what is left in the dishes of cold grilled meat, which is a habit that accompanied them later. The leftovers of the cold grilled meat left a taste of nostalgia for the “Al Fawar Cafe” and for a childhood full of delicious food, despite the modest condition.
“Umm Assi” learned from her husband “sciences” in cooking and developed them, so her dishes were loved by the restaurant’s customers. They go to “Al-Fawar” from the vicinity of Antelias, from Beirut, and from more distant regions, to taste the delicacies from under the hands of Saada Rahbani. And the delicacies at that time were far from complicated, close to the bounties of the earth. Thus, vegetarian food and light Lebanese appetizers, such as hummus with tahini and spiced eggplant, were at the forefront of the table.
The Rahbani restaurant table was famous for its dish of potatoes seasoned with tahini and garlic, according to Osama Rahbani, “Asharq Al-Awsat”, in addition to a lot of food with oil, and what is known as “cutters”, that is, food without meat and dairy products.
As for the Rahbani food that passes through the four generations, it is “the zucchini is sea.” It consists of thin slices of zucchini, fried with a little oil, accompanied by a sauce of lemon, garlic, hot pepper, salt and olive oil, according to the recipe that Osama Rahbani memorized by heart.
Despite its simplicity, this food has formed a legend on the Rahbani table through their generations: from Hanna, the great-grandfather, to the grandson, Karim, who tells Asharq Al-Awsat that “every family dining session cannot be absent from it (squash is sea)”, in evocation of grandfather Hanna and the two brothers Assi and Mansour Those who were affected by it to the extent that they mentioned it in one of the scenes of the play “Lulu”.
Elham Rahbani told Asharq Al-Awsat some of her two brothers’ favorite foods: “They loved okra, kibbeh, hummus, spiced eggplant, arish leaves, fish, and stuffed chicken…”. She adds, “In the mother’s house, half of the dining table was for eating and the other half for writing.” As for the long evenings of work and writing, the sisters used to take turns staying up late with them: “We wait for them to stay up late, so we bring them tea or coffee, or offer them sweets and ice cream,” says Elham.
According to Osama Rahbani, “Mansur was more of an eater than Asi,” and this was evident from childhood. As Mansour was like a “delivery boy” in the father’s restaurant. He goes on foot to customers’ homes to deliver lunches, and if he gets hungry on the way, he doesn’t hesitate to open the “branch” and taste more than one piece of meat! On the day his mother was cooking the rooster, Mansour sat next to her and did not go to school, waiting for the banquet to be prepared.
This special relationship with food was reflected in the works of the Rahbani brothers, so tabbouleh and its components were included in the sketch “The Shop” from the play “The Story of the Bracelet”. Knowing that urination sessions in the afternoon were popular at that time.
In the movie “The Seller of Rings,” the hunters and their birds, which were an essential part of the two brothers’ table, attended. As for the play “A Poem of Love,” there was a lot of talk about food. In the “Matalib” sketch, several types of food were mentioned in the dialogue between Filmon Wehbe in the famous “Seven” character, Nasri Shams El Din, and Joseph Nassif: “Chicalata is not food. Halawa is not eating. Sardines are not eaten. Pastrami is not food. And the nimura? The tiger has flour. And the sandwich? The sandwich, if without bread, is not eaten.” And in the scene of reconciliation, Wadih al-Safi sang “Manakish and al-Talami on the tandoor.”
This scene goes back to Ilham Rahbani’s memory: “Saeed Akl enters the family’s house in Antelias, and asks the mother, Saada: What is going on tomorrow, Um Asi? Then the answer follows: worthy. He jokingly objected: I am Said Akl. I want to eat mujadara? What’s in caviar?” And he ended up devouring a large plate of mujaddara.
The poet Saeed Akl was one of the closest friends to Asi and Mansour, on both the human and artistic levels. They were opening the door of the house for friends. And whoever wanted to honor him with a special honor, they used to invite him to the mother’s table.
Musician Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab repeatedly sat as a guest at the two brothers’ table. And Osama Al-Rahbani conveys one of the anecdotes that brought his father, Mansour, to Abdel-Wahhab at the table, the day he tasted a dish he liked, which was taro with tahini, so he asked: “What is this, Mansour?” He pays close attention to what he eats and drinks.
Later, the table moved to the two brothers’ office on Badaro Street, in Beirut, where the daily lunch session gathered comrades such as Abdullah Al-Khoury, George Jardaq, Saeed Akl, Henry Zughaib, and others… They ordered food from the restaurants in the area at the time, such as Badaro Inn and Extaz. And sometimes they go out for lunch or dinner at “Al-Ajami” restaurant or at “Socrates” in Hamra. However, the main stop was the “Al-Halabi” restaurant in Antelias, and they remained loyal to its session and its summit until the end.
The brothers did not enter the kitchen except to eat, and left the task of cooking to the women of the family. However, Mansour was known for his experiments and tests related to food, such as testing the kibbeh, which he injected with needles of liquid butter and lard in order to thicken it.
He liked the food very much and did not finish any diet he started. His grandson Karim tells that during the preparation for one of the plays with Carole Samaha, he changed meals with her, so he gave her a diet meal so that he could eat whatever he wanted.
One of Mansour’s habits, after the death of his wife, was that he would suddenly call a number of the women of the family, such as his sister Ilham, and Nina, the wife of his brother Elias, and ask them to prepare a specific dish, such as kibbeh bi siniyeh or taro, for example. Once they finish preparing the same dish, they taste the different versions and compare them, commenting on each dish with the seriousness of someone who criticizes a play or song.
In the Rahbani House, cooking and eating are also professional and creative. The scene of the kabbayat in the “Khan al-Makariyi” cafe from the movie “Safar Berlak” is nothing but a tribute to Father Hanna’s cafe, where the story began. A story whose fire melted the sugar of many hearts.
In what ways did food contribute to the Rahbani family’s sense of community and connection with others
Guests who came from far and wide. Saada’s vegetarian dishes and light Lebanese appetizers, such as hummus and spiced eggplant, were particularly famous. But it was the potatoes seasoned with tahini and garlic, along with a variety of meat and dairy-free dishes, that made the Rahbani family’s dining table truly extraordinary.
One dish, in particular, became a legend on the Rahbani table – “sea zucchini.” This simple yet flavorful dish consisted of thinly sliced zucchini fried with a little oil, served with a sauce made of lemon, garlic, hot pepper, salt, and olive oil. Passed down through four generations of the Rahbani family, this dish held a special place in their hearts and even made an appearance in one of their plays, “Lulu.” It was a dish that connected them to their great-grandfather Hanna and brought back memories of their childhood.
Food played a significant role in the Rahbani brothers’ creative works. Their plays and movies often featured references to traditional Lebanese dishes such as tabbouleh, okra, kibbeh, and fish. The dining table was not only a place to eat but also a place to write, with late-night work sessions accompanied by tea, coffee, sweets, and ice cream brought by their sisters.
But the Rahbani brothers’ love for food extended beyond their own table. They frequently invited friends and fellow artists to share a meal with them. Poet Saeed Akl and musician Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab were regular guests, and their office on Badaro Street in Beirut became a gathering place for their comrades. They would either order food from nearby restaurants or dine out at their favorite spots.
While Mansour was known for his experiments and tests related to food, Asi was more of an avid eater. Mansour would inject needles of liquid butter and lard into kibbeh to enhance its flavor and texture, always in search of new culinary experiences. He enjoyed food immensely and would often abandon any diet he started. During one play preparation with Carole Samaha, he even swapped meals with her so he could indulge in his favorite dishes.
After the death of his wife, Mansour developed a habit of calling upon the women in his family to prepare specific dishes for him. He would compare and critique each version, treating it with the same seriousness as critiquing a play or song.
For the Rahbani family, cooking and eating were not just personal matters, but also professional ones. Food served as a source of inspiration for the brothers’ artistic creations and a means to bring people together. The legacy of their love for food and the memories created around the dining table continue to live on in the hearts and taste buds of the Rahbani family, a testament to the power of food to nourish both body and soul.
What an intriguing journey! The Rahbani Brothers’ culinary legacy has transcended cultural boundaries, taking us from the tantalizing flavors of cold grilled meat to the unique and captivating ‘Sea Zucchini.’ Their innovation and creativity continue to mesmerize taste buds worldwide.