My culinary journey didn't start in a professional kitchen — it started around the tables of Lebanese grandmothers, watching, tasting, and learning the kind of cooking that doesn't come from cookbooks. Every recipe I use has been passed down through generations, and I made it my mission to track down the most authentic versions before bringing them to the Netherlands.
It all began with Saj — the traditional Lebanese flatbread cooked on a domed griddle. When I first brought the live Saj station to markets and company events in the Netherlands, people stopped in their tracks. Watching the dough stretch and the cheese melt in real time was something they had never seen before, and the flavors were unlike anything they expected. That reaction is what drives everything I do.
Everything you eat from Saj Thyme is homemade by me, using organic ingredients — no shortcuts, no compromise. From the Saj wraps to slow-cooked Fatteh and Foul, crispy Kafta Arayes, juicy Tawouk sandwiches, traditional Lebanese salads, and homemade desserts, every dish is made with the same care and intention that Lebanese home cooking has always carried.
If there is one thing I am most proud of, it is that people who have never tried Lebanese food before leave with a new favorite cuisine. That moment — when someone takes their first bite and their eyes light up — is exactly why I do this.
If you can dream it in Lebanese, I can cook it.