A warm welcome to you!
Welcome to Bistro Badia! I am Rafik and I am really happy that you are here!
Bistro Badia is all about Lebanese and Levantine cuisine – or rather, it’s all about my family’s cuisine. Ever since I was a child and could stand upright, I loved to hang out in my mother’s kitchen. On the one hand, I did this because it always smelled so incredibly delicious there and I was (am) a glutton, on the other hand because it fascinated me incredibly with how much dedication my mother conjured up the most delicious meals from some, sometimes strange or boring-looking ingredients.
My three siblings and I were not the quietest children, but somehow she managed to prance around us in the kitchen until the food was ready and our bellies were full. The best part was always when she would give us a little taste just before she started serving. If we were satisfied, the food was served. If we weren’t satisfied, we had to eat it anyway 😉.
By the way, my mother’s name is Badia – and besides the passion for cooking and good food, I owe her so much more. When I had the idea to start a food blog, it was immediately clear to me that it would be about the dishes of my family – and that the blog would bear the name of my mother. You can expect numerous Lebanese and Levantine recipes here over time. Almost all of the recipes I learned from Badia – and she learned almost all of them from her mother or her siblings. For sure, family recipes have changed from generation to generation and so will this one. That’s why I like to think outside the box. So from time to time, there will definitely be recipes here that I learned from my mother but reinterpreted for the fun of cooking. Also the love of fusion food drives me – So you can expect a great mix with the flavors of the Levant paired with flavors of the world.
My goal is to create a very personal food blog that, in addition to delicious traditional Lebanese recipes, leaves room for a few personal memories and stories and reinvents itself from time to time without losing its roots.
wish you a lot of fun with me now. Make yourself at home.
Enjoy your meal!