Earlier this month, Dubai-based model and humanitarian, Jessica Kahawaty added a new venture to her bio; launching a food delivery concept with her mother, Rita. Focused on her sharing mother’s heartwarming dishes with the residents of Dubai, the service (named Mama Rita) boasts comfort food, healthy bites and traditional family recipes made to be enjoyed by all. Here, MOJEH speaks to Jessica about curating the heartwarming menu, which dishes she'd serve at a dinner party and which remind her most of home.
My mother and I have always discussed doing something with her wonderful cooking. We never thought we would be in the food delivery space as for the last few years were thinking of a cookbook, digital recipes and even frozen foods. We then realised that it wouldn’t be the same as people experiencing her food from her hands, an experience that cannot be replicated by merely sharing a recipe and that’s how we decided to launch Mama Rita. I still want to develop a cookbook for the future, because people who don't have access to Mama Rita in their countries are asking for it!
I thought of what I would personally want a menu to look like when curating it. I didn’t follow any rules. I focused on providing a huge selection for customers to come back to every day without feeling like they’re eating the same cuisine. I love starters because I love sharing them with family and friends. When thinking of salads, I included her best super food salads as well as traditional ones like fattouch and tabbouli. I included the best pasta based mains, rice, meat and chicken, but I also didn’t forget vegetarians so they have a wide selection of delicious food. Some things are deemed comfort food like the Original Lasagne, the Pesto Pasta or Beef Stroganoff but still cooked in a way that is clean, light and extremely delicious…while other options are healthy like the Kale Salad or Oven Baked Chicken with Potato. Our menu is modelled based on what people may feel like on different days of the week.
Mama Rita is available to order at Mamarita.com
