i. Biography
Memory operates here as prep logic: not decoration after service, but the system that organizes family-style Middle Eastern cooking, Palestinian and Levantine flavors, and hospitality practiced at the table. In Dubai, that method became public through Salam Daqqaq’s Bait Maryam in 2017, then widened through Sufret Maryam as a culinary concept. Maryam’s name remains part of the working structure, keeping family reference inside a professional restaurant frame where welcome and technique are not separated.
The Path
Restaurant, concept, and book belong to the same body of work. Salam Daqqaq is the founder and chef/operator of Bait Maryam (since 2017), the creator of the culinary concept of Sufret Maryam, and the author of Bint Maryam (since 2026). Bait Maryam established the Dubai base: family-style Middle Eastern cooking tied directly to Maryam’s memory. Sufret Maryam extended that base as a concept while holding to the same source material. Expansion has stayed within the original discipline. The restaurant, the concept, and the written work continue to address the working questions of inherited cooking: how taste carries experience, how heritage stays active in service, and how private memory can be made legible at a shared table.
The Work Today
The kitchen’s register is Palestinian and Levantine cooking, shaped by memory, experience, and heritage. In Salam Daqqaq’s work, that means family-style service, recognizable flavors, and a form of generosity built through proportion, repetition, and care rather than ornament. Two named works make that approach concrete. Continuity is part of the craft. Since 2017, Salam Daqqaq has continued as chef-owner at Bait Maryam, where family-style Middle Eastern cooking remains tied to Maryam’s memory. The written role adds another format: Bint Maryam (since 2026) carries the same sensibility from dining room to page, keeping the central practice intact — remembering through feeding, and feeding as welcome.
Signature
The named signatures of Salam Daqqaq’s kitchen are Bint Maryam, 48 hour sourdough, and labneh crème brûlée with za’atar ice cream. Together they mark the range of the house: a namesake dish carrying memory, bread defined by time, and a dessert that puts labneh, crème brûlée, and za’atar ice cream into one service language.
Acclaim
MENA’s Best Female Chef recognizes Salam Daqqaq’s work at the level of the practitioner. Bib Gourmand for Bait Maryam and Welcome & Service Award for Bait Maryam recognize the house at the level of both cooking and reception. That pairing is precise for a restaurant where flavor, memory, and service are handled as one discipline.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Salam
What recognition has Salam Daqqaq received?
Bib Gourmand for Bait Maryam.
What is Salam Daqqaq known for?
authentic, family-style Middle Eastern cuisine.
