The restaurant "ZamZam"
or the magic of simplicity
- Part I -

This will not - and shall not - be as you expect an usual description of a restaurant. With this we pay a homage to an outsider, a man who always follows his own ways. And it is a song of praise to his place, even it looks quite insignificant, and to his food. We write all this from our very personal point of view, because there is no other way to explain the restaurant "ZamZam" - least not at all its secrets. "ZamZam" this name represents the remarkable magic of real simplicity.

Lets come to the point right away. The remarkable simplicity in this restaurant is fish! Fish from the Nile! Really, Mohamed Ahmed Hamam serves this fish the whole year. And because of this he makes himself a gastronomical outsider on the West Bank. May be you heard it: to serve fish in summertime and besides fish from the Nile - they disapprove that around here.

Come on, join us in a visit to the very simple "ZamZam". And please, forget for a while for all prejudices, leave all advices and hints behind you, that only let you know what all not to do. Let yourselves in to go with us through a culinary adventure. Because refering to medical doctors statements and our own experiences side effects by taking this "fishy cure" are out of question. However there is one danger in store: If you are a fish lover it might consider becoming addicted.

It's late afternoon on a hot day in August. For around 5 p.m. we arranged a meeting with Mohamed. This early time because we like to take some pictures before sunset. He is just going to flow water on his so called terrace to stop the dust of the day. The terrace is a wide entrance area made of mud from the Nile (see pictures above). The ground is slippy, but he expect no other early guests. And after one hour everything will be dry anyhow.

As usual we start with small talk and Coke, then we take our pictures. After that Mohamed becomes a bit exciting: "What you want to eat? I have chicken, pigeon..." And what else? "Fish!" As we lived before at the Baltic Sea coast of course our choice is fish. Once again. Normaly there is no reason for Mohamed to ask us. Because for all our dinners at his place we had fish. Important only is the question: "Grilled, as Tagen or baked in oil?" Our decision for this time is grilled.

Mohamed disappears into his small house, his small kitchen so tiny that two people in there only can move with permanent body contact. Mohamed prepares the salad, the rice - and the fishes. When he turns up again outside we catch our breath. Is he waiting for more guests? We hope, because this quantity we cannot eat alone. Mohamed starts to arrange the "outboard companions" on his new gas-heated grill. Shortly it smells for a delicious meal. But what follows is a debacle.

The gas cylinder is empty. A grill that is not working. And guests are waiting, people who want to write about him. A nightmare. An hour of horror in "ZamZam". Somebody asks for a new cylinder in the neighbourhood. And out of nowhere busy helpers appear to connect the new cylinder. But was waste of time and effort. Nothing will work.

Forget about our dinner? Never! At lightning speed Mohamed activates his old charcoal grill. - By the way, with that small grill he started his business nearly one year ago. - Shortly later a bit embarrassed he serves us fish with rice (salad and bread we had as starters). We are thinking back to our first visit shortly after the opening. One of "ZamZam's" secrets is improvisation.

Because Mohamed never learnt to cook with recipes. He is not interested in that. "I only cook what I like.I enjoy to try out, but I will never be directed by a recipe", the owner, manager, cook, waiter and gardener of "ZamZam" told us when we visited him the first time. Nothing has changed since that time nearly one year ago. There is still no fish a la ... Or is there, however? Yes, there is. Fish a la Mohamed Ahmed Hamam. But this speciality everytime you will find it a bit different spiced up. But one point is constant: The fish tastes fresh and juicy, is always very fleshy. "I like big fishes so much. And the people from the West Bank, like decent meals. They are my regular customers, so big fishes are the best", the single explains his simple philosophy and another secret.

One indication that he is on the right way: after a few months only the in habitants of the village El Ezba started to call him "fishman". Egyptian families included medical doctors order his food by home delivery, French archaelogists are regular customers, foreigners living on the West Bank discover the place, and families like to celebrate their parties at the large plot behind the small house that belongs to Mohameds family. And here and then even tourists "loose their way" by visiting the restaurant "ZamZam". The "fishman" starts to swim. Thanks to the magic of simplicity.

To continue our story please click here