Mansour BouKaram: ‘I want people to feel they’re receiving a hug through food’
Outside of his food catering and delivery work in London, Mansour BouKaram is also head chef at Amsterdam restaurant Fabus. Photograph courtesy of Mansour BouKaram
The Lebanese chef and founder of catering service Monsieur Bou on bringing a personal touch to cooking through the recipes handed down by his mother
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“You don’t want to add anything acidic if you’re marinating the meat overnight, because you will dry it out,” says Mansour BouKaram. We’re speaking over Zoom the day before I’m due to host a dinner party with friends, and the Lebanese chef is generously sharing tips on my menu.
“It’s all about preparation — if you try to do everything on the day, you’re going to be stressed and you won’t be able to sit with your guests and enjoy your evening. That’s a habit I’ve taken since I used to host dinners as a student,” he says. “Choose recipes you can make one or two days ahead of time.”
BouKaram, 39, began a decade-long career in marketing before he pivoted to cooking full time in 2022. Today, he is the owner of Monsieur Bou, a bespoke London-based catering service for parties, brunches and meetings. In September this year, he also launched Mama Bou, a delivery-only kitchen serving Lebanese dishes inspired by the food his mother cooked for him as he grew up.
Outside of his work in London, BouKaram is also head chef at Fabus, an Amsterdam restaurant serving Levantine cuisine. He sits down with Hyphen to discuss the food culture that inspires him.
This interview had been edited for length and clarity.
What drove you to become a chef?
I’ve always loved cooking, but it wasn’t encouraged as a career while I was growing up because there was the perception that it wouldn’t make any money. The Lebanese mentality is also that the boy’s place is not in the kitchen, but from very early on I really enjoyed being involved with food.
It wasn’t until I was at university in France that I discovered I have a knack for cooking, and that I understand tastes and flavours. I started hosting dinners, and people would tell me the food was very good. Then my friends started having gatherings and asking me to cook for them. It surprised me because I thought everyone knew how to cook and that it was a common skill, but it turned out it wasn’t.
How would you describe the food you make?
It’s a tribute to my mother. I never went to culinary school, so everything I know about food is from my mum.
For a lot of Lebanese mothers, the way they show love to their children is through cooking for them. When I grew up in Lebanon, the schools usually didn’t serve food, so when you got home, your mother had prepared lunch for you. A lot of my food is what Lebanese mothers would cook for their kids.
We have a couple of Greek recipes too, because I’m obsessed with the flavours — they add their own small twist to Mediterranean food.
What do you hope people will take away from your food?
I want them to feel like it is food cooked with love. I want them to feel comforted, and to feel that they are receiving a hug through food.
What is your favourite dish to eat?
It’s a dish cooked by my mother: soft courgettes stuffed with rice, tomatoes and meat and then cooked in a tomato broth. It’s a very acquired taste, and it’s also very hard to make.
Who are your dream dinner party guests?
Adele, for sure. I feel like she’s a big foodie and she’s a good crack. I’d also invite Prue Leith from The Great British Bake Off. I like that she’s not shy about how much she loves food, and I find her very funny. I think I would laugh my heart out.
What’s next for you?
Currently, Mama Bou is available within a three-mile radius of Islington, north London. My plan now is to really grow it and get it across the city. My personal goal is also to have a new outlet for Mama Bou, other than deliveries. But more on that later on.
So, a restaurant?
No comment.
There’s no shortage of food delivery options in London. Was that intimidating when you started out and did it make it difficult to carve out a niche for yourself?
London is so diverse and saturated with all kinds of foods. But I think London is missing the soul and love of food right now. There’s a lot of big chains — which I also go to and they serve very good food — but I do feel they are missing the personal touch. That is what we try to bring people with Mama Bou.
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