Baghdad family opens budget restaurant after 14 years in exile

BAGHDAD — After spending 14 years in exile in Turkey, a Baghdad family has returned and opened a small restaurant in the Bayjiya neighborhood near Mansour, offering traditional meals at prices rarely seen in the city.

The restaurant, named A’ilati (“My Family”), is run by Um Farah, who said she began the project after her family returned to Iraq with few resources and no stable income. “We started this project after we returned home, having been forced to leave around 14 years ago,” she told 964media. “My husband was a member of the Ministry of Interior but had to leave his job due to threats at the time. Later, he was listed among those dismissed because of absence, after we were forced to leave the country.”

With limited means, the family launched the restaurant to support themselves. “Thank God for the success,” she said. “We offer breakfast dishes like makhlama (scrambled eggs with spiced ground meat), arook (pan-fried meat patties) with eggs, and bagilla (fava beans) with clarified butter. For lunch, we serve rice and stew varieties, all for 3,000 dinars [about $2.13], as support for low-income families.”

Um Farah said she learned about Turkish food culture during her years abroad, including how to make çiğ köfte — or kubba nayeh as it is known in the Levant. “By God’s grace, I learned how to make it well and now offer it at my humble restaurant,” she said. “It has been well received, especially by those who haven’t had the chance to travel or try this kind of food.”

Other offerings include quzi (slow-cooked lamb with rice), fish and rice, chicken and rice, and four types of rice-based dishes. “Over time, people from nearby areas have gotten to know us,” she said. “Workers in particular come for simple meals at the 3,000 dinar price.”

Um Farah also appealed to the government for support. “He is the father of four daughters, and the cost of living is not easy, especially with rising prices and rent,” she said, calling for assistance in developing their business or reinstating her husband’s Interior Ministry position.

One customer, Basim Kareem, praised the food and affordability. “This food reminds me of my family’s cooking, my mother’s cooking. It’s truly delicious. Where else in Mansour can you get a full meal for just 3,000 dinars? It’s like back home in Nasiriyah. This place helps people like us — those who work with their hands,” he said.