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Omar Shah on Food, Culture, Community and Shaping the London Food Scene under the Maginhawa Group.
It’s 2:15pm, and Omar Shah has arrived at Panedera, the Filipino bakery situated on Kentish Town Road. Light from outside, is pouring into the quaint beautiful space with soothing sounds of soul music, a warm smell of fresh bread fills the air, and the bustling sounds of moving traffic heading into Camden, the street is lined with four other restaurants under the Maginhawa Group, namely Bintang, Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, Moi Moi Island, and Guanabana serving a variety of dishes across Southeast Asian cuisine, Latin Caribbean and Filipino influences. At further locations in London, there is Ramo Ramen, a Filipino ramen restaurant, and Donia, which is a new addition to the group specialising in Filipino sharing plates with a combination of British culinary techniques. Shah greets us warmly with a charming smile and he acknowledges residents on the block passing by saying hello to him, who also happen to be regular customers at the restaurants.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Our conversation begins with the longevity of Bintang in the hospitality industry, the foundation in the Maginhawa group, the restaurant started out in 1987 by Shah’s parents and has been serving customers since then, with quite a remarkable track record in the hospitality industry. Shah reminisces about his childhood experiences and his first job working in the restaurant, he discusses his upbringing, born in London to parents with different backgrounds, his Father a Bangladeshi Muslim and his Mother a Filipino Catholic, the combined mix of cultures and briefly dives into the exposure to a wide range of flavour and dishes back in the Philippines. Focusing on Bintang which serves savoury dishes ranging from Chicken livers, Tofu bites, Glazed ribs and Oxtail kare kare, which has been rather popular with customers. Kare Kare is a rich and peanut butter based oxtail and beef stew that is braised for at least two hours, includes a selection of tender vegetables, and served with a side of fresh white rice.
Sitting in the corner of the restaurant, Shah talks about the daily operations of the different restaurants, he laughs as he mentions receiving feedback on the restaurant during gym training sessions with his trainer, who is also a head chef at one of the restaurants, undoubtedly his passion for being hands on in the business is clear outside of the kitchen. We step into the Panadera kitchen as he observes the preparation of the Panko Chicken Mushroom and Corned Beef Sandos with drinks on the side consisting of an Iced Strawberry Matcha, Milo Mocha and Ube (Purple Yam) Latte. On the counter, there is a classic ultimate sando that has been prepared, usually served until 12pm as breakfast, which consists of a scrambled egg layered with butterflied beef sausage, melted cheese, a homemade garlic aioli and tomato compote, served in their freshly baked pandesal milk bun.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah observes the dish and mentions “that it is all about consistency and ensuring that
it meets the required standard with the quality control and ensuring that the recipes are rich in flavour when it comes to testing and development.” Maintaining the personal and business relationship is important he says, finding the right balance, how that has helped him and his partner, Mae, have a sustainable model of people at the core in the business. Shah mentions being able to observe the kitchen environment and dynamics of the staff at the restaurant and introducing that into the other concepts under the group. Having tried out the ultimate beforehand, it is delicious and certainly value for money for those seeking a quick snack in the Kentish town area.
Shah discusses the creation of Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, their award-winning ice cream parlour, which is easily recognizable across various social media platforms, especially on Instagram and Tiktok. The risk with taking on the London food scene with Filipino ice cream flavors such as Ube, Calamansi (Philippine Lemon), Milo and seasonal options, mentioning how there was no Filipino ice cream dessert spot in London, “they had carts on the streets in Philippines but no dedicated ice cream parlour was available” and how this risk paid off in the long run by sticking to the plan, also “calculating the numbers to ensure that the risk was covered.” He further speaks about Donia, the new addition to the Maginhawa group and how both him and his partner, Mae, worked hard to ensure that the concept was solid. As customers are welcomed in, on display at the counter at Mamasons is a selection of pastries, an Ube brownie with white chocolate chips, a Buko pie which is a golden flaky pastry crust with soft and velvety slices of shaved coconut in a rich and creamy filling, a classic pastry that can be served as a dessert or all-day snack paired with coffee or a calamansi and honey tea, these are some of the popular selections offered at the bakery. Having tried every flavor on display and seasonal ones during the summer last year, it is a super refreshing treat and even better on a hot summer’s day.
(cont’d)
Stepping further into the restaurant next door, Shah discusses the panic that set within the hospitality industry when the pandemic hit and all their restaurants closed down, and they had recently acquired Moi Moi Island at this time. He recalls the experience of discussing with Mae on the development of the concept and they opened the restaurant as a takeaway, given the covid restrictions, with him running the kitchen and front of house managed by Mae. Simultaneously, the Panedera concept was also being developed with the focus on pandesal, a staple bread roll in the Philippines, which is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt. The loaf version came about later when the simple bread concept did not immediately take off. Drawing from inspiration Japanese culture, they created the sandos which ultimately racked up ninety percent of their sales he says, the popularity of these sandos rose steeply over social media. He mentions the possibility of extending the range of the menu and expansion to a new location. On the counter at Panadera, there is a classic Panadera loaf, which is their signature milk bun transformed into a loaf handcrafted by their seasoned bakers, fresh pandesal topped with breadcrumbs and Brown butter chocolate cookies, soft and chewy, with a hint of sea salt. These cookies are an absolute hit, there is something heart-warming about eating a simple chocolate chip cookie that transports you back to your childhood, a treat for any time of the day.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah recalls his experience trying out different Nigerian and Caribbean dishes, specifically Suya and Jerk chicken among many others, he reminisces on his time in South London and frequent days spent ordering from local restaurants. Moi Moi Island, another restaurant under the group, which serves these dishes on their respective menus. Shah recognizes the importance of authenticity and serving these dishes in line with the traditional methods which they have originated from, this is important as one can see the passion he has for building on his wealth of knowledge in the hospitality industry and identifying the gaps in the process through those already familiar with the recipes. The Jerk chicken salad consists of Grilled jerk chicken, parmesan cheese lettuce, agege (bread) croutons, Caesar dressing, a tasty combination of elevating the essential flavors of the traditional dish, there is also an option to have the spicy or sweet range with jerk chicken, served with a generous side of rice & peas, fried plantain, jerk gravy and salad for a richer experience. We are ushered into the kitchen as Shah inspects the smoker machine, which has trays of perfectly seasoned and smoked chicken which will be used in the prep for the suya bowls. We are given bowls of their oxtail and chicken suya and judging by the smiles of satisfaction on our faces, we certainly will return back for more of their dishes.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah discusses the Maginhawa Group contributing to shape the London food scene and the legacy of what they aim to leave behind. He speaks about “encouraging the younger generation of Filipinos and people of colour who are also seeking to represent in the hospitality industry, that the group itself was born and bred from passion, hard work of migrants and now evolving into a position where they can compete with big corporate restaurant groups, passing on traditions and skills while celebrating the Filipino culture and making future generations proud of their heritage by setting an example”, citing the fact that he does not come from a culinary background but utilizing the resources they had and even having a relationship with other Filipino restaurants, the supportive culture and how they have embraced community in tackling challenges in the hospitality industry with their various backgrounds and offering guidance where possible to each other has been helpful.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah’s relationship with food is clearly steeped in a mix of cultures, not just from his background but others as well, as the menu across the group’s various restaurants reflects on that, from the traditional recipes of Pandesal, Chicken Sopas, Oxtail Kare Kare to Jerk chicken, Beef Suya and Bilogs, offering the quintessential dishes, while combining the traditional with modern techniques and incorporating that into the London food scene, his wealth of knowledge amassed over 15 years in the industry is clear on the future outlook. As a group, he says “we are now looking ahead to explore the Middle East, there is a significant demand in Dubai especially for London brands, there is a great incentive out there” amidst the growing challenges of managing a restaurant group in London, this next foray charts their lane even further within the hospitality industry.
Stepping further into the restaurant next door, Shah discusses the panic that set within the hospitality industry when the pandemic hit and all their restaurants closed down, and they had recently acquired Moi Moi Island at this time. He recalls the experience of discussing with Mae on the development of the concept and they opened the restaurant as a takeaway, given the covid restrictions, with him running the kitchen and front of house managed by Mae. Simultaneously, the Panedera concept was also being developed with the focus on pandesal, a staple bread roll in the Philippines, which is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt. The loaf version came about later when the simple bread concept did not immediately take off. Drawing from inspiration Japanese culture, they created the sandos which ultimately racked up ninety percent of their sales he says, the popularity of these sandos rose steeply over social media. He mentions the possibility of extending the range of the menu and expansion to a new location. On the counter at Panadera, there is a classic Panadera loaf, which is their signature milk bun transformed into a loaf handcrafted by their seasoned bakers, fresh pandesal topped with breadcrumbs and Brown butter chocolate cookies, soft and chewy, with a hint of sea salt. These cookies are an absolute hit, there is something heart-warming about eating a simple chocolate chip cookie that transports you back to your childhood, a treat for any time of the day.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah recalls his experience trying out different Nigerian and Caribbean dishes, specifically Suya and Jerk chicken among many others, he reminisces on his time in South London and frequent days spent ordering from local restaurants. Moi Moi Island, another restaurant under the group, which serves these dishes on their respective menus. Shah recognizes the importance of authenticity and serving these dishes in line with the traditional methods which they have originated from, this is important as one can see the passion he has for building on his wealth of knowledge in the hospitality industry and identifying the gaps in the process through those already familiar with the recipes. The Jerk chicken salad consists of Grilled jerk chicken, parmesan cheese lettuce, agege (bread) croutons, Caesar dressing, a tasty combination of elevating the essential flavors of the traditional dish, there is also an option to have the spicy or sweet range with jerk chicken, served with a generous side of rice & peas, fried plantain, jerk gravy and salad for a richer experience. We are ushered into the kitchen as Shah inspects the smoker machine, which has trays of perfectly seasoned and smoked chicken which will be used in the prep for the suya bowls. We are given bowls of their oxtail and chicken suya and judging by the smiles of satisfaction on our faces, we certainly will return back for more of their dishes.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah discusses the Maginhawa Group contributing to shape the London food scene and the legacy of what they aim to leave behind. He speaks about “encouraging the younger generation of Filipinos and people of colour who are also seeking to represent in the hospitality industry, that the group itself was born and bred from passion, hard work of migrants and now evolving into a position where they can compete with big corporate restaurant groups, passing on traditions and skills while celebrating the Filipino culture and making future generations proud of their heritage by setting an example”, citing the fact that he does not come from a culinary background but utilizing the resources they had and even having a relationship with other Filipino restaurants, the supportive culture and how they have embraced community in tackling challenges in the hospitality industry with their various backgrounds and offering guidance where possible to each other has been helpful.
(Image above, courtesy of Jamal -Springer Lynch, 2024.)
Shah’s relationship with food is clearly steeped in a mix of cultures, not just from his background but others as well, as the menu across the group’s various restaurants reflects on that, from the traditional recipes of Pandesal, Chicken Sopas, Oxtail Kare Kare to Jerk chicken, Beef Suya and Bilogs, offering the quintessential dishes, while combining the traditional with modern techniques and incorporating that into the London food scene, his wealth of knowledge amassed over 15 years in the industry is clear on the future outlook. As a group, he says “we are now looking ahead to explore the Middle East, there is a significant demand in Dubai especially for London brands, there is a great incentive out there” amidst the growing challenges of managing a restaurant group in London, this next foray charts their lane even further within the hospitality industry.