Three years after their first location opened on Sawdust Road, the couple said the dream is still alive, and prospects are looking bright for the future of the business.
“We believe we are going in the right direction,” Shokeir said.
Ramez said she believes most people in The Woodlands area are not familiar with a wider variety of Mediterranean food aside from Pakistani, Lebanese and Indian cuisine.
“The Middle East is a big, big area,” she said. “There are so many flavors you can taste and try.”
The Mediterranean restaurant opened a second location in The Woodlands Mall on Sept. 28.
Along with its buffet, Ta’Bleyah offers catering services and to-go options for guests.
Expanding tastes
The couple said they wanted to offer tastes they could not find elsewhere locally, and they pulled from their experiences for the menu.
Shokeir added being Egyptian and traveling throughout the Middle East helped the couple shape how they wanted their food to taste.
“We have been in the United States for about 15 years now. When we came here, we could not find the right taste. ... It might be different than what you expect, but what we have is the closest we can get,” Shokeir said.Ramez noted there are differences from their menu and authentic cuisine served in the Middle East due to the availability of spices as well as the differences in how animals are raised.
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine offers both a la carte and buffet menu items with dishes from around the Middle East, such as Egyptian, Lebanese and Turkish cuisine.
“We have maybe one or two items from Morocco,” Shokeir said. “We tried to pick the best of the best. For example, ... grape leaves are very famous in Egypt and Lebanon.”
The couple added they are happy to guide guests through their options if they are new to experiencing Mediterranean cuisine, and they will ask a few questions about what people like before giving recommendations.
To keep food options fresh, Shokeir said the entire buffet is changed daily as well.
Surviving the pandemic
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine had been in business less than a year before the coronavirus pandemic emerged in the U.S. in 2020, and Shokeir said it slowed down plans for the restaurant.
However, throughout the pandemic, they never closed, Shokeir said.“We survived; we are a family business. ... I believe we should get ahead,” he said. “We had to close the buffet, but people would come up and order.”Ramez said there were customers who stopped in just to order a simple item, such as rice pudding.
“It was a very nice experience,” she said.
Shokeir said being a family-owned business means there is a commitment to their customers and staff, and they have worked with both to keep their doors open over the past two years.
“We are trying hard, and food is something we like,” Ramez said.
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine
525 Sawdust Road, Ste. 106, Spring
832-663-9842
www.tableyahcuisine.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. noon-7 p.m.
