On a quiet street in the city of York in the north of England sits a white-painted building with sage-green windows. Pink and purple flowers frame the matching front door, beckoning you into Yemen Heaven – a family-run restaurant providing the people of York with a slice of Yemeni culture.
The story behind Yemen Heaven is one of perseverance in the pursuit of a dream, and a desire to share the beauty of Yemen. The owner, Muna Al-Maflehi, has harboured a love for cooking since childhood and owning a restaurant was a lifelong aspiration. Her family fled the war in their home country and resettled in Saudi Arabia in 1979. During that summer, Muna’s father enrolled her in a cooking school in the UK, where they had planned to relocate. However, just a few days before their scheduled flight, her father was killed in a car accident. Muna was also involved in the accident but survived with severe burn injuries.
The plan to move to the UK and attend cooking school came to an abrupt halt and Muna continued her life in Saudi Arabia. There, she got married and had five children. In search of a better life for herself and her family, she moved to Austria in 2013 and then, five years later, she finally made it to the UK with the determination to pursue her original dream of owning a restaurant.
“My mum started, back in 2019, delivering food cooked from home to her colleagues at the English Language Centre in York,” says Muna’s eldest daughter Zay, as we speak over Zoom – her mother smiling proudly by her side. “When my mum first moved here, her English was not so good, so she really wanted to improve. She joined the centre and, to her surprise, she found a lot of people from the Gulf and the Middle East, with similar backgrounds to [her own].”
The Al-Maflehis quickly realised that with a lot of the people in the language centre being international students at the University of York, many of them shared a yearning for home-cooked food. “Food in Yemen, and across the Middle East, is very important. If you are my neighbour, or you visit me, I will always cook for you. If the neighbour smells the food, I need to give them some!” Muna says, animatedly. “In Yemeni culture, food is a language of love. It’s how you show other people you appreciate them.”
The deliveries started taking off, and the family was able to open a small kiosk as the first permanent space for Yemen Heaven, which they kept going throughout the pandemic. “The people of York were always so surprised about the food; the slow-cooked lamb, the bubbling sauces; everything was fresh, everything was new,” Muna says. After Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in 2022, Muna, with the unwavering support of her five children, who now all work in the restaurant, found the beautiful home for Yemen Heaven you see today.
“It was difficult to get the place; estate agents didn’t trust us. Who are you? Where are you from? ‘Yemen.’ We don’t know you. It wasn’t easy, but when you have a dream and have something in your heart, nothing will stop you,” says Muna, putting her hands on her chest. “When I got the keys, that was the best day of my life; I ran around the restaurant dancing!” From then on, the family cleaned and decorated the place until it was ready to open, sourcing traditional plates and pots made from a special stone found in the mountains of Yemen. “When you put the oil on the stone you can smell the difference. And the taste! You can always notice the difference; I even use it for salads – it is amazing. The old things still never change. Everything is old in my country,” she reminisces.
Yemen Heaven has become more than a place to experience traditional food; it’s a cultural hub to educate visitors on the incredibly rich history of Yemen. With artwork of the Queen of Sheba on the walls, an array of books people are encouraged to pick up and read and an outside lounge area where customers can sit and relax, Muna and her children have created a home away from home – and in true Yemeni fashion – want to make sure this is shared with as many visitors as possible. “My mum gets a lot of calls from mothers of students, thanking her for looking after their children,” Zay says, laughing. “We’ve made a big, beautiful family through this restaurant.”
The conversation turns to the situation in Yemen right now. “There is a lot of focus on other Eastern countries, whereas Yemen tends to get forgotten,” says Zay. “We have a duty, here at Yemen Heaven, to represent all the goodness in Yemen. This is the message we want to convey.” Muna’s eyes well at the mention of the situation back home. “I’m so sorry at what is happening, I’m just so sorry. We have relatives directly affected by the war. I am here able to make our food, while thousands of women and children can’t eat,” she says. “It is so important for more people to know about my people and what is happening.”
Through the universal language of food, Muna, Zay, and her four siblings are actively raising awareness among all their customers. Through additional fundraising events, including Yemeni music nights and open kitchen evenings, as well as constantly adding to the resources available in the restaurant, this vibrant community they’ve created will persist in fostering conversation and showcasing the beauty of their homeland.
Discover Yemen Heaven’s recipe for traditional Fahsa here.
Four Books On Yemeni Culture Recommended By Yemen Heaven
- Last of the Dictionary Men by Tina Gharavi – “An insightful book to read if you wish to learn about the history behind the first Yemenis to ever set foot in England.”
- The Fox Hunt by Mohammed Al Samawi – “A unique story from a Yemeni’s perspective on how peace and love can transcend societal norms.”
- The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers: “This book is a true depiction of Yemeni culture, Yemeni perseverance and Yemeni struggles. A bibliography of a young American man of Yemeni descent setting on a mission “Yemeni coffee revival” that is worth reading.”
- Tracking the Queen of Sheba: A Travel Memoir of Yemen by Kenneth Cline – “An intriguing read by Kenneth where he, along with a team of experts, embark on a trip to discover Queen Sheba’s story. A fantastic insight into the deep history of Yemen!”
Pia Brynteson is Content Editor at Service95
