Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine, which has two locations, is owned and operated by Heba Ramez (left) and Ramez Shokeir. (Photos by Andrew Christman/Community Impact Newspaper)
According to spouses Ramez Shokeir and Heba Ramez, opening Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine was Shokeir’s dream.
Three years after opening their first site on Sawdust Road, the couple said the dream was still alive and the prospects were bright for the future of the business.
“We think we’re going in the right direction,” Shokeir said.
Ramez said she thinks most people in The Woodlands area don’t experience a wider variety of Mediterranean dishes outside of Pakistani, Lebanese and Indian cuisine.
“The Middle East is a big, big region,” she said. “There are so many flavors you can taste and try.”
The Mediterranean restaurant opened a second location in the Woodlands Mall on September 28.
In addition to its buffet, Ta’Bleyah offers catering services and take-out options for customers.
Expand tastes
The couple said they wanted to offer tastes they couldn’t find anywhere else locally, and they drew inspiration from their experiences for the menu.
Shokeir added that being Egyptian and traveling through the Middle East helped the couple shape the taste of their food.
“We have been in the United States for about 15 years now. When we got here we couldn’t find the right taste. … It may be different from what you expect, but what we have is the closest we can get,” Shokeir said. as well as differences in the way animals are raised.
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine offers a la carte and buffet options with Middle Eastern dishes, such as Egyptian, Lebanese, and Turkish cuisine.
“We have maybe one or two articles from Morocco,” Shokeir said. “We tried to choose the best of the best. For example, … vine leaves are very famous in Egypt and Lebanon.
The couple added that they are happy to guide customers through their options if they are new to Mediterranean cuisine, and will ask a few questions about what people like before giving recommendations.
To keep the food options fresh, Shokeir said the entire buffet is also changed daily.
Survive the pandemic
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean Cuisine was in operation less than a year before the coronavirus pandemic emerged in the United States in 2020, and Shokeir said that slowed the restaurant’s plans.
However, throughout the pandemic, they never closed, Shokeir said. “We survived; we are a family business. … I think we should move on,” he said. “We had to close the buffet, but people were coming to order.” Ramez said there were customers who stopped just to order a simple item, like rice pudding.
“It was a very nice experience,” she said.
Shokeir said being a family business means there’s a commitment to their customers and staff, and they’ve worked with both to keep their doors open for the past two years.
“We try hard, and food is something we love,” Ramez said.
Ta’Bleyah Mediterranean cuisine
525 Sawdust Road, Ste. 106, Spring
832-663-9842
www.tableyahcuisine.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11am-9pm, Sun noon-7pm
