It starts with coffee and dates at Anna & Bel, and ends with mint tea and farmers market fruits with friends.
Saif Manna grew up in Dubai and lived in Texas before moving to Philadelphia in 2019 to attend Temple University as a student-athlete. The 26-year-old rising chef, who runs Manna Bakery, lives in Olde Kensington with his partner, Stefaniya Surikova.
For more than four years, Manna has brought new energy to the local food scene through his Palestinian-inspired bakery, which pops up at farmers markets and special venues around the city each month. Loyal fans and first-timers regularly wait in long lines for a taste of ka'ak al-Quds, qahwa olive oil cookies, assorted manakeesh flavors inspired by his Palestinian family's recipes, and other baked goods that showcase the flavors and traditions of his roots.
"My purpose in cooking lies in showcasing our Palestinian traditions, showcasing Palestinian culture through food," Manna said. "Food is a means of expression for me, and Philadelphia has welcomed me with open arms."
He added: "Of course, during a time where Gaza is currently experiencing mass starvation, the importance of food and its role in a community cannot be overly stated," he added. "It can sometimes feel a little bit wrong to be serving food when others aren't being served their own food. It's weird to say ... but in a world where we are dehumanized, we really need to show that we come from a beautiful culture of social gatherings, art, food, and music ... while trying to fight to survive."
Here's how Manna would spend a perfect day in Philadelphia.
" READ MORE: How two Philly chefs are preserving their Palestinian and Lebanese roots -- one tightly rolled grape leaf at a time
Usually on my off day, I don't use an alarm to wake up. I wake up a little bit earlier to experience the calmer morning. I always have a wellness routine in the morning: a turmeric shot and black seed oil -- I used to eat black seed paste with honey growing up for breakfast.
I don't have breakfast. I feel if I have breakfast, I'm going directly back to bed. So, I go for a walk. I love to go on walks because it clears my head. I'm someone who's constantly thinking about work. I'm constantly thinking about new dishes with produce that's in season. I ask myself, 'Did I highlight peaches well enough this time?' So I might even create recipes on that walk.
One of my favorite spots to walk to is Anna & Bel in Fishtown, which is like a 40-minute walk from where I live. They have a really nice Mediterranean sort of feel by the pool, especially in the spring and summer.
I'll arrive and order an espresso shot. I always carry a tote bag with a water bottle, a small thermos of plant-based milk, and a book -- sometimes a recipe book. Oh, and when I drink my coffee, it's always with dates on the side. I'll bring a small bag of dates, sometimes ones from Saudi Arabia from when I visit my parents in Dubai.
Usually, Stefy, my partner, will be with me. We'll sit down, and then I'll open my book to read. But then I might get a thought about what I can do better or different at the next pop-up. She's the person I bounce ideas off of. Sometimes, I'll forget about the book and just talk with her.
My perfect day is being outdoors in Philly, so we'll walk back to the house. Then, I'll think: "What am I gonna have for lunch today?" And the first thing that comes to my head are tomatoes -- I'll grab some heirloom tomatoes that I probably got either from Headhouse Farmers Market if I was popping up that week, or Riverwards Produce on my walk back. I would grab some burrata -- I've been fixated on that combination: heirloom tomatoes, burrata, olive oil, sea salt, fresh basil.
I love going to the Barnes Foundation, so I'll take trip there. I like to walk and look at the art -- the architecture of the building is beautiful; the trees around are very nice; and the art makes you feel.
Then, I'm walking again, just trying to stay outdoors and walking as much as I can. Philly's a great city for walking -- you can get almost anywhere by foot. And I'm usually walking to Temple or Penn's tennis courts.
I really like sushi. And for sushi, it's always Royal Sushi & Izakaya. And if it's not sushi, I'm going up to the Northeast for some good grills. Stefy, being Russian, gravitates toward Uzbek food. So we'll either meet friends at Royal or Uzbekistan Restaurant. Or if we don't want to go far from our house, my go-to spot is Kalaya.
After dinner, we'll go to our friends' place and play board games, in which I may or may not cheat because I'm competitive. There's a game I play when I just want to have fun, called Illustrations, and there's one I play when I want to win, called Dixit. We drink mint or sage tea with fresh fruits that I've picked up from the farmers market -- I love mangoes and melons.
After that, we'll walk back, wind down for the night, and either head to bed or watch some Netflix. I write a few notes for things to do in the morning, and go to sleep.