Meet ZAIN MOHAMMED

We had the good fortune of connecting with ZAIN MOHAMMED and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ZAIN, what are you inspired by?
My biggest inspiration was Anthony Bourdain. He was the first celebrity chef to show to the world that it is ok to enjoy food that is not geared towards tourists and that are hole in the wall. The stuff he said really resonated with me, since I grew up going to small hole in the wall places in Saudi Arabia. I followed it when I went to Dubai last year. Most people like to splurge throughout the trip. I was able to find really delicious food that was under $10 (though I did splurge twice).

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started my blog as a freshman at UH on February 1 2013. I’ve always have had a love for food since I was a kid, so I thought “hey, why not write about it”. Little did I know that it would become this big. Getting here wasn’t the easiest. I’ve been accused of being paid by a restaurant , even if I didn’t like the food. I don’t take money for a post, and that is something I’ve always done. I just put my head down and focus on the right thing, which is to tell how the food really is.

One I’ve learned is that not monetizing the blog has allowed me to show some really good places and also home based caterers in Houston. I feel that I would have missed out on some lesser known delicious spots if I were to charge restaurants for posting about them. Another lesson I’ve learned is that blogging isn’t just about trying food, it’s also about learning different cuisines. Like when I had Nigerian food for the first time, I read about how dishes like Suya and Egusi are prepared. Or that real Mexican food is different than Tex-Mex. A final major lesson I learned is to always have a backbone. It’s ok to refuse to go to a restaurant if an owner says or does anything insolent towards you whether you’re around or not. It’s something I credit my mother for teaching me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston has become a major gastronomy destination for Muslims. You have people coming from Dallas and also other cities just to eat food here. So for my best friend, I’d just ask him what all he wants to try, as most cities in the US don’t have the halal food diversity Houston has. But there is one place I will for sure take him to: Agas. It’s actually been ranked #1 for Pakistani food in the US.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my family and friends for their support during the ups and downs of doing this blog. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now

Instagram: instagram.com/thehalalreviewer