In London, a Syrian chef infuses iftar with memories of Damascus

He remembers his mother’s hands most clearly. She would slice tomatoes and scatter the seeds onto the balcony soil, coaxing new life from the scraps. In Syria, they call it a “green hand” – the gift of making anything grow. In London, Imad Al Arnab has grown something too: a restaurant that, each night of Ramadan, glows with strangers turned friends sharing lentil soup.

The Syrian-born chef now helms two of the UK capital’s buzziest Middle Eastern dining rooms – Imad’s Syrian…