Caribbean comfort

Famena Ally served delicious food, dished out generous portions of warmth and hospitality

By: Eva Wasney

“As soon as you walk into this establishment you immediately feel like family…”

“Owner is personable and kind and took the time to get to know us…”

“Famena is a wonderful lady whose charm makes you happy to return.”

These are just a few of the hundreds of glowing Google reviews for Famena’s Famous Roti and Curry, a Garry Street hole-in-the-wall with famously large portions and famously warm hospitality.

Bebi Famena Ally, known as Famena to many, was the restaurant’s namesake and its kind, generous heart. Ally died on Feb. 21 at the age of 66 following an illness.

Born in the port town of New Amsterdam, Guyana, Ally was the fifth of 11 siblings.

She was a natural entrepreneur and opened her first business buying milk from local farmers to sell at the market.

It was in her hometown that Ally met the man who would become her husband. Their first encounter was love at first sight for Mohamad Ally, who was struck by her kindness. He proposed the very next day. The couple married three months later, setting in motion a supportive partnership and a deep 39-year relationship.

“She was a wonderful woman, very care-giving, very honest and loving,” Mohamad says, while sitting at the counter of his downtown restaurant. “We had a good life together, a very happy life.”

Ally moved to Winnipeg in 1991 with her mother and sister to join another sister who had emigrated to the city. Mohamad followed three years later.

She worked as a babysitter, telemarketer and home care attendant upon her arrival and landed an administrative assistant position after completing a course in business administration. She spent years in the office world before losing her job suddenly in 2007 — a sign that it was time to become her own boss once again.

The seed of Famena’s started with a newspaper ad. The owner of the Garrick Hotel was looking for someone to run the café inside the Garry Street venue. Ally — a talented home cook with no restaurant experience — decided to give it a shot.

“I went along with her,” says Mohamad, who is equally gifted in the kitchen and was working as a cleaner at the time. “She started it and put me to work.”

Initially, the couple served soup, sandwiches, perogies and pizza, while selling rotis as a side business. It wasn’t long, however, until they added the Caribbean-style curried meat and chickpea wraps to the menu.

Their rotis gained popularity through word-of-mouth advertising — literally, with customers raving to friends after trying the dish (and the homemade hot sauce).

The Garrick changed hands in 2010, forcing Ally and Mohamad to look for a new location. Luckily, they didn’t have to go far.

Famena’s now resides just a few doors down in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it storefront underneath a parking garage. Here Mohamad and Ally took centre stage, serving heaping piles of food and friendly banter from behind the curved counter.

“We were a team,” Mohamad says. “She was very good with customers … she treated everyone like a human.”

Outside of the restaurant, the couple, who are Muslim, were active in their mosque, while prioritizing rest and relaxation — something that can often be a challenge for owner-operators.

At home, Ally spent her time baking pastries and cakes, and had a penchant for reality TV.

Every Sunday during the summer, the couple packed the car with folding chairs and food and headed to the beach for a lakeside barbecue. Gimli was a favourite destination.

Ally and Mohamad were also avid cruise-takers, closing the restaurant for a month beginning on Boxing Day and travelling by sea to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Bahamas. They had plans to explore Europe via cruise ship.

While cooking became Ally’s profession, it was also an act of love. She donated food to local organizations, taught others how to cook and ensured everyone in her orbit was well fed.

“She’s missed by lots of people,” Mohamad says.

winnipegfreepress.com/evawasney