Dahlak - Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service Update - Open or Closed?

In this Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Dahlak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dahlak is owned by Neghisti Ghebrehiwot.

Gordon enters the Eritrean restaurant through a back window that has been left open.

The kitchen is a mess and is not just dirty but also cluttered.

The oven, stove and walls are caked with grease.

In the fridge, nothing is labeled and food is dry.

He finds dead, fat cockroaches everywhere.

Gordon traces the bad smell to produce rotting in a corner.

The bar has so much dust is caked on a shelf that Gordon writes his name on it.

The next day, Gordon spies on the staff in his surveillance van.

Carmen is the owner's daughter and she is a model.

She comes back from Paris often to help out her mother.

Her mother has run the restaurant for more than 40 years.

Her father Amare sadly died at the restaurant in 2005 due to a heart attack.

Neghisti had to leave Eritrea due to the war.

She wanted to stay connected to her culture in the US through the restaurant.

The restaurant is in debt and Neghisti is eating into her savings to keep the business open.

Ephream is her son and he is also the general manager.

One thing Gordon has heard is Neghisti’s food is delicious and praised.

Ephream keeps adding contemporary dishes like wings and Philly cheesesteak.

They are cooked so poorly Gordon can tell from the cameras that they are dry and overdone.

Gordon makes a mobile order and his crew bring it to his trailer.

The spaghetti is bland and rubbery, the wings are dry and he has to spit the food out.

The Eritrean dishes are so good that he has several bites.

Jesse came into the business as a bartender but he is made to cook in the kitchen.

Natasha is a bartender and server.

While customers are eating, a small cockroach is on the wall by their heads and no one notices.

Gordon sends a message to his insider to send Neghisti home to rest .

It takes a while but she does eventually leave.

Gordon comes in to shut down service and sends the customers home.

He talks to the staff and tells them all of what he has found so far.

They think it is just complacency that is their problem.

Gordon brings out some dry food and the staff say they that would never eat it but serve it to customers.

Gordon shows them where he wrote his name on the bar and the rotten onions that he found.

The staff are defensive, accusing Gordon of being disruptive.

He throws it back at them for not caring enough to even do the basics of cleanliness.

They feel attacked and Carmen reveals herself to be the insider.

She explains why she called Gordon for help as the place is going down with the legacy of their parents.

Gordon tells them they have to be willing to change for him to offer his help.

Ephream is the last holdout and is not happy about the confrontation.

Gordon has a sit down with him alone.

They get into the trauma he has experienced losing his father and how his mother does not want to let go.

The next morning, Gordon visits Neghisti at home with flowers.

She serves him traditional Eritrean tea.

They talk about how hard she worked moving from Eritrea during a very volatile period.

She does not believe her children are tough enough to handle the business.

Gordon persuades her to change her mind.

She says that they have to show her they are ready and can handle it.

Gordon also promises her that nothing will change with her recipes and the theme.

They agree and we see a montage of Gordon’s team fully redecorating the space.

After some time the family is let in to the improved restaurant.

The restaurant is clean and fresh with brighter colors.

There are more Eritrean cultural elements and lower tables.

It is more authentic and the bar also has had a revamp.

There are family pictures from Eritrea and their father is also featured in the decor.

Neghisti is the last to be let in and she is awed by the changes and she loves it all.

On the menu there are traditional dishes and contemporary dishes infused with Eritrean spices and flavors.

They all eat together and love the taste.

Neghisti and Gordon feed each other the first bites, which is a sign of respect in their culture.

For the relaunch, customers are let in and they love the new look and feel.

Neghisti sits in a corner to watch as Ephream cooks and Carmen is expediting.

Gordon goes in to join them to give them small adjustments.

The food is cooked beautifully and the customers are sending compliments.

Neghisti is taken to the front of the house to see all of the happy customers.

What Happened Next at Dahlak?

Dahlak is open.

Reviews are mostly positive.

There is praise for the food and new decor.

They held a watch party when the episode aired.

They have changed their opening hours to stay open later.

Dahlak aired on the 13th August 2025.

The episode was filmed in March 2025 and is Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service season 1 episode 11.

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