Arabian knights
As consumers from around the world embrace the time-honoured flavours of Arabic cuisine, Middle East chefs are leading the charge in ensuring authentic dishes and traditional values are upheld
Arabic cuisine has influenced chefs for centuries, and today the popular fare is enjoyed around the world.
But here in the Middle East, where it all started, chefs have a particular pride in creating and serving up truly traditional local dishes.
The number of regionally-themed restaurants has grown in line with the region’s status as a tourism hotspot, and today boasts numerous Arabic outlets.
At Crowne Plaza Yas Island, the Barouk restaurant serves authentic Lebanese cuisine. “The food we serve represents real Lebanese culture and is carefully selected by our team of Lebanese chefs,” explains the property’s executive chef Danny Kattar.
Mataam Alsharq, located at the Qasr Al Sharq hotel in Jeddah, serves up Middle Eastern cuisine in an intimate Arabic setting, while Diwan L’auberge restaurant at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi offers traditional Lebanese dishes with live entertainment in an elegant setting.
Meanwhile Min Zaman Restaurant at the Al Ain Rotana features belly-dancer performances every evening.
“We also serve different flavours of shisha, which compliments the experience,” adds chef Jamal Hashem.
Arabic dishes revolve around a few core ingredients, explains Mataam Alsharq sous chef Mohammed Al Haj.
“The dishes are rich in flavour and texture but in general they are simple to prepare; most are based on a combination of herbs, spices and marinated meats,” he says.
But even though this might sound easy, for a dish to be truly authentic it requires precisely the right simple ingredients, reveals Crowne Plaza’s Kattar.
“It is very important to check that each individual ingredient is suitable for the particular dish.
“For example, loubieh bil zeit (a dish with green beans) needs a certain type of bean called badriyeh, that is available in Lebanon. It is this specific type of bean that gives the real taste to this dish,” he explains.
“Similarly, for a proper tabouleh, it is very important that the parsley is soft and fresh and that the correct olive oil is used in order to get the desired flavour.”
Seasonings and spices also play a big role in the ingredients list at Arabic outlets.
Diwan L’auberge director Zakaria Charaf explains that “seasonings such as paprika, summak, cumin and cardamom are used to enhance the intrinsic flavour of the food and ingredients”, but notes: “These elements are essential, but not the base of the dish.”
Such elements are regularly brought into play in traditional Arabic cooking, to enhance a fairly simple dish.
Min Zaman’s Hashem comments: “Different seasonings and spices can give a completely different flavour to the same base, thus giving you more room to create a variety of dishes using the same meats.”
While Arabic cuisine may not be particularly difficult to prepare in itself, Mataam Alsharq’s Al Haj says that the growing popularity of this food around the world has brought new challenges.
“There is nothing inherently challenging about Arabic cuisine, but nowadays, it is enjoyed by a variety of people across the world with varying tastes and tolerances.
“We have to be creative and adapt the dish to suit different palettes, while also preserving the original flavour and staying true to the original concept,” he explains.
And that’s not the only danger, warns Min Zaman’s Hashem: “With the ever-expanding customer base, most chefs tend to create Arabic cuisine with a western twist — thus diluting the original taste of the traditional cuisine.”
According to chefs, Arabic outlets are wide-spread in the region, suggesting past calls for greater representation of traditional fare have been heeded.
Crowne Plaza’s Kattar notes that many hotels in the UAE now feature an Arabic restaurant in their portfolio, while numerous standalone restaurants can also be found serving up authentic food.
But Diwan L’auberge’s Charaf points out that certain countries are more strongly represented than others under the generic ‘Arabic food’ banner.
“Arabic cuisine is a big label and it includes a lot of sub-cuisines. One of those is Lebanese, which seems to be the most widely represented,” he observes.
Lebanese fare is definitely recognisable in the majority of Arabic cuisine, while some other national cuisines — such as Emirati — maintain a significantly lower profile.
On a recent visit to Dubai, Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia said he felt an Emirati restaurant was the one element missing from the UAE’s F&B portfolio.
“I would love to see something focusing on Emirati cuisine launched,” he told Caterer Middle East.
“It has a lot of similarities to Indian food, which can of course be done at a high level — and I’m sure there are people who can cook great Emirati food and would be willing to take it to that level.
“The initiative has to come right from the top — from an Emirati chef, ideally,” he continued.
“I think such a venture could be extremely successful and a great source of pride.”
Whether one of the region’s few Emirati chefs will take up this gauntlet and open a dedicated restaurant for local UAE fare remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, the steadily-growing popularity of Arabic cuisine with consumers around the world means that chefs, suppliers and outlets serving up traditional regional food will continue to flourish.
Candide Pistachio Apricot Macaroon
A modern twist on a sweet treat, with pistachio and apricot flavours adding an Arabic twist to this light macaroon.
“This was created for us by a French pastry chef in line with a local theme,” explains Chef Middle East product development manager Bruce Woolner.
Chef Middle East
Tel: +971 4 347 3455
Email: chefdxb@chefmiddleeast.com
Web: www.chefmiddleeast.com
What are your best-selling dishes?
“All mezze is very popular, but guests do not come to a Lebanese restaurant for one specific dish: they come for the whole experience expecting flavour and freshness from a variety of dishes.”
Danny Kattar, executive chef, Crowne Plaza Yas Island
“Hummus is undoubtedly our most popular dish — it is the first item ordered by most of our customers and is simple, traditional and easy to prepare. It serves as a good indicator of the quality of fare at the restaurant; as it is universally enjoyed, it should be done just right, as a less-than-perfect hummus can definitely ruin the rest of the dining experience.”
Mohammed Al Haj, sous chef, Mataam Alsharq, Qasr Al Sharq
“Our popular signature platters are hamour fillet and the mixed grill.”
Zakaria Charaf, director, Diwan L’auberge, Emirates Palace
“For us it’s our Lebanese mixed grill, because it is served together with a special sauce created in our kitchens, which is unique to Min Zaman.”
Jamal Hashem, chef, Min Zaman Restaurant, Al Ain Rotana
Pickles
Pickled vegetables are a traditional and popular accompaniment to many Arabic meals.
“The range of pickles we sell onto the market is from Kesbeke,” says Chef Middle East product development manager Bruce Woolner.
“The range is of good quality, in taste and acidity. The pickles still have a bite to them, rather than being soggy and limp.”
Chef Middle East
Tel: +971 4 347 3455
Email: chefdxb@chefmiddleeast.com
Web: www.chefmiddleeast.com