See more at https://gulfnews.com/videos
On the 48th National Day we set out to speak to some people who’ve actually cooked for and served Royal guests. Here’s what they had to say.
On the 48th National Day we set out to speak to some people who’ve actually cooked for and served Royal guests. Here’s what they had to say.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I have a happy national day in Dubai, in UAE. I love, I love UAE.
00:08Before I was work, there is a royal family in Dubai.
00:13Not in the restaurant, before the royal family in Dubai, like Sheikh, Sheikh Maktoum family.
00:21I was working like 8 years.
00:24And after I will come here, we started the Al-Fanar food.
00:28Last time, I was meeting there, that Justin Salam.
00:33Then I was almost talking more the Sheikh Hamdan, son of the Sheikh Mohammed.
00:39Then we are going the picnic there.
00:42And lot of time, they are joking with us.
00:45That's why every time, Alhamdulillah, I was happy with him.
00:48He is people, really honest, you know.
00:53Really, they open their heart, people.
00:56Not like steady and another.
00:59Yes, like same our family members.
01:02He is looking like that.
01:04Not he is looking, ah, it's my stuff, no.
01:06See, as you know, this Emirati cuisine, and we present our Emirati culture from all the time, 1960, 1962.
01:14This culture is not familiar now with most of the people, the young people.
01:19So, we have a lot of supporting from Sheikh.
01:22Because we like to supporting the Emirati cuisine and the Emirati culture.
01:25So, we have a lot.
01:27When we start this business and we open in 2011, we get a lot of supporting from a lot of Sheikhs.
01:33Okay, and you know, as you know, the Sheikhs is always supporting the new business.
01:38He was the business to grow up.
01:39Okay, so this time we get a lot of visit from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Sheikh Zaid bin Zayed, Sheikh Hamdan.
01:48He is coming here, he check everything, he visit us.
01:53He usually like to sit between the crowded, he like to sit between the people, he like to see the people, and the people will see him.
01:59He like to talk with them.
02:01After that, usually if they have some visitor from outside the countries, they send it to here.
02:07One of the biggest gentleman who come to the restaurant is His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai.
02:14One of the most humble people whom we have met in Dubai.
02:18And couple of times, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, John Ibrahim, Anil Kapoor, Hussain al-Jasmi, Ahlam, Zareen Khan.
02:29So, 140, the late MF Hussain.
02:31Lot of people, like more than 140-150 celebrities, footballers have come to the restaurant.
02:38His Highness, the first time he came was on 17th Jan, 2017.
02:44It was about 12-15, we receive a call like normal people, they said that keep a table for 12 ready.
02:52Saeed Yaber is coming.
02:54Saeed Yaber is one of his closest man.
02:56All of a sudden, 10 minutes, we saw His Highness walking in the restaurant.
03:00And exactly he sat on this table, on this chair.
03:03And like everybody was in a shock to see him like coming here.
03:08I mean, they are always towards Dubai Mall, the new part of Dubai like Zabil and all.
03:12So, coming to this place was a great honor for us.
03:18For us, we take like people say it's an institution here.
03:20You know, you have come with your parents, some people have come with their grandfathers, now they bring their children.
03:26It's not only about food and all.
03:28So, it was a good visit when he came.
03:30And I would say he is very, very, very humble.
03:33Like when he talks to you, he looks into your eyes like his friends and all who have come like Saeed Hilal, Ahmad Yaber, Saeed Yaber.
03:41They know about my brothers, myself because we are born brought up here.
03:45Like I told you my father came in 1941.
03:47So, they asked about my late father.
03:50So, Zainab started asking like when your father passed away, it came in four papers.
03:55He said, who was your father like?
03:57It came in so many papers.
03:59I said, he was nothing.
04:01He was a very humble man.
04:03He used to guide people on the right track.
04:05And he was a part of the history of Dubai.
04:07I mean, so it was a good visit from him.
04:09He used to talk to you, you know, face to face, eye to eye contact.
04:12It's nice.
04:14It was good.
04:16He came everywhere.
04:18He goes to any country.
04:20He was a normal, humble person.
04:22I mean, that's the good story about the highnesses, the sheikhs and all.
04:26Irasshaimase.
04:28Welcome to Kohante.
04:30I will show you the table.
04:32Please.
04:34Before we open this restaurant, we wanted to introduce kaiseki cuisine,
04:38the Japanese, the multiple course meal in this country.
04:46Because there is no other kaiseki restaurant in this market.
04:52The other restaurant where he worked before, also the royal visit restaurant,
04:58but he was not the executive chef.
05:00But after we opened Kohante, the royal visited us,
05:05and then he is the executive chef.
05:08So, he was very happy to welcome the royal families in UAE.
05:15He came to the restaurant.
05:17We knew he is arriving after 15 minutes.
05:23So, he showed up suddenly.
05:26Then, he asked his special dishes, whatever he wants to serve here.
05:33He prepared probably 5, 6, 7 dishes.
05:40And I think the royals loved the shabu-shabu,
05:45which is the pork dish with thinly sliced Wagyu beef,
05:52and then cooked at the table.
05:55It's one of our traditional pork dish.
06:02He took the movie and posted on his Instagram.
06:07The chef always welcomes the royals,
06:13and he wished to see Sheikh Mohammed.
06:19He wants to introduce the traditional authentic Japanese dishes to the royals.
06:31I hope he will like it.
06:33Happy National Day!