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Aspiring chef Noor Dhafer Saffy has been whisked away on another culinary journey to learn the tricks of the trade at one of Bahrain’s leading hotels in order to fulfil her five-star restaurant dreams.
The 12-year-old British School of Bahrain pupil spent two weeks of her summer holiday cooking up a storm at The Westin Bahrain City Centre under the watchful eyes of Chef Joselito Sofia, Chef de Cuisine Mike Wilkinson and the rest of the kitchen team.
Noor, from Tubli, said: “I was so excited to be back in the kitchen. Cooking is my passion and a big part of my life. I cook when I’m sad, when I have nothing to do or just because I feel like it. My dream is to be a chef when I grow up and run my own restaurant. By cooking at The Westin I learned more about the business, how to run a kitchen and handle orders.”
The moment Noor ventured into the main kitchen she felt right at home. She had previously sampled various parts of the operation, including the cold kitchen, hot kitchen and pastry kitchen, during her trial run there last year when it was the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel, Bahrain City Centre.
According to Chef de Cuisine Mike, her flair for cooking, dedication and hard work has earned her a place on his team. The chef, who guided her on-and-off during her last stint in the kitchen, said: “She has got the skills, the right attitude and the energy to move forward.
“Last year she learned the basic skills and this time she did a lot more. She was plating food, tasting food and she seems to know a lot more about what’s going on around her. We were confident to have her with us. She is definitely part of the team.”
Previously, Noor learned various skill sets such as peeling potatoes, deep frying, the correct way to chop vegetables, cut bread, handle fresh fish, glaze cakes and so on. She would jot down everything she learned from new recipes to techniques in her little cookbook. Now, she has a new book to fill up and Chef Joselito has been happy to help her with that task.
He said: “Noor is very interested in the kitchen and is always asking questions. She helped with the a la carte menu and at times the buffet. She also recently learned the proper way to peel garlic and make lamb tagine. She was so happy and excited to learn something new.
“Also, I noticed that whenever I’m done teaching her something, she will grab her notebook and start writing everything down. If she misses something she doesn’t hesitate to ask.
“She is already gathering information, putting her one step ahead of other aspiring chefs that will learn how to cook at university or institutes. She was a pleasure to have around.”
While last year Noor couldn’t get enough of deep-frying potatoes, this year she enjoyed taking orders and plating her creations.
Noor said: “My favourite part of the day was taking in orders. Everything now is computerised. When an order is taken from in-room dining, it’s punched into a machine and we receive the notification in the kitchen. When I hear that sound I would get very excited and immediately report the order to the chefs.
“The chefs are so confident of my abilities that they task me to take it on myself or I will work with another team member. I benefit from this because if I get it wrong then I have to repeat the order. If I over-cook, under-cook or even plate the order wrong I have to repeat it. It’s hard but it teaches me to perfect a recipe and be consistent.”
During her two-week tenure at the hotel she learned how to make a variety of dishes including breakfast such as the Oriental, omelet and other egg delights. She also learned how to make different pastas such as spaghetti, Bolognese and penne. As for mains, Noor has mastered dishes such as king prawn, chicken supreme and burgers.
Noor said: “I never knew how to do this stuff before and now I know how to make things on my own. I am very happy to learn new recipes but I also like to add my own touches. I don’t even need a recipe as I can look into my fridge and make something with whatever ingredients I can find. I learned how to do this because I don’t drive so I can’t go get the ingredients myself. I learned to make do with what I have just like they do on my favourite TV show Masterchef Australia.”
The reality show is what first stirred her passion for cooking. She was only seven when she became determined to pursue a culinary career, purchasing cookbooks and recording her shows. She was also inspired by her mum, Amal Al-Kooheji, who works as the VP of Tamkeen’s human capital development department. Amal helped her achieve her work experience at the hotel.
Since then, the duo has been researching the next best step for Noor take to fulfil her dream. After graduating high school, Noor aspires to study at the top international Cordon Bleu hospitality school in Paris, as well as have her own cooking show on TV, write a cookbook and open her own restaurant in Bahrain.
While her father Dhafer, who works in asset management, and five-year-old sister Mariam support Noor’s dream, not everyone in the family is as accepting.
She said: “Some of my cousins don’t think I can be a chef. They think I’m capable of other things and that I should consider being a doctor or a psychologist not a mere chef which is simple to do and is a low-paid job. I don’t care what they think. I love food, I love to cook and I aim to prove them wrong.”
Chef de Cuisine Mike believes Noor is a great ambassador for young Bahrainis that want to be a part of the hospitality industry and its perfect to have youngsters like her learning the ropes.
