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ONE of the Arab world’s most popular celebrity chefs will be flying into the kingdom next Tuesday to treat food-lovers with his award-winning twist on Lebanese cuisine.
With more than 30 years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience, Chef Joe Barza proudly positions himself as the ‘Lebanese Terroir Culinary Artist’ and he will be producing a special set menu at the Gulf Hotel’s Zahle restaurant for four days from next Tuesday, as well as hosting an Art of Cooking Master Class.
He told GulfWeekly: “Everywhere in the world, we travel to spread our culture, passion and know-how by creating food that makes everybody happy.
“Lebanese cuisine, in my opinion, is a reflection of the great hospitality that we offer. Our cuisine is known to be very healthy and engage a wide variety of ingredients that simply suit all the tastes of different nationalities.
“In the Arab world we have a big treasure – our cuisine! We should appreciate it more and realise the value of it. And, we should keep spreading and sharing the news of this treasure all over the globe.”
Chef Joe has been putting these words into practice with great success and is best known for co-hosting the Middle Eastern version of the popular TV programme Top Chef.
Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, starches, fresh fish and seafood. Animal fats are consumed sparingly and poultry is eaten more often than red meat.
Born in Tyre, Lebanon, one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean, he was first influenced by traditional cuisine as a child in his mother’s kitchen. He studied at the Hotel School of Arts, graduated in 1982, and started his culinary career as a restaurant commis chef before moving to South Africa. His first job was at Johannesburg International Airport, where he started as a chef de partie before progressing through the ranks to executive sous chef, responsible for serving up to 17,000 meals a day to travellers and managing a 110-strong kitchen team.
With the Lebanese civil war ended, he was offered his first head chef position back home at the renowned Century Park Hotel in Jounieh and also went on to become head chef for the celebrated Chase chain of international restaurants.
In 2009 he set up his own culinary consultancy business specialising and was soon promoting Lebanese cuisine at home and abroad and making appearances on global media channels, including CNN. He won a world champion title for a divine tuna dish in Sardinisa and received many other international recognitions and awards including a Master Chef designation in 2010.
He was also appointed as a jury member for many international culinary competitions before stepping up as head judge in the Emmy Award-winning TV show. “Good food unites people in a very peaceful way and the food shows are enjoyed across the globe as they are very entertaining as well as usual for the viewers,’ he explained.
“Food remains a part of my daily life - it makes me happy and I still find it a great way express my feelings,” he explained.
“A good chef should be motivated, flexible, a good listener, humble, passionate and show a very high level of discipline.”
Bahrain’s food-lovers can experience his skills during a second visit to the kingdom next week. His last time in Bahrain was in 2015 for a National Lebanese Day celebration.
“I love the people of Bahrain,” he said, “the kingdom itself is very unique.”’
The Chef Joe Barza Special Set Menu will be available every night during his stay priced BD18.500++, served alongside live Lebanese entertainment with singers and a belly dancer. His special morning Art of Cooking Master Class, followed by lunch at Zahle, Lebanese restaurant - Gulf Hotel Bahrain, will take place on October 28, starting at 10.30am.
For details call 17713000.
