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Bahraini Chef Naseem Rasrummani’s modern take on traditional dishes, alongside daring combinations of delightful dishes, has won her the nickname of ‘the brave chef’ from Top Chef Middle East.
The freelance cuisine queen, who originally started her career as an architect before being whisked into the culinary industry, took the runners-up spot in the highly-competitive cooking reality show and impressed internationally-renowned Chef Bobby Chinn, Saudi Chef Mona Mosly and Lebanese Chef Maroun Chedid with her creativity and passion.
“They told me that I’m not just creating a dish, I am sharing my story, my philosophy and my culture on every plate,” she added. “They say my stories are thrilling and that I serve up an experience for all the senses.
“I took big risks during the show as I did in the quarterfinals and it paid off in a big way. It got me to the final and proved my skill to people around the world.”
During the quarterfinal challenge, the contestants were asked to make a savoury dish while using chocolate as an ingredient.
“I remember the rest of the competitors using red meat and dark chocolate, which is typical in fine dining restaurants,” said Naseem, who has worked in Michelin star restaurants in France and Switzerland before returning to Bahrain and making her food imprint.
“I combined scallops and fish with white chocolate and the dish was called Al Dana, which in Arabic origin means a big, rare type of pearl, and that represents Bahrain to me!
“For me, cooking is art and every piece of my art has a story behind it. If there is no story behind it, then there is no meaning, and, I believe that is what the judges enjoyed the most out of my creations.”
She also believes in using local ingredients to support local farmers and aims to raise awareness in sustainability. In her opinion, local produce makes for fresher meals.
“No matter what country you are in, local ingredients are always best,” said Naseem, who has a Master’s in Culinary Management from the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland and has a degree in culinary arts from The École Ritz Escoffier in Paris.
“I hope that my creations using simple and local ingredients inspire others to do the same and that people see who I am through my food,” she added.
Her other dishes that captivated in the three-month long competition, which featured a total of 15 chefs from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and more, competing in an array of challenges while vying for the title of Top Chef and a hefty cash prize – included tikka lumee tar tar and a seafood dish called ‘Al Bahrain’.
The tikka was a modern take on Bahrain’s popular grill dish and the ‘Bahrain’ plating of the ingredients represented the ‘two seas’.
“My dishes reflect my identity – local, simple and artistic,” said Naseem, who also enjoys harvesting and traveling.
In the meantime, she continues to make seasonal menus on her Instagram account for foodies, hosts cooking courses, caters for events and offers consultations as well.
For details, follow
@naseem.rasrummani on Instagram.
