JEDDAH, 14 October 2004 — Jeddah’s new restaurant is a place of striking contrasts. The decor is what it says — black and white. The food combines a variety of cuisines into new taste experiences and in contrast to the usual popular prints on the wall, there is original artwork. Even one of the staff does not fulfill the popular idea of restaurant staff — he is a young Saudi medical student working to pay his way through medical school.
Said Al-Asmari, who is in his first year of medical school, fits the contrasting jobs neatly together. He modestly admits to not being unique — he knows of one other student doing the same thing. With four brothers and two sisters, he understands the strain medical school puts on the family’s finances.
“My father was delighted when I got the opportunity to go to medical school,” he said. “He was determined that I should go. I felt I should make my contribution too; we’re a big family and it is only right that I do all I can to help with paying for.”
His work at the restaurant pays about half his educational fees. “When I am a doctor,” he said, “I will be able to help my brothers and sisters.”
Said usually takes the night shift. “I go to school during the day — catch up with studying in the afternoon and after a short break, I come to work. So far, there has been no real problem.”
“I am very comfortable with this way of working,” said Said. “I am not sure where else I could fit a job around the demands of my studies. I may be serving food now but in a few years, I’ll be serving people.”
Jean-Louis Ubeda, the restaurant manager, said: “We are trying to appeal to the public who wants more than just a quick meal.” Ubeda has more than 20 years experience in the Middle East with 12 of those in the Kingdom. He is convinced that the restaurant’s ambiance and its cuisine which is a fusion of several styles will attract a clientele wanting good food as well as something to stimulate the eye, good conversation and promote the visual arts in Jeddah.
“We hope it will become a meeting point with good food and company,” he said. “We want to get art out of sterile galleries and into an environment where it is seen as part of the environment rather than simply decoration.”
This departure from the ubiquitous over-ethnicized restaurant makes a refreshing change. The sharp clean lines of the furniture and the crisp black and white of the interior allow the eye to take in the pictures hung discreetly round the dining areas and focus on the well-presented food.
The recent opening of the restaurant on Palestine Street east of Jamjoom Center represents the realization of an idea triggered by the Cafe d’Artiste in Paris and the involvement of the owner in the Jeddah Contemporary Art Group. The result is a happy blend of the visual and gastronomic arts.
