RIYADH: Egyptian-born American celebrity chef Michael Mina has brought his culinary expertise to Saudi Arabia with the opening of Taleed by Michael Mina in Diriyah.
Located in Bab Samhan hotel, the restaurant, which opened this month, marks a long-desired expansion for the celebrated chef, who has been eager to build on his presence in the region.
“I really have wanted to be more present in the Middle East because this is very much tied to my roots and what I grew up with and what I grew up eating,” Mina told Arab News. “When this opportunity came, it just felt new and fresh, especially given where I’m at in my career.”
Located in Bab Samhan hotel, the restaurant, which opened this month, marks a long-desired expansion for the celebrated chef, who has been eager to build on his presence in the region. (Supplied)
Mina, who was born in Cairo and raised in the US, recalled growing up in a household filled with the aromas of Middle Eastern cuisine. “My mother had eight aunts and uncles,” he said. “Every weekend there’d be 30 people at a home, and the table would be filled with food.”
This early exposure led him to discover his passion for cooking.
“My first job was in a restaurant. I started as a dishwasher and then started cooking and I fell in love with it,” he said. “I really enjoyed everything from the creative part to the hospitality part. And as I started to understand it a little bit more, by the time I was 16, I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Charcoal grilled Australian tamohawk. (Supplied)
“But it took two years to explain that to my parents,” he added with a laugh. “It was doctor, lawyer, engineer... A cook wasn’t one of the choices. So it took two years and then I finally convinced them.”
It hasn’t worked out badly so far. Mina’s eponymous flagship San Francisco restaurant has earned a Michelin star, he’s cooked for three US presidents, and he is a multiple James Beard award winner.
Chef Alex Griffiths, vice president of culinary for Mina Group, played a key role in shaping the concept for the Riyadh restaurant, ensuring it reflects both the Mina Group’s expertise and traditional Saudi flavors.
Passion fruit labneh cheesecake. (Supplied)
“We came to Saudi more than 55 times in the past four or five years to really understand the food heritage,” Griffiths told Arab News. "One of the things we wanted to focus on was how to represent both Mina Group and Chef Mina, while incorporating influences from the Hijazi side of the Kingdom.”
The menu at Taleed features dishes that reflect this fusion, including shrimp kabsa, spice-marinated yellowtail, and a unique tuna falafel inspired by Mina’s mother’s recipe.
“We’re using sushi-grade tuna and almost treating it like nigiri, where the falafel is at the bottom and the tuna is dressed on top with Egyptian salad,” explained Griffiths.
Taleed by Michael Mina in Diriyah. (Supplied)
Looking ahead, Mina sees Taleed as part of Saudi Arabia’s growing culinary movement. “I think the Saudi food scene is going to explode,” he said. “You start to see more and more innovation, but that innovation stays rooted here as well as (in the) different cuisines coming in.”
For now, his focus is on establishing Taleed as a must-visit dining destination. “It’s always important to get yourself established before looking at doing more,” Mina said.
When asked what he hopes guests will feel when they visit Taleed, he said: “I think when you do a restaurant right, the thing that I love the most is when you sit at a table and everyone looks around the table and says, ‘I’ve got to come back and have that dish.’ That is the best form of flattery that you can ever get.”
