https://arab.news/9779m
TORONTO: Chinese-Canadian chef Kelvin Cheung’s culinary journey started at the age of 12, working at his father’s restaurant in Chicago. He’s come a long way since then, with stints in Toronto, Vancouver, Delhi, Mumbai, and now, Dubai.
During his time in India, Cheung was a favorite of several Bollywood celebrities, and he’s becoming something of a celeb himself, thanks to social-media. His latest venture — Jun’s — is already making waves in Dubai’s culinary scene with its “elevated North American-Asian dining experience.”
If you’re not exactly sure what means, think tempura za’atar chaat — a surprising mélange of za’atar, tempura, tamarind, yogurt, and chaat masala or a lamb koobideh, which includes the traditional koobideh fixings, plus nikiri and egg yolk sauce, with kimchi jam.
Cheung says Jun’s is rooted in his Chinese heritage, North American upbringing, and French culinary training. And he stresses that he tries to source the freshest ingredients from local farms.
Here, Cheung talks discipline, noodles, and learning to lead, and reveals his “perfect Sunday brunch recipe.”
Q. What is your top tip for amateur cooks?
A. Cooking is a difficult skill that you never truly master, but discipline is the key. Expect to be a lifelong student.
Q. What is one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
A. Salt. You need to add salt to enhance and taste the rest of the ingredients, as well as balance the dish — particularly, desserts. A lot of inexperienced chefs find it difficult to (get the right amount of salt). It takes experience, muscle memory, and confidence.
Q. What is your favorite cuisine to eat?
A. Japanese. Especially sushi.
Q. When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
A. Never critiquing, always observing… I love to hear the story of what inspired a dish or how it came about. Being let into the mind of a chef is always so interesting to me.
Q. What’s your favorite dish to cook?
A. I love making noodles. My wife and son are obsessed with noodles, and I make them a bowl from scratch. I take a whole chicken and some beef bones to make a super-rich, power-packed bone broth. It’s nutritionally-dense, hearty, and delicious. Cook the noodles, prepare garnishes and sauces, and serve my loved ones a steaming, hot bowl of delicious noodle soup. It fills my heart.
Q. If you have to cook something quickly, what’s your go-to dish?
A. Eggs. They’re a staple in our house. They’re healthy, convenient, accessible, affordable, and something that we all love.
Q. What’s the most difficult dish on your menu?
A. The Jun’s burger. It’s simple and no-frills, but it has to be precise every single time. We weigh out the exact patty-to-bun ratio. We use four cuts of wagyu beef, which are then hand-diced to make the patty. The execution must be perfect. We cook the patties until the edges are crispy, while making sure the burger remains juicy.
Q. Are you a strict boss?
A. My leadership style has changed dramatically over the years. I was trained in Chinese and French kitchens where there were great expectations and no room for errors. So it took me quite a while to train myself to be a less reactive leader. Becoming a father and reading about parenting styles was a big catalyst for deep change.
While I run a very tight ship in terms of organization and output, I believe in teaching and modeling, rather than barking orders. I’m very proud to say some of my team members have been with me for almost a decade now, moving cities and countries to continue on my team.
Chef Kelvin’s Pumpkin Congee
Serves: 2-4
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg fresh pumpkin — seeded, peeled, and diced
8 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 knob ginger, peeled and sliced
¾ cup jasmine sweet rice, rinsed well
Salt, white pepper, and light soy sauce for seasoning
1 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted
½ cup chili oil (for garnish)
½ cup scallions, chopped
¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a pot, bring the water or vegetable stock to boil. Add the pumpkin and ginger; simmer until the pumpkin is tender.
Remove half of the pumpkin. Mash or purée, and set aside.
In the same pot, add the rice and simmer until fully cooked. Now stir in the pumpkin purée.
Season with salt, white pepper, and light soya sauce. Mix well.
Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds, chili oil, scallions, and green coriander. Serve.
DUBAI: Palestinian Chilean singer and songwriter Elyanna touched down in Dubai on Sunday after a fashion-filled few days in Qatar.
She took to Instagram Stories to document her stay in the UAE’s tourist hotspot by way of a mirror selfie.
A post shared by Elyanna اليانا (@elyanna)
Prior to her sojourn in Dubai, Elyanna was in Qatar to celebrate the Fashion Trust Arabia awards alongside the who’s who of the international fashion industry.
Former model Karolina Kourkova, Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Picciolini, British models Jourdan Dunn and Poppy Delevingne, former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, British actress Jodie Turner-Smith, US model Jasmine Tookes and US Somali model Halima Aden all made appearances, along with Jordanian Romanian designer-of-the-moment Amina Muaddi, British supermodel Naomi Campbell and US Palestinian Dutch catwalk star Bella Hadid.
The star-studded event, now in its fourth outing, took place at the National Museum of Qatar and spotlighted renowned and aspiring creatives in fashion in the Middle East and North Africa region.
A post shared by Elyanna اليانا (@elyanna)
Fashion Trust Arabia honored six designers from the Arab world.
Saudi sisters Siham and Sarah Albinali won the ready-to-wear award, Artsi Ifrach, from Morocco, won the eveningwear award, Eilaf Osman, from Sudan, received the accessories (shoes and handbags) award, Fatma Mostafa, from Egypt, won the jewelry (fine and fashion jewelry) award, and the Franca Sozzani debut talent award went to Kazna Asker from Yemen.
While in Doha, Elyanna was also spotted at a fashion show to support education and investment in young creative and business talents from emerging regions, specifically in Africa, the diaspora and developing communities around the world.
The show, held on Oct. 28 under the patronage of Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, was part of Campbell’s global charitable initiative, EMERGE.
Hadid, Campbell and the other models showed off looks by award-winning fashion designers from Africa, the diaspora and the Middle East, such as Thebe Magugu, Bianca Saunders and Abdel El-Tayeb.
For her part, Elyanna attended the show in a white halter neck dress emblazoned with Arabic calligraphy by Syrian artist Safe from Harm.
No stranger to the spotlight, earlier this year the musician featured in Spotify’s fourth Radar installment in the Middle East — an emerging-artist program spotlighting rising talent from around the globe.
LOS ANGELES: Iraqi singer Rahma Riad recently released a new single as part of the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the first World Cup to be hosted in the Arab world. The performer was approached about the anthem, “Light the Sky,” during the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.
“I got very excited being an Iraqi artist participating in the World Cup and being an Arab who is present in the World Cup is also important. It’s a big responsibility and, of course, I thank FIFA for putting its trust in us as young artists and we were up to the responsibility and we did a good job,” Riad told Arab News.
The single, which features a shout out to the female referees officiating the tournament, was performed by Riad and fellow Arab singers Balqees, Nora Fatehi and Manal; and is produced by Grammy-winning RedOne, a Dubai-based, Moroccan Swedish producer.
The majority of the song is not in Arabic, however, a choice which Riad says was intentional.
“It’s an international song. It’s a song about the World Cup and is not specific to Arabs only. There are foreign countries participating in the World Cup, so we wanted to represent the world from the Arab world,” said Riad.
Two other World Cup anthems were also released ahead of the November mega-event. Qatari singer Aisha teamed up with Nigerian Afro-pop star Davido and US singer Trinidad Cardona on the very first World Cup track “Hayya Hayya,” released in April this year.
In August, the World Cup crew released “Arhbo,” featuring Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ozuna and French hip-hop artist Gims.
As she prepares to cheer along with her fellow fans for the upcoming games, Riad is also in talks to perform at the upcoming Riyadh Season 2022 and hopes that schedules permit her to perform in Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia is surely in a big and important development right now and we thank them as they are always doing a lot of cultural exchange through art, so we hope to be able to continue our successful concerts in Saudi,” she said.
DUBAI: From an awards night to a fashion show, Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell had an eventful week in Qatar.
On Friday, Hadid and Campbell walked a fashion show to support education and investment in young creative and business talent from emerging regions, specifically in Africa, the diaspora and developing communities around the world.
The show, held under the patronage of Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, was part of Campbell’s new global charitable initiative, EMERGE, which she launched this week in partnership with Qatar Creates.
EMERGE is dedicated to uniting the fashion and creative industries.
Hadid, Campbell and the other models wore a selection of award-winning fashion designers from Africa, the diaspora and the Middle East, such as Thebe Magugu, Bianca Saunders and Abdel El-Tayeb.
On the runway, Hadid wore a black coat dress with a beaded chain around her neck. Her makeup was bold with a black graphic eyeliner and bleached eyebrows.
Campbell, 52, wore two outfits for the fashion show. The first was a floor-length dress with a hood covering her head and cut-out triangular designs around the chest area.
Her second dress was a feathered ombre gown in white and blue hues.
The fashion show was followed by a gala dinner.
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Hadid, 26, had a red-riding hood moment wearing a form-fitting hot-red dress with a hood that also covered her head.
Meanwhile, Campbell wore a velvet purple dress with voluminous sleeves and a glitzy diamond necklace.
Earlier this week, Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell brought plenty of sparkle and style to a dazzling night of fashion and glamor at the Middle East’s much-anticipated fashion event, the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards.
The star-studded event, now in its fourth outing, took place at the National Museum of Qatar and awarded renowned and aspiring creatives in fashion in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Hadid wore a sleek navy-blue silk gown by luxury fashion house Alaia, while Campbell opted for a long-sleeved golden gown with a circular neckline and diamond-studded stones.
RIYADH: Lebanese superstars Elissa and Haifa Wehbe joined forces for the first time ever and performed at the same concert in Riyadh on Friday.
Fans seemed to be excited about the collaboration, with bronze and silver tickets having sold out before the icons hit the stage.
The gig was part of Riyadh Season and saw the singers, both with two decades of hits under their designer belts, perform a number of their chart-topping songs.
Wehbe sang her latest hit “Walad,” along with some of her fan-loved hits like “Tigi,” “Bokra Bfarjik” and “Ana Haifa Ana” as the crowd sang along.
Meanwhile, Elissa treated fans to her vocal range with her songs “Nefsi Aollo,” “Awakher El-Sheta” and “As’ad Wahda.”
For the occasion the pair showed off glamorous attire, with Wehbe hitting the stage in black sequined jumpsuit and pink boots as Elissa stunned in a yellow dress.
“Can’t wait to see all of you on the 28th of October with my beautiful friend Haifa Wehbe in Riyadh Season,” Elissa wrote to her 18.8 million Instagram followers before the show, as excitement ramped up online.
“Can’t wait,” wrote one user. Another said: “It will be the night of a lifetime and there is nothing better than Haifa and Elissa being together. (It is) a concert for history to be honest.”
This year’s Riyadh Season boasts 15 zones with over 8,500 activities, including 108 interactive experiences, eight international shows, 17 Arabic plays, 252 restaurants and cafes, daily fireworks and more than 150 concerts.
Luda Fine Jewelry is all about excellence, quality and finesse. Designs are based on flowers that combine sensual feelings with opulence. Each piece is made of 18-karat gold and precious and semiprecious stones.
The Luda Collection’s “Bouquet of Flowers” draws inspiration from the beauty of nature to evoke a unique experience, feeling and occasion in every piece.
Khlood Arab, Luda’s designer, found her passion in fashion jewelry, taking courses at schools including the Gemological Institute of America.
She has worked with 55fifty7 Diamond Studio in Dubai to realize her passion to design her own jewelry line. Arab wanted her creations to be self-explanatory.
Luda was chosen to be one of Saudi 100 Brands to be showcased in the Milan Whites showroom at next year’s Milan Fashion Week.
The world of fashion jewelry is continuously evolving and challenging, as is Luda, as it strives to be unique.
Arab is also a cosmetic dentist, who returned from the US and settled in Saudi Arabia after obtaining her master’s degree and American board certification in the field of dental artistry.
She was obsessed with the emerging world of fashion, captivated with the latest trends, and mesmerized by the memorable power of uniquely designed jewelry.