RIYADH: Three international names from the restaurant world are to open pop-ups for Jeddah Season, which starts June 1.
Nobu, Signor Sassi and Nusr-Et, the steakhouse that gave rise to the viral sensation Salt Bae, have signed up for the event, which is the fourth of 11 such festivals across the Kingdom and runs until July 31.
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, better known as Nobu, is a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur with 10 hotels and more than 40 restaurants worldwide.
He is known for his Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine, while his signature dish of black cod in miso has made him a top choice for the A-list. He has restaurants in Doha, Dubai, and a hotel in Riyadh.
Signor Sassi, in London’s Knightsbridge, is popular with diners craving traditional Italian fare served in a fun and glitzy setting. There is a second Signor Sassi in Kuwait City.
Steakhouse Nusr-Et has been a success since 2010, when it first opened, but it shot to global fame when the chain’s owner Nusret Gökçe went viral for the flamboyant way he cut up a steak and sprinkled it with salt. Nusr-Et restaurants can be found in New York and Doha.
The three pop-ups will be open for around 45 days.
HIGHLIGHtS
• Kingdom holding 11 festivals in 2019.
• Jeddah Season will run for two months.
Details of Jeddah Season have yet to be published, but past seasons offer a taste of what people can look forward to: Concerts, circuses, open-air markets, fairs, sporting events and lots of dining options.
Sharqiah Season, in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, attracted more than 700,000 visitors over 17 days. It featured 83 events covering culture, education, entertainment and sport. It attracted international music artists such as Akon and French Montana and spanned nine cities in the province. The season also hosted food trucks from Al-Baik, bringing the western province’s beloved fried chicken outlet to the east for the first time.
The two trucks, which were parked in Jubail’s Marine Young Park, saw customers traveling from all over the province to get a bite of Al-Baik. There were long lines up until closing day, with people booing and crying out in frustration when the trucks finally shuttered at the end of the pop-up’s duration.
The seasons are an initiative from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, the General Entertainment Authority, the General Culture Authority and the General Sports Authority.
