RIYADH: Unlike many chefs, for Nawaf Alrumaihi cooking “wasn’t love at first sight.” In fact, he tells Arab News, it was “completely the opposite.” After finishing school, Arumaihi studied medicine, then engineering in Vancouver for four years. Neither was for him, he discovered.
However, Vancouver did end up providing him with inspiration for his career thanks to “one of the most delicious breakfast places” — a tiny venue where Alrumaihi decided he would offer his services washing dishes. For free.
“The guy was, like, ‘Are you crazy?’ But I needed to do it,” he says. “And after three months he hired me. I started washing dishes, then dishes on prep, dishes, prep cooking and then I was, like, ‘OK. This is where I belong.’ You use your hands and you see the results immediately. So I decided to go back to school.”
Chocolate crepe. (Supplied)
It was an unusual beginning to a journey that has culminated in Alrumaihi being the executive head chef at Crêpes des Alpes in Riyadh, a joint venture he opened with his siblings in 2022 inspired by family holidays, especially in the small town of Verbier in the Swiss city of Martigny.
“We used to go there every summer and we had the best crepes you can ever have, seriously. We tried for years to bring this concept here. This is a completely family-owned business between me and my siblings with a Swiss family that we used to visit. They had this secret recipe for the dough that they’re not willing to give to anyone, right? After 15 years of negotiation — because we believed people would love it and taste that it’s unique — they (agreed to partner with us).”
Here, Alrumaihi discusses the value of mistakes, the glory of butter, and pan care, and provides a delicious chicken salsa recipe.
Q: When you started out, what was the biggest mistake you made?
A: The biggest mistake is the fear of making mistakes. And the most important thing is to not make the same mistake twice. I think that’s a golden rule for all industries.
Salmon crepe. (Supplied)
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Just put your heart and your soul into it. When I cook a meal, and share it with other people and they say, ‘Oh, what did you do there?’ that’s the ultimate goal. So try it with simple things, like pasta with tomato sauce, just add a twist — maybe lemon zest or something. Just make people wonder, ‘What did they do there?’ That’s all you need. Oh, and take care of your pans or they won’t take care of you.
Do you recommend that people follow recipes?
I’d say if you’re making something for the first time, follow the recipe to the letter. Then you’ll have your result. You taste it. And then you can elaborate on it, as long as you have the base. Maybe it’s missing a little bit of spice or something. Once you get the recipe right, you can add your own creativity.
What one ingredient can improve any dish?
Butter. It’s just too good. It just makes everything silkier, smoother, and it actually harmonizes the flavors. And garlic. Garlic goes with everything. Including butter.
Tuna croissant. (Supplied)
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
That happens a lot. And sometimes it’s annoying for the people around me. I like to use my senses. Usually people don’t like when I do that. The first thing is I see the food. Then I get the smell. And then the taste. So, let’s say they have French toast, and some sauce and another topping; I’ll taste each one individually and then combine one with one and one with the other and then the three together. Just to get the chef’s idea.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
It might sound counterintuitive, but steaks are the quickest, most delicious, and the easiest. You just need to prep before time and use the right temperature and time. Basically, moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so you need the steak to be at room temperature, wrapped in towels — that sucks the moisture out of it. Then it takes no time to cook. Literally six minutes. It’s so easy and so rewarding. The flavor is so good. I love cooking steak. People assume they’re super-difficult to make, but it’s super-simple. Just a couple of small tips make all the difference.
What’s the secret to a great crepe?
As with all dishes, it’s the ingredients. Two elements that people don’t count as ingredients are temperature and time, but those two are actually ingredients. You have to deal with high temperatures in a different way and the timing is crucial. And I would also say a really soft hand when you spread the crepe, because it looks easy, but it’s super-difficult to learn. I did it at least 100 times until I got something legit.
Chef Nawaf’s Pollo Pico
Crêpes des Alpes in Riyadh is a joint venture he opened with his siblings in 2022. (Supplied)
INGREDIENTS:
Pico de Gallo: 1 large tomato, diced; half white onion, diced; 7 mint leaves, chopped; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 1 jalapeño, diced (optional); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 limes, juiced; 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce; salt to taste. Mix all of them together.
Pollo: 1 chicken breast; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp paprika; half tsp garlic powder; half tsp onion powder; quarter tsp chili powder. Mix all spices and rub into the chicken.
Batter: 3 eggs; flour; salt; pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Whip the eggs and keep in a container. Add flour, salt and pepper to another container. Batter the chicken in the flour mix, then dust excess flour. Dip into egg mix. Repeat three times.
2. Submerge chicken in preheated hot oil until golden brown. Always ensure the chicken is cooked.
3. Plate the chicken and add the pico on top.
4. Serve.
