Let’s be honest, Shawarmas and Hummus are great. Infact, Nafisa itself has a wonderful selection of authentic fresh hummus prepared every day. These two delicious (you may add Falafel as well) have helped Arab cuisine reach different parts of the world. Go to any major city across the world and you will see people of all nationalities and backgrounds enjoying shawarmas and hummus religiously.
So what’s the problem?
The only issue with this is that despite the positive effect this revolution has had in general for arab culture, there seems to be a certain degree of food myopia when it comes to the full range of arab cuisine.
Arab cuisine has a huge degree of variety: from regional changes to new items and variations propping up in the age of social media. There is so much flavour, zest and magic in Arab cuisine that it is just impossible to keep up. The issue is that most local restaurants are not even trying – particularly the ones that bank themselves on their shawarmas. Does it sell? Yes. Does it add any value to the local food scene? We doubt it.
And what’s the solution?
The onus lies on restaurants like us – and that’s what we have been trying to do since our inception. Nafisa has always tried to create amazing food that we feel would provide an amazing experience for all. We are not here to fill up numbers or space on the menu: an item only enters our menu if and after it passes a strenuous testing and approval process. It has to be delicious, healthy and good enough for easy recommendations!
If we may say so ourselves, the strategy seems to be working. Nafisa has seen a large number of non-Middle Eastern clientele join us and enjoy our middle eastern classics. Most of these visitors are referrals or come along with a member of our existing clientele. One thing is certain, once you eat Nafisa, you are a part of our family! And just like you, we only want the best food for our family!