Maryam Ismail catches up with Yasmine Daher, who is calling it a day after years of successfully leading the team at Sharjah’s most loved restaurant Shababeek overlooking the picturesque Al Qasba canal
MARYAM ISMAIL | Caravan Daily
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hese days it is a foodie’s world out there. Cooking has gone from drudgery to a way of getting rich and reality TV entertainment. We even have screaming mini gourmet wizards, the cooking competition show, of MasterChef Junior where words like palate, fusion, and rustic are the latest in kid lingo. And then, there are those who like to eat. Thank God we live in the UAE where food and flavor is never a problem. We are spoiled rotten and it shows in our waistlines. One of my favorite foodie brat hangouts is Shababeek, at Al Qasba in Sharjah managed by Yasmine Daher; let us call her Madame Yasmine.
I have been looking to interview Madame Yasmine for a while but never had a chance with either one of us being busy. Then one day, as I walked over the bridge connecting the two sides of the picturesque canal, I saw her sitting at a table glowing and smiling, then, I took my chance.
She looked greater than usual. I wanted the beauty shop hook up, so, I had to ask where she went: “It’s just some relaxation, some good sleep, and no headaches.” Madame Yasmine two weeks earlier has served her last lemonade after nine successful years of feeding thousands of hungry souls not just at the main restaurant, but also to thousands of patrons at the Sharjah International Book Fair, as well as various government functions. Each time, there was this delicious consistency, the signature feature her leadership.
“You have to have a standard set of recipes,” she told me. This is what has made Shababeek a constant favorite. At al Qasba, restaurants come and go, but it’s been the mainstay and permanent feature of the emirate’s popular leisure destination. Their food is always yummy and the same yummy every time. I asked her how she kept the flavor going. “Consistent quality and quantity with an eye on all aspects of how the food is served and the taste. We have a zero complaint policy; our customers must be happy.”
Another thing I have noticed over the years that the core team of the restaurant has remained unchanged, which has been the same for the past several years. This is another rare feature, because often, people working in the food industry have a high attrition rate:
“You want your staff to learn, you cannot just show them. You have to lead by example. Show them by doing it yourself and let them shadow you until they understand what to do. This means working as a team and having mutual respect. This means everyone from the cleaners to the assistant managers.”
Styled in royal purple mix of arabesque and oriental styles, the feeling is one of a luxurious dinner party. Upon arrival you are served a tiny glass of rose and pomegranate layered lemonade to wet the palate. One sip and you can taste the essence of Hisham el Jokh’s poem, Atta’shira, which describes the free flow of wealth and people within the Muslim Ummah during the Ottoman Empire. Next it’s the buttery chicken wings and then on to the main course of the best of Lebanese cuisine.
When I asked her why she was leaving, she replied, “It was a great job, I have no complaints, but I am tired and I need a break.” I wish her all the best. Yet now that she is gone, I hope, the flavor of her leadership legacy lingers on at Shababeek.
