Local News

Chef Pepi’s perfect pieces

January 17 - 24, 2018
978 views
Gulf Weekly Chef Pepi’s perfect pieces

Gulf Weekly Stan Szecowka
By Stan Szecowka

ONE of the world’s top sushi chefs will be flying into Bahrain to show diners how a man from Macedonia was able to conquer the competition and walk away with a world title in the traditional home of the cuisine.

Celebrated Chef Pepi Anevski will be arriving next week for a short stay at the Gulf Hotel Bahrain’s award-winning Sato Japanese restaurant.

“I’m really happy and feel grateful that I am coming to Bahrain to let people try my sushi,” he told GulfWeekly. “It’s always nice to visit different places and I try to spread my passion and love of the beautiful art of sushi whereever I go. It is important for me to raise awareness of sushi so people better understand it.”

The history of sushi began with paddy fields in Southeast Asia, where fish was fermented with salt and rice and it first was introduced to Japan around the Yayoi period, an Iron Age era in the history of the country traditionally dated as far back as 300 BC.

Now based in Denmark, Chef Pepi, 41, has received many accolades but few more prestigious than winning the World Sushi Cup 2013 in Tokyo. So how did a chef from a country in the Balkans take the title?

“I often hear this question and answer that a person cooks and creates food from the heart and not from what background they have,” he explained. “My ethnicity often clashes with people’s generalisation of how a Sushi Master should look like.

“But the beauty in it is that nothing is impossible and a person’s ethnicity shouldn’t hinder his or her goals in life.”

He studied classic Japanese sushi in Chiba, Japan, and has been accredited as a Sushi Head Chef by AJSA (All Japan Sushi Association) and the World Sushi Skills Institute.

“I love creating sushi because there is so much tradition and skill attached to it,” said Chef Pepi. “There is enormous respect for the products involved and I love that a single piece requires such a lot of work and passion for it to truly be tasty.”

As taste is the name of the game, his culinary style concentrates on the fine cuts of shashimi and sushi such as the Nigiri, Gunkan, Uramaki and Futomaki.

His favourites include the Lemon Lobster, Sesame Flounder, Sweet Prawn Tempura and Spicy Tuna and  he recently spoke of the ‘satisfaction you get as a chef when you succeed with combining amazing flavours in your creation’ after unveiling a sensational Green Tea Smoked Salmon with Crunchy-skin Gunkan topped with Kizami Wasabi.

His aim and ambition is to raise sushi awareness globally and spread the knowledge of making it to people who are willing to learn.

“Sushi is much more than a food creation,” he said “It’s more of an art form which by understanding and respecting the core products gives you amazing results.”

He’s certain about his favourite too, namely Nigiri, a specific type of sushi consisting of a slice of raw fish over pressed vinegared rice.

 “That’s the best taste you can get when eating sushi,” he said. “A Nigiri that’s perfectly balanced with the fish, rice and Wasabi is a must for me. It looks easy to make but in reality it’s so hard to get it perfect.”

Wasabi comes from the Brassicaceae family and is also called ‘Japanese horseradish’, although horseradish is a different plant.

Chef Pepi’s creativity originates from his innate curiosity about combining new flavours and developing recipes. “I always strive to be better than I was yesterday.”

And food lovers will be able to put his talents to the test when he dishes up delights at Gulf Hotel’s Sato restaurant on Monday until Friday, January 26.

“This is a one-time opportunity for Japanese food lovers alike to experience ‘Gold Medal’ cuisine!” said Charbel Hanna, executive assistant manager. “Following the recent successes of celebrity and award-winning Michelin-starred chefs who have featured at the hotel’s fine-dining outlets, The Gulf Hotel Bahrain is proud to present World Sushi Champion, Chef Pepi Anevski!”

To find out more details and to book a table email fbm@gulfhotelbahrain.com, info@gulfhotelbahrain.com or call 17746429/30.

 







More on Local News