A hot plate of tradition

Bahraini chef Saleema Sharaffudin, 45, is one of the island's few lady kitchen-masters and is the top chef at Al Sawani Restaurant, Manama.

After divorcing her husband 15 years ago, she was left with the prospect of finding a job to support her three children.

Far from aspiring to be a chef, Ms Sharaffudin had never stepped inside a kitchen or even cooked a dish until the day she was married.

"The first time I cooked was in my in-laws' home after my marriage at the age of 12," she said. "Normally, the women of the house cooked and all I did was eat.

"One day I was asked to cook a meal and by the time everyone had finished eating the plate was swiped clean without a trace of a bite. That's when I realised I could, in fact, cook."

Born in Muharraq, Ms Sharaffudin was an only child.

She said: "I was very pampered by my father. He allowed me to do anything I wished. For instance I wasn't forced to go to school. I have only studied until the fourth grade."

With bare education as her background, Ms Sharaffudin, hop- scotched various jobs at boutiques, schools and even a car wash, until she finally spotted an advertisement in the paper for a chef.

She said: "I applied and was asked to come by and cook for a guest list, mostly of shaikhs. They liked what was offered and I was asked to start work the next day."

At the time, the restaurant, next to the Bahrain National Museum, was managed by the Hilton group of hotels.

"I spent eight years at the restaurant and enjoyed every bit of it. The people were warm and friendly in the kitchen and since most were Indians, I offered to teach them Arabic if they were willing to teach me Hindi which I have now mastered!" she added.

She later left the organisation and joined the Bahrain Petroleum Company where she cooked at the pantry. But the stint didn't last her more than two months.

"It was just my luck! There is competition at every work place and mine used to add something to my drink which used to make me perpetually sick," she said.

From there she hopped a couple more jobs until finally she found a perfect welcome at Al Sawani Restaurant.

"This place has been very welcoming. It is a very comfortable place to work. They respect me - for who I am and my age," she said.

For the future she only wishes to see her children happy and content.

"Once they finish their school, I pray they get very good jobs and settle down well," she said.

The restaurant offers a range of Bahraini and Lebanese dishes like mezza, machbous, saloona, biryani, madrooba, fasooliya and the authentic Bahraini sweet-dish, Umm Ali.

Lunch buffets are available on Thursday and Friday while the nights have a set menu prepared for BD12 including live entertainment provided by Bahraini and Lebanese musicians and a belly dancer.

Other than the weekend treats, the outlet is also open for special functions and private events.

The ambience resembles old Bahraini culture with its huge ceilings, long windows, red carpets, colourful arches and wooden seats with traditional upholstery.

The restaurant also offers fresh shawarmas every Thursday night as well as sheesha on request.