Celebrated chef Tala Bashmi, often described as the voice of modern Middle Eastern cuisine, has announced her departure from Fusions by Tala, the restaurant where she brought her vision of Bahraini cuisine to life.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the Bahraini reflected on her decade-long journey with the restaurant, which is located at the five-star Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa.
“This chapter has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my career,” she wrote, emphasising the creativity and growth that defined her tenure at Fusions by Tala.
Known for her innovative approach to reimagining traditional flavours, Bashmi has elevated the region’s culinary identity on the global stage.
In 2022, she became the debut winner of the Middle East & North Africa's Best Female Chef Award by the World's 50 Best organisation, which also recognised Fusions by Tala as the best restaurant in Bahrain and third best in the Mena region. In the same year, she became the only Arab ranked in the top 100 list of The Best Chef Awards.
“What I’m currently doing is trying to put Middle Eastern cuisine on a global scale, so for me to be the only Arab on this list means I’m taking one step forward to doing that and to give our cuisine its moment in the spotlight and its culinary renaissance,” she told The National at the time.
At Fusions by Tala, Bashmi combines the opulence of fine dining with nostalgic Arabian home cooking. The seasonal menu changes frequently, but signature dishes in Bashmi's repertoire include mini ghoozi taco, softshell crab with mehyawa aioli and her famous bamia, a traditional okra and meat stew, which she has modernised using Wagyu beef cheek, crispy okra glass and tomato broth rice.
Bashmi's love for food comes from her father, and she has also trained in the culinary arts in Switzerland. She worked for a few award-winning restaurants in Europe, including Michelin-starred restaurant Prisma in Vitznau, where she learnt more about restaurant operations, as well as working in fast-paced kitchen environments.
Since returning to the Mena region, the chef has competed on MBC's Top Chef Middle East, where she reached the finals. In February 2020, she took over the helm at the decades-old Fusions restaurant, and it was renamed Fusions by Tala.
“I worked my way up to sous chef for the hotel, which has 10 restaurants in total, but I always had my eye on this restaurant, Fusions,” Bashmi told World's 50 Best. “It wasn’t doing so well, it was more like a tacky bar, but I knew I could transform the space and make it my own. Eventually, they gave me one year to turn it around with the existing equipment, team and set-up. If I succeeded, they would renovate the space. Thankfully, we made it work.”
The chef didn't specify a reason for her leaving, a decision she describes as “bittersweet”, but says she is “excited for the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead”.
The restaurant's name has already reverted to Fusions, as per the hotel's website.
“Rest assured, my journey with food and cooking is far from over,” she writes in the Instagram post. “Stay tuned for what’s next, we’re just getting started.”
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
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Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
