Stasha Toncev may run Dubai's preeminent Balkan bistro, but for the time being, it has been transformed into a "flower shop".
In the 24 hours since 21 Grams reopened, following almost three months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, Toncev says she has been "completely overwhelmed" by the feedback from her returning patrons.
"We have been turned into a flower shop. There are more than 15 bouquets here," she tells The National, the day after she reopened her doors.
"My heart is just forever grateful to those people who have recognised all the hard work we've done."
We're going to fight and we'll keep fighting. We built such a beautiful community, we have so many beautiful things to be proud of
Toncev reopened her popular Jumeirah Beach Road restaurant on Monday, July 20, after announcing she could not "sustain" operations in April and closing indefinitely.
It was tragic news for fans of the eatery, which had amassed a loyal customer base over more than two years, many who flocked there on the weekends for its piquant pindjur eggs, brothy Komplet eggs and perfectly flaky burek. At the time, it was not clear if the pandemic was to mark 21 Grams' complete demise, like so many other restaurants around the world that have fallen victim to economic uncertainties stemming from Covid-19.
However, Toncev says this was never the case.
"We were always going to come back," she says. "For a brief moment it didn't look bright, but I really strongly believe we had to find a way to come back. I just didn't know how at the beginning."
Toncev says she made the decision to close after first trying to operate a delivery-only model, and finding it was not "who we are". The restaurant struggled trying to translate its concept and dishes into plastic containers and delivery drivers, which is something, she says, it was never supposed to be.
"We are food and service, not just food. Once we shifted to delivery, nothing was the same and it definitely didn't work for us. We lost that personal contact with our guests."
And so, Toncev shut up shop. For the first two weeks, the whole team just took a break. But after that, it was time to get to work.
She wanted to take a step back from the business to figure out "what we want to do and who we want to be" after the pandemic. And over the proceeding two months, she says, that's exactly what they decided.
The new 21 Grams comes with new operating hours, a new food concept, and a "new point of view".
While the cafe's menu was previously something of a catch-all – a meal suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner – Toncev has changed its hours to instead focus on breakfast and lunch, meaning they now operate only between 8am to 5pm.
As for the food, Toncev says customers can still expect modern takes on traditional Balkan fare (a geographical area that includes Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, mainland Romania, southern Serbia, and even bits of Greece, Turkey and Italy), but they've tried to move away from the "starter, meal, dessert" idea and more towards a sharing concept with plenty of smaller plates.
The menu will now also be broken up into three parts: "Balkan our roots" for traditional dishes, "connecting the dots", which fuses the traditional and modern, and "Dubai our home", which relies on local, seasonal ingredients to "honour Dubai as the place where we call home and to follow the heartbeat of the city".
New menu items include sarma, sour cabbage rolls with minced beef and smoked wagyu brisket; Adriatic octopus with fennel sauce; and Wagyu beef cevap tartare.
However, purists shouldn't fret: Toncev has promised that their hugely popular breakfast dishes, such as the Komplet egg and the cheese burek, will still be on offer.
But, despite completely overhauling her operation, she says her "greatest achievement" is not making a single staff member redundant. While they all took pay cuts, Toncev says she ensured their "living costs were covered".
On Monday, the day they got back to business, Toncev says 21 Grams welcomed about 80 people. Most were regulars. Upcoming weekends are fully booked for breakfasts – down to new social distancing requirements that have limited capacity, as well as overwhelming demand.
The moment I stepped back and saw the response, from the closing and the reopening, I realised how much we meant to people
"We are great, we are the happiest. We missed all the people and the operation. This was the longest three months ever," she says.
"Our souls and hearts were full of excitement to see our community and our guests and to show them what we've been doing the past few months."
In the end, Toncev says, temporarily closing may have saved the business from closing permanently further down the line. The short break allowed them time to "change things to make them better" and realise their own worth.
"It's easy to be good when things are good but it's not easy when things are south.
"The moment I stepped back and saw the response, from the closing and the reopening, I realised how much we meant to people.
"We're going to fight. and we'll keep fighting. We built such a beautiful community, we have so many beautiful things to be proud of."
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Read more:
Hidden gems: Can Dubai's answer to Serbian fare stack up to the real thing?
Discovering Balkan flavours at Dubai restaurant 21 Grams
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
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Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
