From a project aimed at proving the status of Emirati cuisine, Hashem Al Marzouki moved to the stage of working with Emirati heritage through his new project that he launched for the "Al-Fanar" restaurant in Dubai, which is inspired by the Red Island in Ras Al Khaimah, which contains more than 550 heritage pieces, collected Al Marzouki is from the Emirates and a group of other countries, and its history goes back over 70 years. Through the new project, Marzouki provides an opportunity for citizens and residents to return to the beautiful time of its heritage, tools and all belongings, in a carefully designed atmosphere to ensure an exceptional journey with the tales of the past.
Al-Marzouqi told Emirates Today: “I decided to open the largest seafood restaurant in the Emirates that was inspired by the Red Island in Ras Al Khaimah, and divided into the fish market, and the section (The Sardal House), which is the section known to the captain of the ship, along with the (fishing village).” Which dates back to the beginning of the eighties, and the design was designed with features that perfectly match the features of traditional houses and the island, so all the details are taken from this island ».
Al Marzouqi pointed out that he took care of all the details present in the place, as he is keen to introduce people to Emirati cuisine in addition to the Emirati heritage and life and the way of building, as it is an educational project that goes beyond the culture of the local kitchen, to reach all aspects of life, explaining that it is directed by foreigners, as well as the generation The new Emiratis who did not know these aspects of heritage.
Al-Marzouki collected a lot of antiques, utensils and heritage pieces from the Emirates and from a group of countries, and pointed out that he obtained some pieces from London, and other countries open to the Emirates that were culturally influenced by them, including India, especially since all these ancient pieces were similar Between these countries. The life of some of the pieces that he bought from abroad extends to 90 years, while some of the Emirati pieces go back to the 1950s. Al-Marzouqi obtained them from old markets, or bought them from some families, including pieces that were used by families, such as cooking pots, which were designed to The shape of laundries in the restaurant.
7 countries
Al-Marzouki collected some utensils and pieces from seven countries, but they are related to the Emirati heritage, indicating that there are no images and references documenting all Emirati pieces, but the memory of the old generation is the primary reference, and for this he relied on his memory to collect the pieces that are similar to what was used in the local community, and belong Pieces in the restaurant to the Emirates, Afghanistan, India, London and Yemen. The number of the pieces in the restaurant reaches 550, and they are for sale, as Marzouki considered that offering them for sale gives visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with these holdings and the previous form of life, so they wander around the place and not visit only to eat, pointing out that the pieces are mostly copper, Because it is the substance that was used in daily life at that time. He pointed out that he was keen to put restaurant chairs from different countries as well, including those taken from a cinema in India, or those that he bought from the British Navy, all of which add to the aesthetic of the place and the ancient and ancient dimension in it. Despite Marzouki's love for heritage pieces, he does not plan to go into an experience of places specializing in heritage pieces until now, given his specialization in the field of entertainment.
Environmental elements
Al-Marzouki was inspired by the red island because it is related to hunting, explaining that the building elements used in the island were used, and pictures and implementation of the decoration were displayed in a consistent manner, including the demolished roof at the top, along with the nature of the stones and floors, while most of the building's elements were newly built But it looks very old, indicating that they have adopted the way in which museums are handled.
As for Emirati cuisine, Al Marzouqi confirmed that he was keen, through the restaurant specialized in seafood, to provide what is different from other traditional restaurants, as it left the customer to choose fish and cooking method, whether it is fried or grilled, and he is also allowed to choose the spices that he wants to add On the plate, he excels at choosing his own dish, along with the menu ready-made with foods. He pointed out that the most prominent Emirati fish are grouper, canada and sprim, and they are considered among the new fish that have been raised in ponds, and they are different from marine fish. Al-Marzouki considered that it is necessary to encourage governments to spread the culture of Emirati kitchens around the world, because the spread of restaurants goes beyond the issue of trade and reaches to the promotion of the country's culture in general.
Spreading the UAE culture
Hashem Al Marzouqi emphasized that the demand for "Al Fanar", which offers Emirati food, is 95% of the citizens in the first years of its founding, but then the percentage of non-Emiratis began to rise and reached 40%, and this helps in spreading the culture of Emirati cuisine, along with the culture of life, customs and traditions. . And he considered that the details of the kitchens around the world are very similar, and by virtue of the trade exchange between the Emirates, India and Iran, these cultures were distinguished by the rapprochement between them, but it remains for each kitchen its privacy. He pointed out that he uses social media to display these cultures, so all this culture is promoted, whether food or collectibles to attract people.