April 2018: It was Formula One week at the time of this post, so it is only kosher to milk it a bit and add a suitable picture (which was taken the week before at): ‘Sylvestre Wahid – Two Star Michelin Chef’ media bash. Yep, young(ish) and deb Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Chief Executive Officer at the Bahrain International Circuit was among invited guests to take in a six or more course of Sylvestre’s rather dish delights. So we snapped him and Sylvestre Wahid with their chirpy smiles. Some people just have photographic faces don’t they?
This man can cook. Oh, what’s that? ‘He **** well ought to be able to, he is a TWO STAR MICHELIN Chef’. Yes sure, but sometimes the Michelin Chefs cook up some weird concoctions in the name of ‘food art’ or whatever. One sniff or poke and it is all gone.
We had six courses of Sylvestre’s kitchen skills and not a crumb left on any plates. In any restaurant you have been to, how often can you say that you wanted to lick the plates it was so delicious? The Capital Club Bahrain is a bit too posh to do that, so we had to wait until nobody was looking and the cameras facing the other way. Slurp!
Sylvestre Wahid’s food is not at all weird in any way. Look at the menu contents, pretty normal stuff, but what he does with it, mixing those flavours is a true art and close to magic.
Pakistani by birth, spoke Urdu and English of sorts before he moved to France when he was nine years old. Now listen to him, you would think he was mother-tongue French. Sylvestre actually tells us that they worked a lot on the accent and everything French.
Michelin Chefs in France are … well almost ‘two a penny’ as they say, but not many of them have humble roots from a completely different culture. This is a home boy made good and as he says, his mother is so proud of him. We think most of Pakistan is very proud of him too, because finding Unicorn tracks in Pakistan is easier than finding Michelin Chefs.
Sylvestre is a multi-time Michelin Star chef. It seems each restaurant he ever opens is awarded two stars. As you will hear, his brother also holds a Michelin Star. The man is focused but so down to earth it hurts. Very charming and natural indeed. It would be no surprise to find yet another star added any time soon.
Look at that Paris menu. You certainly need a wad in your wallet to dine there, but just to say you have might be worth it.
