One of Saudi Arabia's Favorite Chefs Is Coming to Portland

This April, chef Badr Zuhair Fayez will travel 7678 miles from his hometown of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to share Arabian cooking with Oregonians in Portland and Astoria. The chef appeared as a judge on Top Chef’s Masterchef Arabia in 2014 and owns two restaurants in Jeddah, Muse and Kome.

In Portland, Fayez will sit on a panel at a free event at the University Club of Portland alongside Tabor Bread owner Tissa Stein, People’s Food Co-op's Sofie Sherman-Burton, and local food writer (and Eater Portland contributor) Heather Arndt Anderson. The discussion will focus on baking bread and spreading culinary values, and it takes place on April 24, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Fayez will also appear at another free public event at Baked Alaska in Astoria on April 26. There, Fayez will discuss Saudi culinary tradition and prepare a meal of Arabian dishes made with Pacific Northwest ingredients with help from Baked Alaska chef Chef Holen. Tastes of the dishes and complimentary beverages will be served.

Fayez worked in kitchens around the world for 12 years before returning to Saudi Arabia—including in Italy, Austria, and Southeast Asia. He is on a mission to share the value of sustainable and ethical ingredients, as processed foods and restaurant chains are becoming more prominent in his home country. At Muse, he serves upscale French-style seafood, and his second restaurant Kome focuses on more casual Japanese cooking.

• Chef Outta Water: Presenting Badr Fayez [Eventbrite]