Yamada Brings Japanese Cuisine to Damascus With a Syrian Twist

For me Abdul Basit Absalout. Past 10 years Syria became my homeland. Basically I brought Japan in the heart of Damascus.

اختار يترك اليابان ويفتح مطعمه عنا بسوريا.

تعالوا نتعرف على قصة Yamada والرحلة يلي جمعت ثقافتين بلقمة واحدة.

Started supporting Syrian revolution in 2014. We had to fight with the propaganda of the Assad regime because unfortunately everyone was in Japan was believing in the propaganda of the Assad.

So we had to change it. So we did everything to bring the Syrian voice to Japan. And after the revolution, I immediately came to Syria. It's my dream to be here. Past 10 years, Syria became my homeland also. I think for me food is more than food. Food is art. Food is where we express ourselves.

After I moved here, like small ambition, small dream, because until now and 10 years, past 14 years, we fought for freedom and liberation of this country. And now we want to create, we want to rebuild, we want to reclaim our life and dignity. So for me, food is the best way to do it.

And Syrian cuisine also is one of my favorites.

It's I think without bias, it's the best, best cuisine in the world. So I try to bring two food culture, Japanese food culture, and I put some Syrian twist.

I use a lot of Syrian spices and make two food culture like combined and that creates something very new and something Syria never saw. This is I opened first authentic Japanese restaurant in Syria and I'm so proud of what we achieved here. And I think somehow Syrian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, they share

a lot of things in common. We use a lot of rice, you know, for example, mahashi, my favorite food. I think it's Syrian sushi.

Yes. And we also use like same similar way to cook. But we have more than sushi. Japanese food is more than sushi.

We have a ramen. This is first time ever in Syria.

You maybe see ramen in anime, the movies.

It's very tasty Japanese noodles. So we basically I brought Japan to Damascus in the heart of Damascus. So everything Japanese.

I fell in love people, how they are generous and kind and supporting like I it's not easy to for me to move here. There are many, many challenges, but always there are Syrian people giving their hands to help me. And I consider them my family. They consider me as their son.

And this is for me, my people, Syrian people are my people.

بس يعترف شو رأي السوريين بالطعام الياباني؟

طبعا هلق الأكل السوري ما فيه غلط. هذا وين ما راح الواحد بالدنيا بيقولوا حمد الله من أحسن ما يكون. بس الواحد بحب ينوع كمان كل فترة وفترة.

الصراحة أنا بشكل عام بحب الأكل الياباني كتير ومن أكلي المفضل بالعالم.

وكنت هيك متردد شوي إنه كيف راح يكون الياباني هون بالشام. بس لما ذقت الـ ramen هون طلعت كتير طيبة والصراحة على مستوى عالمي يعني.

تجربة حقيقية للثقافة اليابانية، سواء من ناحية فن الطبخ، طريقة التقديم، الهوية البصرية، الشعارات الموجودة أو حتى عمق الرسائل اللي بتحملها. ما بنشوفهم بس يمكن إلا بالأنمي. خبرونا أنتم شو رأيكم بهي التجربة؟