كتابة: ندى حمزة
We first heard of Aziz when he was a young florist. You can imagine our surprise when we found out that he was an engineering student when he started his business, and that he sold candles and chocolates before opening a coffee shop. Naturally, we asked: Are you a serial entrepreneur in diverse fields? Or do all your interests fall under a thematic umbrella?
In our interview, Aziz explains that he first and foremost identifies himself as a designer.
His goal is to create “a lifestyle experience” associated with all forms of luxury. When he chose his brand name he had a larger vision in mind; he wanted to see his name amidst all the luxury brands he looked up to.
“Coco Chanel, Georgio Armani, Elie Saab” – Aziz Noman?
He found that his favorite brands were named after their founder. This made him question the implications for his own future; “we are all human, and we have the same brain and the same skin – why don’t I establish my own brand under my own name?”
Turns out, Aziz is a serial entrepreneur, but whenever he decided to expand his products and services, he made sure they complemented the “luxurious lifestyle” he aims to create for his clients.
As for his other interests, Aziz explains that, like many Saudis, he studied engineering by default. His heart, however, lay with the floral business he established as a freshman. When he first started, ” he describes; كنت بتخبط، كنت صفر he simply didn’t have enough time to dedicate to his passion. Four years into his undergraduate degree, with only half his credits completed, Aziz found that marketing would better suit his needs.
After switching majors, he was able to flourish as a florist; his arrangements stood out. Aziz recognized this early on and decided to plan luxurious weddings, to impress clients with his central floral pieces and his meticulousness. As for the Bridezillas who weren’t as satisfied, he was able to appease them with two of his other products that enriched his wedding planning service: French-made candles and chocolate.
Aziz admits that his love for chocolate hasn’t lead him to into the kitchen per se;
“I never cook,”
he says. However, his appreciation for dessert steered him towards opening Café Aziz this Spring.Located in the middle of the action-packed intersection of Tahlia and Hail, Café Aziz is ideal for your breakfast catchups or for a splurge on desserts to celebrate your latest break. Before reaching to your Abazeer essentials or your Anastasia brow brush, don’t miss out on Café Aziz’s signature tea time.
Aziz’s afternoon tea marries local ingredients with international standards. Our personal favorite is the hazelnut dessert but we also recommend the white chocolate with named after Aziz’s daughter, Yasmina. For a more hearty meal, his breakfast menu features omelets with, as well as other international dishes with Arabian inspirations. As you might have already guessed, the menu generally affirms Aziz’s bias towards afternoon tea, as opposed to high tea, to match his target clientele.
If you’re as curious as we are on the difference, here’s what we know, according to Tea Time Magazine:
Afternoon Tea:
“fancy tea”
Scones, tea sandwiches, cakes Served at a low coffee table High Tea.
"Not so fancy"
Meat, fish, and egg Served at a higher counter top table.
As for the future, like many designers – passionate for their profession – the goal is to create a franchise of Café Aziz and to have a streamlined business model so that Aziz can go back to designing. What else would he design, you might ask? Our inside scoop tells us there’s a perfume line in mind.
Café’s Talent
Yazid Ichemrahen:
la créme de la créme.
After living in foster homes and partaking in neighborhood trouble,
Ichemrahen found himself in front of a Juvenile Court Judge,
asking him to get his act together. One of his foster parents’ children loved to bake and inspired him to give it a shot. He distinguished himself from a young age – baking was his refuge and savior; “It was my cakes actually, that’s what saved my life,” he explains in an interview with Clique Talk.
Today, he saves our shopping breaks at Café Aziz. After whisking up the ladder of pastry success and gaining the title “Champion of the Patisserie World” in the World Pastry Cup of 2014, Chef Ichemrahen’s pursuit of taste has landed him in many countries. His last visit to Saudi Arabia was to provide original recipes of his pastries and to develop the menu at Yours Truly: Café Aziz.
Loulwa Mkhayish:
Local talent with Michelin Star Experience
For Chef Loulwa, inspiration struck at Daniel’s – Boulud’s Upper East Side Michelin restaurant, where Louboutin’s feel average and every lady’s Little Black Dress just doesn’t seem enough.
Mkhayish, Head Chef at Aziz Café, decided to work back home in Saudi Arabia after 5 years of experience in New York. She earned her culinary diploma at the Institute of Culinary Education, followed by multiple diplomas in restaurant management and entrepreneurship. At Almayyas, Flatiron, she exercised her Arabic palette. Her Flambéing and other French techniques evolved, however, under the guidance of her French Tunisian Head Chef at Daniel’s. Today, Loulwa combines her French technique and appreciation for Arabic cuisine at Café Aziz; her breakfast menu has your essential Avocado Toast but doesn’t neglect Flava beans for a local flavor.
Loulwa particularly enjoys working with Aziz because of his “developed palette,” his ability to provide “quality ingredients” and particularly because of his “high standards” that keep her on her toes. Stay on the lookout for her upcoming developing menu -- and, Instagrammers: make sure your phones are charged for her striking plating.
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