Tourism minister honours 5 Jordanian restaurants for int’l recognition

AMMAN — Minister of Tourism Makram Al Queisi on Tuesday held a ceremony at the ministry to honour five Jordanian tourist restaurants which won the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants award, hosted annually in Abu Dhabi.

During the ceremony, Queisi said that winning an award in a competition of such importance is a great achievement for the sector. An accomplishment of this kind reflects Jordanian culture and the country’s identity, and the great diversity and heritage of the Kingdom’s cuisine, he added. 

The minister also mentioned that UNESCO has finally added mansaf, the national dish of Jordan, to its list of intangible cultural heritage, giving credit to the country’s efforts in preserving its sense of cultural and social identity for future generations. 

Queisi stressed the significance of training tourist restaurant personnel and increase their qualifications in the hospitality sector, in addition to focusing on marketing and promoting tourism. 

Acting Secretary-General of the Tourism Ministry, Hisham Abbadi, said that tourist restaurants in Jordan ensure that health guidelines are followed and hygiene standards are maintained.

Tourist Restaurants Association President Issam Fakhr Addin expressed his appreciation for the ministry’s gesture, describing Jordanian cuisine as “one of the most important cuisines in the world”, and stressed the necessity of taking care of the sector’s aspiring workers.

Winning restaurant owners and their staff said that they represent Jordan with their passion for the food industry, and they aspire to “mirror the country’s culture and identity through cooking”. 

The list of Jordanian restaurants award winners includes Fakhreldin Restaurant, which ranked eighth on the list of MENA’s 50 best restaurants, with Shams El Balad ranked 29th, Sufra 36th, Alee 41st and 13C bar ranked 47th.