... Habibi Latino Restaurant?

Chef Naeel Razouk had a natural knack for cooking even as a boy so it was destiny that he ended up being a chef.

Being the youngest of five boys, chef Razaouk said he was the one who loved being in the kitchen helping out his mother, Sarah Sadieh. He recalled that when he was a boy, one day he told his mother that he wanted to cook rice.

"I told her I did not want her to help me, I would do it by myself. It turned out really bad, it was very soft because I had put too much water," said chef Razouk with a smile.

Chef Razouk wasted no time. After high school he got a job at a restaurant in his homeland, Syria. The chef took to the trade like bees to nectar and soon after he could add his touches to what he learnt. Today, he is the head chef at Habibi Latino Restaurant.

Though the chef loves cooking, he does not have enough time to do it at home unless he is entertaining. Habibi Latino is no stranger to The Gleaner-sponsored Restaurant Week (RW), so Chef Razouk knows the ropes. He is hoping that RW will help boost business as the recent economic climate has caused things to be slow. Plus, he wants guests to come in and enjoy what the restaurant has to offer.

Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore