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Tala Bashmi

Fusion’s by Tala

Tala Bashmi is a Bahrain-born and Swiss-trained chef, known as the voice of modern Bahraini cuisine at her restaurant, Fusions by Tala, fell in love with Middle Eastern cuisine and ingredients as a child.

Since 2017, she threw her passions into a fine-dining environment offering modern takes on traditional dishes, like bamia, a traditional okra and meat stew, using wagyu beef cheek instead of meat offcuts, with crispy okra glass and tomato broth rice.

Beginning her career through a home venture called Baked by T, the chef’s desserts became especially famous in Bahrain, garnering her numerous fans. Following this initial success, Bashmi joined the Culinary Arts Academy in Lucerne, Switzerland, where she gained a Masters in International Business in Culinary Management. During her time in Europe, she held roles at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois and Michelin-starred restaurant Prisma, learning how to run restaurant operations as well as working in fast-paced kitchen environments.

An empowered woman who has overcome gender barriers in the restaurant world

Bashmi has shown considerable culinary expertise in reinventing her country’s cuisine, despite meeting resistance from traditional purists. An empowered woman who has overcome gender barriers in the restaurant world, including at culinary school, she serves as a role model for a generation of young women.

Located at The Gulf Hotel and overlooking Bahrain’s skyline, Fusions by Tala

Her love affair with Bahraini dishes started at the age of six, when she would accompany her father to local markets and watch and listen as he taught her the secrets and flavours of cooking. Today, she carries on this tradition, venturing out to local farmer’s markets, hand selecting seasonal ingredients and capturing the ever-changing flavours unique to Bahrain.

Fusion’s by Tala is just that, a synergy of Middle Eastern cuisine and fine dining, where local cooking techniques and ingredients meet at the horizon of a culinary renaissance.