Zeen’s Cuisine: Rolling Dreamy Sushi Into Life

Stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new is always intimidating – but when your newly discovered interest is that of the art of sushi making – that is a complete another story. Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish that has found its way into the hearts and stomachs of people all over the world. Although it is prepared using simple ingredients like rice, seafood and vegetables – it is said that some chefs in Japan take upwards of 10 years of training to master the art. Being a sushi chef in Japan is highly revered and honorable.

So, when Zeen from Zeen’s Cuisine states that she genuinely surprised herself when she became a sushi chef and made a name of herself – we are just as surprised too. Zeen who had spent most of her life as a stay-at-home mom had always thought that she would end up opening her own salon one day for having a keen interest towards hairdressing and make-up in addition to completing multiple courses in the area. But before she could find the right time to do this, Zeen’s Cuisine happened!

Ever since Zeen and her family first explored fusion sushi in Sri Lanka and Singapore – it had become a family favorite. It all began when they moved back to the Maldives and were unable to satisfy their sushi cravings. As someone who enjoys trying out different varieties of recipes at home, Zeen took it upon herself by watching some YouTube videos and gave it a try. Eventually, she began experimenting with the dish on her own and just well on a roll. With every little change, she gradually brought to the technique – Zeen came to the realization that this is something she can be good at.

Zeen’s sushi first garnered attention outside of her home when her daughter posted some pictures of it on her social media following which many of her friends questioned where the sushi was from. Realizing that there was a demand and since Zeen had spare time, she thought of making sushi as a hobby to stay occupied and to see how it goes – marking the beginning of Zeen’s Cuisine.

While Zeen works alone on her sushi up till date – she does not compromise quality over quantity. Even though it is difficult to supply enough orders to her customers, Zeen’s Cuisine is the only sushi brand in the Maldives that offers a vast plethora of choices. Accordingly, Zeen blends in a creative mix of different cuisines and flavors from different parts of the world to the traditional sushi. As funny as it sounds, Zeen tells us that new fusion sushi roll designs and ideas just comes alive in her dreams – as a lot of nights this is what she thinks about while trying to go to sleep.

Similar to many others who practice the art of sushi, Zeen describes preparing the rice as the trickiest part of making the sushi as there are different grades of rice and multiple steps to follow. Doing it in the Maldives however, brings about some other challenges in terms of gathering ingredients of which some she opts to get from abroad.

Following the success of Zeen’s Cuisines, Zeen undertook a 10-day intense course at the Tokyo Sushi Academy in Singapore to further sharpen her skills. Although hesitant and nervous to go at first considering other participants were experienced chefs from different parts of the world -  Zeen managed to surprise herself once again with what she had learned such as slicing up and cleaning a 6-7kg whole salmon.

Nevertheless, for Zeen, her greatest achievement is customer satisfaction combined with the fact that the orders sell out so easily. Every single piece of feedback from her customers as she sees it is a big achievement and is also what makes her day after a busy day in the kitchen.

As much as her loyal customers and we would like to know what is the next big thing in store for Zeen’s Cuisine and Zeen herself, she is someone who likes to surprise herself, so for that, there is no answer. But Zeen promises to stay creative and keep going!