Kantami: Inside the Japanese izakaya serving ‘post-apocalyptic’ comfort food in Saudi Arabia
ALKHOBAR: Fahad Alturki loves Japan. He also loves food. And music. As the founder of Kantami, under the umbrella of his company Green Sand Concepts, he’s providing experiences that combine all three.
Kantami is an eatery based around the concept of the izakaya — a casual gastropub-style Japanese establishment. Alturki describes the izakaya as “a cultural kind of gathering place.” The original branch is in his hometown of Khobar and there is also one in Riyadh.
“Kantami doesn’t have a literal translation; it’s our own name — a compound word we coined inspired by the Japanese language and culture from several Japanese words and concepts, including ‘kan’ — joy, delight, celebration, welcome; ‘mi’ — taste, flavor, the essence of food; and ‘umami’ — the celebrated cornerstone of Japanese cuisine,” Alturki explains. “It’s essentially the feeling of warmth or happiness when you have food in your belly, but it also signifies that feeling when you gather for a meal.”
Fahad Alturki (back, right) and his GSC colleagues. (Supplied)
