Caption: Sharif Mohamed
By Prior Beharry
RESTAURATEUR Sharif Mohamed believes in people.
He reopened Apsara, an India cuuisine restaurant, at the Normandie Hotel in St Ann’s on Thursday.
Speaking at the opening, Mohamed’s friend and customer for more than 50 years, former government minister Selby Wilson, said: “He believes in quality. He believes in consistency and, most importantly, he believes in people—the staff who carry the vision and the customers who return year after year.”
He added: “What Sharif has always understood is that restaurants are not just businesses; they are stages where life happens. In his book, the customer comes first.”
Wilson said: “I’ve seen birthdays celebrated at his tables. I’ve seen first dates that later turned into wedding receptions. I’ve seen business deals sealed over butter chicken and pepper shrimp. Food, when done right, becomes a lasting memory, and Sharif has given the country thousands of them.”
Mohamed thanked his staff and “the people around me” for keeping him going.
He said: “I hope we will continue to please people with fine dining as we did 30 years ago. I’m a person who never gives up until the last bell rings. And I have always told the people around me: don’t ever bet against Sharif Mohamed in the food business, because it’s a bet you will never win.”
AZP News photo editor Azlan Mohammed was at the opening and captured the following photos:
Saska Rampersad
