Starting on Valentine’s Day, Guyanese were introduced to a different side of dining. Dr Dawn Stewart has decided to turn her passion for cooking and food into a business.
Private dining is what she calls it and according to Stewart this eating experience once tried, will never be forgotten.
Not only will there be the right kind of ambiance at the Nudawn Garden Bistro, but the menu will have food from around the world which many Guyanese may not be accustomed to.
Stewart, who wears many hats – mother, businesswoman (she is the part owner of the Lyken’s Funeral Home), University of Guyana lecturer, trained nurse, former military woman –just to name a few, has had the opportunity to visit many countries, where she experienced fine dining. In 50 years, she has lived in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia she has been exposed to different dining experiences and food.
Speaking to this newspaper recently at the Nudawn Garden Bistro which is located at Norton Street, she said she often would hold dinner parties and invite her friends. She has hosted tea parties as well a New Year’s Eve party.
It was during one of these parties that it was suggested to her that she utilize her skills and offer private dining.
The idea, she said, is for persons whether, a couple, a family or a few friends to have a private area where they can dine; this will be by reservation only. The menu will have mainly European, Asian, French and Japanese dishes.
Noting that everyone loves good food, Stewart said that she learnt culinary skills while in the US Air Force. She said she did an 18 months programme and has been a master in the kitchen since then.
Aside from herself, she has a chef from Paris, one from Japan and another from the US. She said that they will not all be available at once but the menu will be suited according to who is available. Traditional creole foods will not be on the menu as the aim is to expose Guyanese to dishes from other parts of the world. She said that while she loves Guyanese food, her taste buds were aroused by the Italian, Greek and Jewish dishes that she tasted. “All the ingredients are basically all the same… but it’s how you choose your menu. How you make it different… So it is worth trying something different,” she said.
At Nudawn Garden Bistro there is no fixed menu.
“I want us to be eating different. I want our palates to be different,” Stewart said, adding that there will be a well-stocked bar with high-end drinks as well as homemade wine and a bartender and waitresses to cater for all the needs of those dining.
“We intend to have special evenings …., an anniversary or birthday,” she said.
Persons she said can book according to their preferred times and she is looking to cater for no more than 40 persons per day.
Asked why she thought her garden-like setting would be preferred over a restaurant, Stewart explained, “It is casual and free and you connect with nature as well, as you will be comfortable and relaxed and it is not a place where you will have a lot of people…. It will be your private space.”
Stewart stressed that private dining is about enjoying the company you are with and a nice dinner.
She noted that private dining occurs in the US and other countries, adding that sometimes the set-up is in one’s home.
For her, the almost non-existent private dining set up here is understandable. “Our culture is not the same…
“I think we should encourage families to have some more private time with each other especially young couples and understand the value of having private time, in a private setting away from home,” she said.
With regard to cost, she said it would cost a couple about $11,000 for a five-course meal, excluding drinks. “We make it affordable. What I really want to see is us lift our energies higher ….and be able to like etiquette …and royalty,” she said adding that this is an exciting venue.
Stewart said she will do the décor but if a customer has a preference they may have to bear that cost since nice decorations cannot be easily sourced in Guyana.
Stewart said that her last job was at the Pentagon (she is not retired) and she currently teaches psychology at the University of Guyana. She has a PhD in Environmental Science, a Degree in Nursing and has also studied Occupational Health and Chemical Biopsy procedures.
Stewart who left Guyana for the US at the age of 16 said that she also worked in Germany for two years, at the end of which she went into Industrial Hygiene since she wanted to remain in that country for a bit longer.
Anyone interested in dining at Nudawn Garden Bistro can contact Stewart on 663-9021.
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