Tarana Malikova, Executive Head Chef of NOZOMI, shares her journey to Japanese mastery and love for her ‘baby’.

You are known as a certified sushi master. Please tell us how that came about, what inspired your Japanese cuisine journey and how did you progress in this very traditional field?
I was the first woman to graduate from my sushi school! It used to be considered a ‘man’s world’, but my passion for Japanese cuisine was unstoppable. Fortunately, I had a lot of support from everyone around me – maybe they admired my hard work and enthusiasm, or maybe they just enjoyed my food!
My journey into Japanese cuisine started back in 1999 in my hometown, Baku, Azerbaijan. While working in housekeeping at an ambassador’s residence, I was truly impressed by the inhouse Japanese executive chef’s talent. Spending more time in the kitchen with him, I fell in love with Japanese cuisine.
After four years of learning, I visited Japan for the first time and enrolled in a sushi school. I earned my certificate and returned to Baku to work for three different ambassadors. I kept visiting Japan to further hone my skills and, in 2011, I proudly opened my first Japanese restaurant in Baku.

You are also a Kaiseki Master. What is this?
Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner that typically includes six or seven dishes. This cuisine elevates dining to an art form, meticulously balancing flavours, textures and the visual harmony of each dish. The chef celebrates the season’s freshest offerings, crafting dishes that highlight natural tastes and aesthetic appeal.
For a Kaiseki experience, there is usually no set menu. Instead, the chef creates a new menu daily based on the freshest produce and ingredients available. This approach is similar to Omakase, which means ‘I leave it up to you’, allowing the chef to decide what you’ll eat. This philosophy inspires us at NOZOMI. Every autumn, starting in October, we create a new vegan Omakase menu.

Your culinary career has included being a private chef for both ambassadors and royalty. How does this differ from running your own restaurant kitchen?
Being a private chef for three different Japanese ambassadors was an incredible experience, allowing me to blend traditional Japanese cuisine with other culinary styles. Serving as a private chef for royalty was also a big responsibility, but one I cherished deeply. My time in the palace was wonderful, surrounded by amazing people and working with a variety of high-quality ingredients. Creating new dishes daily to surprise the family members was a joy.
However, this is very different from being the head chef of a restaurant. In a restaurant kitchen, the environment is much more dynamic and caters to a wide range of tastes, serving hundreds of guests weekly. The menu needs to be authentic yet adaptable to meet customer needs. We are always exploring new ideas and seasonal ingredients to ensure our offerings are fresh and exciting. There’s a unique adrenaline rush in working with a talented team, all motivated to make our restaurant the best. It’s a competitive market, and we’re excited to continually innovate and strive to be the favourite dining destination for our cuisine.

You have been with NOZOMI in Doha for eight years now. What is the achievement you’re most proud of during that time?
First and foremost, NOZOMI is my baby! I love everything about it. It’s one of the best things that has happened to me in my life. I get to meet amazing people and we have built an incredible team that we proudly call the NOZOMI Family.
Over the years, we have won numerous awards, including The Best Japanese Restaurant. It’s incredibly rewarding to be acknowledged for our hard work and passion; it means so much to all of us. One of my personal highlights was when we had the honour of hosting His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

What is your signature dish?
Each dish at NOZOMI has its own unique touch. Our entire menu embraces a fusion concept, and some of my signature dishes exemplify this approach. For instance, the Marinated Ebi (shrimp) with apple salsa and ponzu is a delightful combination of flavours, while the Wagyu beef salad, featuring Wagyu beef karaage served with hot sauce in a rice leaf bowl, showcases our commitment to both taste and presentation. We believe that you eat with your eyes first, so every dish is designed to be a visual feast as well. ✤