Have you ever been chatting with someone and realized, “Wow, they really love their job.” That’s what speaking to Mohammad AlKorom felt like.

AlKorom and his wife, Rheem Attia, are co-owners of the recently opened Nova Fusion Food in Westlake. They have an unmatched passion for the craft. Inhabiting the space that used to be Syriana, Nova Fusion Food maintains the Middle Eastern theme while adding their own personal flair.

A Family Affair

“(Mohammad) used to work at a dental office before this, so the change was a complete 180,” Attia laughs. “He is so passionate about food and said, if the opportunity presented itself, he wanted to take it. When my dad considered selling (Syriana), it worked out for both of them.”

After purchasing Syriana from Attia’s father, AlKorom had a vision. Ambitiously, he spearheaded a renovation by himself, knocking down and building up walls, painting, and even building the bakery.

Nova Fusion Food’s official opening in the book was on December 1st, and since then, AlKorom has been navigating the restaurant industry and the numerous unexpected challenges that arose.

Nonetheless, coming from a family of butchers, AlKorom was passionate about preparing meat and serving food. The challenges of the restaurant industry weren’t enough to steer him away.

“I have 20 years of experience with butchering and cooking meat. That’s my specialty in life, to cut meat and season it well,” says AlKorom.

Behind the Food

Though Nova Fusion Food has been open for less than six months, it has undoubtedly perfected its menu. Focusing on Zabiha Halal meats, fresh bread baked in-house, and never-frozen ingredients, even the heftier dishes left us feeling light and fulfilled.

“Our main focus is Middle Eastern food, but we do a little flair on that, and that’s where the fusion comes in,” says Attia. “We do some Turkish food, which is very different from your traditional Middle Eastern food, if you’re not too familiar. We also offer some American dishes, like burgers and Philly cheesesteaks.”

AlKorom hand-selects all of the meat, ensuring the freshest and highest quality meat possible. Coming from a family of butchers, he has a passion for carefully preparing his meats, from grinding to seasoning and cooking.

^{The deliciously sweet and flaky burrak, filled with Nutella and topped with crushed pistachios. (Courtesy of Eat Local Ohio)}

Editor’s Eats

With a menu as extensive as Nova Fusion Food’s, you’ve got to stop by a few times to get a feel for what your favorites will be, but allow me to guide you through your first trip:

• Veggie Platter: Hummus, baba ganouj, tabbouleh, fattoush, labneh, muhamara, and falafel
• For any Middle Eastern restaurant, this is a must. The muhamara is easily my favorite on the platter.
• Smash Burger: single or double patty burger topped with American cheese, a heap of grilled onions, and homemade burger sauce on a freshly baked hamburger bun
• Juicy, savory, and it will leave you feeling surprisingly light after.
• Nova’s Mixed Grill: Kabob (Kafta), shish kabob, shish tawook served with a choice of hummus or baba, and rice or French fries.
• The kafta is fresh to order, the shish kabob is made with filet, and the shish tawook is juicy chunks of chicken breast. What more could you want?

“We stand on our pride and integrity. We make everything from scratch because we wouldn’t want anybody to eat what we wouldn’t eat, or what we wouldn’t want to feed our family,” says Attia.

Prepared by an intimate kitchen staff, every dish is attentively taken care of and cooked with, honestly, love. No matter if AlKorom himself is greeting you, or one of the kind cooks and servers, it’s evident that everyone in Nova Fusion’s kitchen loves what they do.

This mastery continues into the bakery, where you might catch an extravagant show of dough flipping and flying, courtesy of Chef Hakan. Originally from Turkey, Chef H has been working with dough for over a decade, perfecting the thin, delicate filo dough used in Turkish desserts, such as burrak.

Burrak, the signature dessert, can be ordered with a Nutella or cream cheese filling topped with crushed pistachios. Alternatively, homemade Baklava is a good choice for a post-meal sweet treat.

Family-Friendly Fusion

Behind the high-quality food and friendly staff are the dedicated AlKorom and Attia, who ensure that Nova Fusion is as welcoming as possible every day.

“We aim to be as family-friendly as possible,” says Attia. “We do have two separate rooms, one is dedicated for people who want to smoke and eat, or just smoke, and then we have a non-smoking area. We try to respect people’s preferences and keep the hookah separate.”

Split into two sections, Nova Fusion offers both a smoke-friendly hookah lounge and a non-smoking dining area. For those who like to indulge in fruity flavors, they provide fruit heads on the hookah, as well as standard flavors like mint and apple.

For those interested, you can also rent the space for parties, with or without hookah. In the summer, a large patio will be featured, where guests can enjoy a refreshing lemon and mint drink in the summer breeze.

Looking Forward

Nova Fusion Food has a bright future ahead, and you can’t help but be excited about its future offerings. AlKorom and Attia were excited about the prospect of hiring new chefs and potentially hosting nights where they could showcase chefs from different cuisines.

“The whole reason why we called it a fusion restaurant is because we want to bring in different kinds of chefs that specialize in different cuisines. We already have (Chef H) on hand,” says Attia. “Our whole mission is being as inclusive as we can.”

With talks of many other ideas in the works, such as introducing a breakfast menu and opening earlier on Mondays and Wednesdays, AlKorom is dedicating himself to bettering Nova Fusion Food every single day.

To stay updated on Nova Fusion Food, follow their Instagram for any announcements.

 

 

 

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Visit Nova Fusion Food!

26920 Center Ridge Rd, Westlake

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