Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Bailliage National du Vietnam is pleased to announce the nomination of His Excellency Saadi Salama Altumaizi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to Vietnam and non-resident Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Cambodia and Laos, as Chevalier d’Honneur for our venerable organization.

 

The Chevalier d’Honneur grade is an honorary title, given to an important person or celebrity with the explicit approval of our President in Paris, France. We look forward to presenting His Excellency with his ribbons and diploma at our Chapitre event which should occur towards the end of this year in Hanoi, Vietnam.

 

Ambassador Salama was born in January of 1961 and hails from Idna, eight kilometres northwest of Hebron, Palestine. Known as a truly hospitable entertainer, His Excellency is famous for inviting guests to his home and serving a feast where the centerpiece is the upside-down dish known as Maqluba; rice, meat and vegetables piled artfully into a pot and cooked over the stove.

 

Having had a connection with Vietnam for over 40 years, Ambassador Salama says his first interests into Vietnam occurred at the tender age of 12. A few years later, in 1980, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Hanoi University in Vietnamese and Political Studies. He touched down in October 1980 and soon he was realizing his childhood dreams.

 

Throughout his career, he has taken postings elsewhere, Laos, Yemen, Ghana and has traveled the world. Regardless of these small absences, he has always remained true to Vietnam and has returned time after time, first as a student, then as a Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the State of Palestine, and now as the Ambassador. He has also since become the dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Hanoi.

 

Astonishingly, His Excellency speaks the Vietnamese language as fluently as a local. Holding an Advanced Research Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Sana'a, Yemen, he has translated several books from Vietnamese to Arabic and vice-versa. He is also best known as a resource for young diplomatic hopefuls in the areas of protocol and correspondence.

 

A household name with the Vietnamese media, Ambassador Salama appeared as the first foreigner invited to be a contestant on Ai Là Triệu Phú (Who Wants to be a Millionaire) for their New Year’s Eve special in 2017. He walked away with ₫40,000,000 in cash after answering 13 questions and has since enjoyed a cult-like celebrity status.

 

When asked about his ties to the culinary world, Ambassador Salama declares himself to be an unapologetic foodie. Through his travels, he has sampled many dishes but always feels drawn back to Southeast Asia where he enjoys the exotic flavours of Vietnamese and Thai dishes. Other influences cited include his enjoyment of French, Greek, Spanish and Mediterranean cuisines. Indeed, we can attest to His Excellency’s enjoyment of good food in convivial settings.

 

In November, Ambassador Salama will launch his autobiography, “My Vietnamese Story,” for sale in Vietnam. We congratulate His Excellency on his life chalk full achievements and similarly thank him for his support of la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Welcome!

 

Vive la Chaine!