Devastating fire at Rotterdam restaurant where popular Kapsalon dish was invented

The kitchen of the Rotterdam restaurant where the popular dish the Kapsalon was invented burned down overnight. As far as is known, no one got hurt.

Locals told Rijnmond that the fire at the El Aviva restaurant on Schiedamseweg started in the kitchen’s extractor system during cleaning work. When the fire brigåade arrived, flames were already shooting out of the roof. The fire caused extensive damage to the kitchen.

El Aviva is known as the restaurant where the dish “the Kapsalon” was invented. In 2003, hairdresser Nataniel ‘Tati’ Gomes had his salon on Schiedamseweg and was a regular at the restaurant. One day, he felt like something other than his typical shawarma order and asked if the restaurant would put together a dish with french fries and shawarma.

That was the start of the Kapsalon dish, which consists of french fries topped with doner or gyro meat, covered with melted cheese, and salad ingredients like tomato, lettuce, and cucumber. The dish became very popular by word of mouth and was eventually officially added to the El Aviva menu.

Gomes died last year at age 47.