Chefugee, Pop-Up Dinners Featuring Homemade Cuisines Around the World

Originally posted on Naked Madrid by Daphne Binioris

Chefugees are monthly dinners organized by Madrid for Refugees, where the entire menu is prepared by a refugee seeking work opportunities in Madrid’s culinary scene. Six events have been held so far, each with a different location and setting, featuring foods from Syria, the Ukraine and Venezuela. The upcoming dinner will be from Cameroon and if you want to attend (I highly recommend you do), you can book online, paying €25 in advance, all included.

Chefugee dinners are fun, warm and truly insightful events that allow you to try different foods from around the world and show your support in a unique way. They also provide an opportunity for the chefs to share their home country’s cuisine and traditions while showcasing their culinary skills. Following past events, chefs have been hired to work at restaurants and do private catering.

The last Chefugee dinner was catered by a woman named Wesal from Hama, Syria. She prepared a full-on feast, complete with traditional appetizers, main dishes and desserts. We started out with dips such as hummus and baba ghanoush with pita bread, tabouleh and salad. The main dishes included rice with chicken, and vegetarian options. Everything was homemade, delicious and full of Middle Eastern flavors and spices. Not to mention the portions were generous – there were plenty of leftovers to go around.

Dinner was served on the floor, with guests sitting on blankets and sharing dishes in the traditional way.

The event was held at one of the volunteer’s homes. We all took our shoes off when we entered, laid our coats and bags down in the bedroom, and were then greeted in the hallway by our organizers, who offered us a glass of wine. We next walked into the living room and found a spot on the floor to sit down. The evening was very warm and casual, with about 30 guests from everywhere.

There was no formal speech at the end, just a friendly toast (in Spanglish) and a brief introduction about the event and Madrid for Refugees, so patrons can get involved and know more about it. At some events, the chefs like to come out and tell their story; while at others, the chefs prefer to stay more behind the scenes and let the food be the night’s main highlight.

If you have the chance to attend a future Chefugee event, trust me you’re in for a unique dining experience that’s well worth your while!

Madrid for Refugees: an active, hands-on community

MfR is run by a group of international volunteers who work closely with refugee centers in the Comunidad de Madrid. Their main goal is to help refugees from all over the world to build a life for themselves here in the city, from finding accommodation to work opportunities. All of the funds raised from MfR events and donations go towards helping refugees.

Get involved: events, clothes drives, language exchanges…

Attending a Chefugee event is a unique way of supporting MfR’s efforts. But there are plenty of other ways to get involved, from donating clothes and doing language exchanges to running errands and being a chauffeur. You can also attend their upcoming events, such as the fundraising benefit concert on April 20th, that MfR is joining with MASS to sponsor and host.

Contact info

Madrid for Refugees: Facebook & Website
Chefugee: Website; Instagram: @chefugeemadrid; Email: chefugee@madridforrefugees.org
All photos by Jose Luis Magaña – Instagram: @asecond.art / Facebook / asecondart.com