Published in Outlook AUB, April 15th, 2014
At the age of 16, Anthony Rahayel followed his passion and pursued a career in photography. When he decided to become a dentist, he didn’t give up his passion; he simply quit his photography gigs and started his own journey. At the age of 29, Rahayel started a food blog titled No Garlic No Onions. I know what you’re all thinking: “A dentist writing about food?” That was my initial thought, until I actually went on the blog.
Rahayel is a very charismatic, enthusiastic person who, in the simplest terms, is passionate about life in all its aspects. His career first started with his love for photography, which he developed into beirutnightlife.com. When he settled down and had kids, he backed out of BeirutNightLife, became a silent partner, and decided to go in a different direction.
The first steps towards starting his own blog were by contributing to Trip Advisor (where he was the top contributor in 2011). In 2012, Anthony started No Garlic No Onions. The name originates from the fact that he is allergic to garlic and onions, but nonetheless believes that when cooked the right way, all the negative consequences he might suffer from eating garlic and onions disappear.
Anthony noticed that whichever website he checked, restaurant reviews were always positive. This was a motive for him to start a blog where the truth about matters was said. Although Anthony does not include his own opinion directly, he states general viewpoints about the restaurant, its food, and the service.
“There was food before No Garlic No Onions, and there is still food after it” said Anthony. Although he knows his taste buds are very reliable, he doesn’t let his passion for food, photography and his blog drive him away from dentistry, his main occupation. Anthony spends 12 hours a day at his clinic 5 days a week, and dedicates a day for food and writing on the blog. Despite the fact that he travels a lot, family is at the top of his list.
NGNO has been widely cited in magazines, and Anthony himself has been featured on TV stations such as MTV, LBC, and Future TV. This not only made the blog well-known, but has also fueled his drive to better it. He says that blogging takes up about 40 percent of his time, but as long as it’s something he loves, it isn’t time wasted.
Anthony is a very humble and positive person with an extraordinary personality and an unusual love for food that can be clearly seen in his articles. He pays a lot of attention to details and likes to deliver the experience in full. His positivity is what helped him reach the place he is in today.
When asked about future plans, Anthony mentioned an NGNO website to be launched very soon. Also, recommendation stickers will be distributed to the restaurants he has reviewed stating that he recommends them to the public. Lastly, there is an upcoming launch of the NGNO application on Android (as its already been released for the iPhone).
Our conversation ended with some advice: “You have around 90 years to live. It’s your choice how you live them, so make the best out of it and enjoy every single moment.” That’s exactly what he’s doing: enjoying every single moment, one bite at a time.
