A new restaurant in Edwardsville offers guests the opportunity to experience the flavors of two very different cultures.

AJ’s Mediterranean and Tanuki Cakes will open either September 22 or 29 at 1025 Century Drive in the former location of Nori Sushi and Japanese Grill.

The restaurant is the creation of husband-and-wife team Michael and Emma Jaber, who live in Glen Carbon. They are also the owners of Taste of Lebanon, which Michael Jaber opened in 2010 at 331 N. Euclid Ave. in St. Louis.

The Mediterranean menu at AJ’s Mediterranean and Tanuki Cakes is a smaller version of the menu at Taste of Lebanon and does not include grilled dishes.

“We will have falafel, chicken shawarma, gyros, hummus and many other dishes,” Jaber said.

The idea of ​​combining Japanese cheesecake with Mediterranean cuisine came about by chance when Jaber and his wife visited the Festival of Nations in St. Louis, where they met Emma’s friend Jennifer, an American married to an Egyptian doctor.

“Jennifer told my wife about the fluffy cheesecakes they had in Egypt and she said they were really good,” Jaber said. “That caught my attention and I asked her to tell me about it.”

Jaber researched the topic and found that a Dubai-based company operated a chain of restaurants that made Japanese cheesecakes. He eventually decided to open an independent establishment and bought the chain’s kitchen equipment from a company in Saudi Arabia.

“We had to change a lot because it was designed for European kitchens and we had to adapt it to American standards,” Jaber said. “I was able to learn what I needed to do and save money because I didn’t have to buy a franchise. They sent me the menu and recipes and usually they train their own people, but I had experience in baking and that helped me a lot.”

“We assume that people come here primarily for the Mediterranean cuisine. They may never have seen Japanese cheesecake or know nothing about it, but we want to introduce them to something new and different.”

The Jabers are especially excited about their new venture in Edwardsville after abandoning plans to open another restaurant, Cedar Mediterranean Grill, in early 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restaurant, to be located at 6150 Trace Parkway Drive, was to be a partnership with the owners of The Vine Mediterranean Café in St. Louis.

“Because of COVID, construction prices went from $90 to $120 per square foot,” said Michael Jaber. “Paying that much money and opening during the pandemic just didn’t make sense.”

The interior of the new restaurant will feature prints depicting the rich history and culture of Lebanon on one side and Japan on the other. The decor creates an atmosphere perfect for a quick lunch, a relaxing break or a quiet study session. The harmonious blend of cultural art and sophisticated design is intended to offer guests a unique dining experience that celebrates diversity and tradition.

“It’s a new concept, but in four or five years, or maybe even sooner, I’d like to franchise AJ’s Mediterranean and Tanuki Cakes and then retire,” said Jaber, 60.

Before moving to the United States from Lebanon in 1985, Jaber worked in computer technology and knew nothing about the restaurant business. He was introduced to it through his brother, an engineer by profession, who moved to Canada in 1987.

“My brother came to Canada and they told him he would get a certain amount every month as an engineer and they would pay a certain amount for his rent, but he couldn’t start working right away,” said Jaber, who has also worked in the police force. “He ended up working in a bakery/grocery store, making falafel sandwiches, shawarma, pizza and many other dishes.”

“As a Canadian citizen, he thought it would be easy to work with me in the US, but it’s a complicated process and you have to get a visa, among other things. I didn’t know anything about restaurants, but I’m good at PR and made the career change.”

Not long after, Jaber’s brother had to return to Canada and Jaber ventured into the restaurant business on his own. It took a lot of work and research on his part, but 14 years after opening Taste of Lebanon in St. Louis, the restaurant has built a loyal customer base.

“I had to learn how to bake and prepare baklava and croissants because we were more of a bakery back then, and I had to learn how to make things like shawarma,” Jaber said. “Everything is fresh and made from scratch.”

“After my brother left, I worked from 8 a.m. to midnight for six months. We opened at noon for lunch, so I experimented with different recipes from 8:00 to 10:30 or 11:00. I got advice from my mother and sisters at home and got their recipes.”

Jaber’s wife Emma, ​​whom he married on December 24, 2010, was also a newcomer to the restaurant business, but benefited from her husband’s experience. He hired a diverse team of employees and Taste of Lebanon quickly established itself as a successful business.

Jaber plans to have the opening of AJ’s Mediterranean and Tanuki Cakes on a Monday. He said that’s a lesson he learned when he opened Taste of Lebanon 14 years ago.

“We were understaffed and unprepared because we didn’t think we would get that many people right away, but the house was full all day,” Jaber said. “So we can open on a weekday and a week or 10 days later we can celebrate our official opening with friends and family and hopefully some city officials.”

Jaber added that he has not yet set hours for the new restaurant, but plans to have it open six days a week.

For information about AJ’s Mediterranean and Tanuki Cakes, contact Michael Jaber at 618-301-0613 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

“We want to not only provide good food to the community, but also help improve the area,” Jaber said. “We will have novelty items like hats and coffee mugs, and since I used to be in the police force, we want to recognize police officers, firefighters and other public servants.”