We meet the executive chefs at Dubai’s 5* hotels
Now it’s Andrésy Confitures’ turn to share the joy of discovering this very demanding profession.
What does it mean to be executive chef in a 5* hotel in Dubai?
First and foremost, it means being trained by the top restaurant owners across Europe and around the world. Their mentors include such leading chefs as Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, Pierre Gagnaire, Marc Veyrat, Thierry Marx to name but a few.
Executive chef of a 5* hotel: a full-time passion!
Steve Deconinck, Executive Chef of the 5* hotel The Palace, says that being executive chef in a luxury hotel or resort means keeping an eye on everything and being everywhere at once
Naturally an executive chef also relies on top staff, because, try as you might, you cannot, at the same time, run tastings to select the best ingredients from the world over, make sure that the right foodstuffs reach the kitchen and that the cooks and pastry chefs follow the chef’s instructions to the letter, organise events for 150 people, manage budgets and actually get behind the stoves, which is all too seldom but always a real pleasure!
Being an executive chef also means leaving your mark
Each chef adds his or her own special touch to make breakfast something uniquely memorable. And – three cheers for France – the French Touch is very often part of it!
Cédric d’Ambrosio, Executive Chef at the Sofitel Downtown, has done a remarkable job with his team by creating themed hubs with a distinctively French flavour.
At the St Régis, Executive Sous Chef Bijendra Yadav’s team have taken Versailles as their theme!
Admittedly the hotel lends itself to the theme with its gold and marble, on a scale worthy of Louis XIV’s chateau!
The jam counter is in marble, the sideboards are in copper and varnished wood, the tray tables are in wood, frosted glass or marble: it’s life in the lap of luxury!
They brought together importers and distributors, and the Middle East’s producers and artisans to choose the best ingredients, and partners capable of consistently delivering the best and ensuring that everything is cooked and prepared in a way that is worthy of top-flight hotels.
This is also part of what it means to be on the “executive” team: making crucial decisions that will keep luxury hotels on the path of excellence.
Executive chef: a wide variety of skills to make sure everything is perfect
The next time you ask someone to cook you a crêpe or a waffle, or help yourself to freshly-cut fruit, or enjoy a plate of scrambled eggs, spare a thought for the person behind the scenes who made sure everything ran smoothly: the executive chef.
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