exclusive interview
1997 I opened Maya, my flagship modern Mexican restaurant in New York. I now have over 40 concepts spanning Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as in Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico, Tokyo, Qatar and Serbia. Tell us a little about the concept at Zengo and what it offers the people of Doha? Zengo is a unique Pan-Asian culinary experience in the heart of Doha. Zengo, meaning ‘give and take’ in Japanese, introduces a myriad of styles and flavours inspired by my world travels. It is situated on the 61st floor of the Kempinski Residences & Suites in West Bay alongside the Z Loung, bringing a unique, cross-cultural culinary experience to Doha. Through the vibrant décor that fuses modern Asian and inventive design, people will come here and relax and taste a whole bunch of dishes – to really take a culinary tour through Asia and taste a lot of different things. Describe the menu items and what influences the dishes? I was greatly inspired by my world travels and the ancient spice routes from Asia to the Far East. Zengo’s menu offers a unique spin on authentic Pan-Asian cuisine. The menu ranges from sushi, sashimi and hand-crafted dim sum; to curry dishes, grilled entrees, and wok dishes. Hand-muddled mocktails, with a focus on Asian flavours, complement the diverse menu. What makes Zengo stand out from its competitors in Doha? I have travelled a lot throughout my professional and personal life and I have found Asian cuisine to be extremely vibrant and varied. The menu at Zengo brings a new flavour to Doha’s palate, and I am confident that Zengo will quickly establish itself as a chosen destination for those seeking a trendy atmosphere with the finest cuisine. Tell us what you think is key to the success of a dining venue? I believe it is all about maintaining consistency and quality of services provided. It starts with the hiring process of the staff – you have to hire the right people. Once you have the right profile, you have the passion, the heart, and then comes the training. Obviously you know you have recipes to teach them, but I like to teach them their palate because a recipe is a guideline, and the ingredients are not always the same. Your tomatoes today might be a little bit more sour, or your onions are not as sweet, so we try to teach them that everything needs to be tasted. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your many years in the food sector? Education… continuous education. To me, knowledge is power. No matter what you do, no matter how old you are, or how many years of experience you have, you will always need knowledge, so education will always be important. Have you got any advice for budding restaurateurs and anyone looking to get into this industry? I think the most important thing is to go and experience the life of a restaurant which looking from the outside everyone thinks is a very glamorous profession but I think people don’t really see the backbone of the operation. The restaurant industry is probably one of the most complex and difficult industries in the world because what people don’t understand is that there are a lot of moving parts. When you open a restaurant you have to train the hostess, the bartenders, the runners, your busboys, your pastry chefs, your line cooks, and then they’ve got to be like a synchronised orchestra – so just the amount of moving parts and the things that you are working with is incredible. What’s happening is that TV has glamourised the industry so young kids are going into it with these misconceptions. I think they need to really understand and go work in a hotel or get a job as a dishwasher, whatever it is, to really understand the reality of it. ✤ GO: Visit Zengo and Z Lounge by Zengo at Kempinski Residences & Suites. Call 4405 3561 for reservations and more information. fact magazine
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