festivals and promotions we bring to our guests. It is a constant effort to think out of the box and present culinary themes and concepts that excite our guests. Could you tell us a bit about the various F&B outlets in your hotels? At the Hilton Abu Dhabi we have La Terrazza, the all-day dining venue serving an international buffet. Bocca, our Italian restaurant is known for its modern Italian food, whereas Hemingway’s is the pub to catch up on the latest sporting action. It has a live band – Spitfires. Jazz Bar & Dining also offers a live band with eclectic food, while Vasco’s inspired by Vasco da Gama’s travels serves Indian, Portuguese, African and Mediterranean food. Escape is our beach bar. At Hilton Al Ain, we have Flavours, an all-day dining restaurant serving international and Arabic fare. Paco’s is a pub known for its excellent Tex Mex dishes and live entertainment. Makani serves Arabic food, while Casa Romana is designed to recreate the plaza atmosphere of Rome and serves traditional Italian food. Peach Garden is a Filipino night club offering live entertainment and snacks. How different do F&B outlets have to be at 5-star hotels when it’s as far out as Al Ain? Honestly, what really brings back people to a restaurant is the food. I believe if the food is consistently of high quality, supported by warm service and friendly people, that is all customers desire. It is important to focus on the basics of getting the food right and providing service from the heart.
CHIEF SPEAK
June-July 2018 Gulf Gourmet
who is staying with us and is away from home just wants a good, hearty meal. Cook from the heart, and your food should represent what you stand for and believe in. Sometimes the simplest recipe to create a magical dish is to go back to the basics, use fresh ingredients and be passionate about what you do.
Bocca and Jazz Bar & Dining are of high standard and thoroughly enjoyed by our guests. I particularly like the Indian curries at Vasco’s, the steaks at Jazz and the delicious pasta at Bocca. The signature tiramisu at Bocca is a must have. The international buffet at Flavours has something for everyone and I do enjoy the spread a lot. Do you work closely with your executive chefs in devising new concepts and promotions? It is all a team effort. I definitely partake in the key decisions, but I believe a good leader is one who empowers the team to decide. I have an amazing, talented team of chefs who are ever eager to push boundaries and try something new. I support their creativity and decisions. What is your brief to your Executive Chef? Keep it simple. Go back to basics; cook with passion and stay humble. A guest
How important is the relationship between the GM and his Exec Chef? As the GM, my key role is to be there for my team, whether it is a chef or someone from housekeeping. For me it is important that every staff member at the hotel feels comfortable to walk into my office and speak to me about things that matter to them. We at Hilton, follow an open-door policy where all the employees are free to directly address their concerns with senior management. To answer your question, it is very important that I share a good relationship with all team members. I also join the chefs in the kitchen once in a while. Is there a novel F&B concept of your own that you would like to bring to one of your property someday? I had introduced the concept of ‘Salt & Pepper’ in one of my previous hotels, where the entire menu revolved around recipes using different types of peppers and salt.
Which is your favourite outlet across these two properties and why? It is hard to choose, but if I have to then I would say that the food at Vasco’s,
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