Top 10 culinarians in the Middle East
The 'top 10 culinarians in the Middle East' forms part of Caterer Middle East's inaugural round-up of the top 50 F&B professionals, a celebration of the most influential people in the region; the ones who, in the last year, have been stamping their mark on the Middle East’s culinary landscape.
It’s about people, rather than companies, who are driving standards, pushing innovation and implementing best practices, taking the Middle East to new culinary heights.
We’ve taken into consideration the impact of their work on F&B operations and standards, judged on: size, scale, innovation and longevity; how committed they are to industry issues and events; how highly regarded they are in the industry and among their peers; and how they are having a positive influence on the next generation.
With so many heroes to celebrate in this exciting sector, and their talents and contributions so diverse, we have split the round-up into five categories: brand champions; executive chefs; culinarians; industry gurus and development leaders.
Each group of people have been creating excitement, implementing new ideas and strategies, new concepts and ways of thinking, but in very different ways.
The brand champions are a collection of innovative thinkers who have worked hard to develop a homegrown brand, or made a highly regarded international brand succeed in the Middle East. They are dedicated, passionate individuals who, while bringing something new to the region, have excited diners and pushed standards.
Our recognised executive chefs are meticulous managers and inspiring leaders. Looking after large teams with diverse needs and managing complex operations, they are making sure the F&B offerings of corporations remain cutting edge and are of world-class quality.
The culinarians are our chefs who are pushing the boundaries of cuisine. They are inspiring, talented artists whose restaurants are award-winning and have sought-after seats. Their avant-garde menus are the talk of diners across the region, and their restaurant concepts are shaping the region’s eating experience.
Our fourth category, the industry gurus, is full of revered individuals. Passionate about food as well as the region, they have been waving the flag for the Middle East’s culinary scene for years, making sure it is celebrated and talked about across the world. They have shown commitment to the industry and have inspired the next generation, as well as their peers.
Last, but not least, our development leaders are astute business men and women. The huge scale of their operations are making waves in the region, but not only that, they are dedicated to quality and to raising the bar of their corporations’ offerings.
The round-up has been put together by the team of hospitality experts at Caterer Middle East and is subjective. It includes personalities from the restaurant industry, from casual to fine dining, but not QSR.
We hope it will excite, inspire and start debate, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback.
THE TOP 10 CULINARIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1 Gary Rhodes, Michelin chef,
Restaurateur
A renowned chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author, Gary Rhodes barely needs an introduction; particularly in Dubai, where he is a familiar face, overseeing a growing portfolio of eponymous UAE outlets.
After gaining his culinary credentials at the UK’s Thanet Technical College, Rhodes went on to enjoy success in various top eateries – including the Capital Hotel, Knightsbridge, The Castle Hotel, Taunton and The Greenhouse Restaurant, Mayfair.
His work at such restaurants has won him a constellation of Michelin stars, and positioned Rhodes as one of the foremost ambassadors for British cuisine.
His first overseas venture opened in 2004 at the Calabash Hotel on the island of Grenada, and he went on to take to the high seas – launching outlets aboard two P&O cruiseliners.
Since then he’s branched out to the UAE – with Rhodes Mezzanine at Grosvenor House Dubai, Rhodes Twenty10 at Le Royal Méridien and last year his new Lounge outlet at Grosvenor House Dubai, Tower Two.
Rhodes’ most recent project, set to open later this year, is the fine-dining concept with Arabic influences, Rhodes 44, at St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
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2 Pierre Gagnaire, Three-star Michelin chef,
partner in Reflets restaurant
Pierre Gagnaire has achieved many great things during his career – not only in his native country, France, but right around the globe.
He was classically trained in the French style, and after launching outlets in his home country, soon grabbed the attention of the nation’s food aficionados.
His ambition to push the boundaries of fusion cuisine led him further afield, and Gagnaire soon established outlets – to great acclaim – in multiple foodie hotspots, including London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Las Vegas.
His sixth restaurant, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, opened at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City in 2008.
Bringing his own unique style of classic methods and culinary innovation, Gagnaire successfully manipulates colour, taste and texture to heighten the dining experience – and ensure each plate is a work of art.
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3 Yannick Alléno,
Three-star Michelin chef and creator of STAY restaurants
Yannick Alléno has made waves in the UAE, since putting his stamp on dining at One&Only The Palm, Dubai, two years ago.
There, he developed three distinct dining concepts: ZEST; 101 Dining Lounge and Bar; and STAY by Yannick Alléno.
Alléno’s made a name for himself over the years by reinventing traditional dishes with a contemporary twist.
He’s perfected that art from some of the industry’s greatest chefs – putting much of his culinary education down to time spent at Drouant, under the great Louis Grondard.
The French national then set off to head the kitchens at Hotel Scribe, where in 1999, Alléno’s hard work was rewarded with his first star from the Michelin Guide, followed by a second in 2002.
In 2003, the hit chef took on responsibility for Le Meurice restaurant at Hotel Le Meurice in Paris. It was there he moved into the select group of top chefs, winning a third Michelin star.
Just recently, Alléno has also opened another STAY in Beijing and the 101 Tower in Taipei.
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4 Richard Sandoval, Restaurateur,
creator of Toro Toro, Maya and Pampano
Richard Sandoval has an exciting year ahead of him with the refurbishment of not one, but two of his Mexican restaurants. Maya, both in Dubai and New York, will be closed from this month to September, when they will both reopen with similar designs.
The closing of the outlet at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa follows a much-reported brunch launch in his other Dubai outlet – Toro Toro, at Grosvenor House Tower Two.
The Mexican chef now has outlets in more than 20 locations globally – his first being the original Maya in New York in 1997.
Since then, he hasn’t stopped, with openings ranging from Masa 14, with a menu of Latin-Asian small plates in Washington DC, La Biblioteca de Tequila, a Tequila library of more than 400 varieties, in the heart of Manhatten.
His restaurant, Pampano, on The Pearl, Qatar, is making waves as one of the leading eateries in this destination location.
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5 Olivier Biles, Head chef, Reflets par pierre
gagnaire, InterContinental, Dubai
As a youngster, Olivier Biles inherited a passion for cooking from his father: a chef who had worked with many of the greats in France, including Pierre Gagnaire in the 1980s.
Biles junior began earning his stripes with a succession of roles at top restaurants. However, surprisingly, his goal wasn’t so much to become a chef – but rather to cook with Gagnaire, as his father had done.
That dream became a reality when Biles secured the position of sous chef at Gagnaire’s prestigious Paris outlet, where he spent five years learning from one of France’s most-respected modern culinary masters.
Olivier worked in the Michelin-starred chef’s London and Hong Kong outposts, before seizing the opportunity to head up the kitchens at Gagnaire’s first project in the Middle East.
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6 Juan Amador, Michelin chef,
Partner in Amador Restaurant
Molecular superstar Juan Amador has been busy recently opening his newest restaurant, and first in the Middle East, the Amador Restaurant and Cellar at Park Rotana Abu Dhabi. The outlet sees the three-star Michelin chef serve up tapas delights and wonders, such as virtual sushi and mieral pigeon with purple curry.
In its first few months the restaurant has proved a destination for UAE foodies who want something new, and there are plans for the relationship between Amador and Rotana to extend further, with the concept rolled out to more outlets in the region.
The Spanish chef gained his first star at the age of 25, in 1993, but didn’t open his first independent culinary endeavour, Restaurant Amador, until 2004.
However it soon became a hit, and won Amador his second star only two years later. His most avante-garde adventure so far has been a one-room hotel in Frankfurt-Fechenheim, Germany.
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7 Vineet Bhatia, michelin chef,
Restaurateur
Born in India in 1967, Vineet Bhatia studied at catering college in Bombay. However on the advice of his parents, he also gained an economics degree in 1989. Thankfully he re-embraced his love of cooking and moved to London in 1993 to kick-start his international career.
His elite dining concepts include: Maharajah by Vineet, Mövenpick Hotel, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Saffron Lounge, Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar; Indego by Vineet, Grosvenor House Dubai.
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8 Jean-Georges Vongerichten,
Michelin chef and consultant
The Middle East welcomed Jean-Georges Vongerichten with open arms in 2009, when he partnered up with Starwood to introduce two of his restaurant concepts to W Doha Hotel. Spice Market, inspired by the street food in South East Asia, and Market by Jean-Georges, a melting pot of international cuisines wrapped up in an Arabic guise took Doha’s F&B offerings to international standards.
Asian flavours are nothing new to Vongerichten, who released a cookbook in 2007 of recipes from both Spice Market and his other restaurant brand, Vong. It was the latest in a long line of publications – his first coming in 1990, an unpretentious and easy-to-understand book titled Simple Cuisine.
He soon proved himself as an astute businessman and restaurateur – not just a great chef, and has a wide range of acclaimed restaurants in the US, UK and Shanghai, including three-star offerings. He is also chef in residence for CITY magazine, and master cook for Food & Wine magazine.
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9 Marco pierre white, michelin chef,
Restaurateur
Marco Pierre White is coming back to Dubai with a vengeance, opening Wheeler’s in DIFC and Titanic in the new Meliá Hotel this year.
He began training as a commis under Albert Roux and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche, and by the age of 33 he became the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars.
As well as Steakhouse & Grill in Abu Dhabi, he owns Frankie’s, Dubai, which he runs as a franchise.
Wheeler’s in DIFC and Titanic in the new Meliá Hotel in Bur Dubai.
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10 Hugo Sato Gardiner, Head chef,
Okku
OKKU’s corporate chef is a man who comes highly recommended: his creations have won over big names including Ed Norton, Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Torro.
As his career blossomed, Gardiner worked in high profile East and West coast eateries in the US before joining OKKU co-founder Markus Thesleff on his team at Pangaea in Marbella and London in 2001, then OKKU Dubai, where he’s been recognised as ‘Chef of the Year’ at the Caterer Middle East Awards 2011.