Hyatt Regency imports Italian flare

The Hyatt Regency Dubai has announced that it is to host Antonio Cannavacciuolo, chef of Italy's Michelin two-star Ristorante Hotel Villa Crespi next month.

Chef Cannavacciuolo will be in residence at the hotel's Italian outlet Foccacia from November 3-7 and has created special lunch and dinner menus, accompanied by various Italian wines.

"We are excited to work with chef Cannavacciuolo because he is one of the best chefs in Italy and his philosophy is in line with our concept for Foccacia - marrying the simple, the good and the extravagant together," explained the outlet's chef de cuisine Riccardo Ioanna.

"It is all about flavour, taste and beauty," confirmed chef Cannavacciuolo.

"The menu I have created includes dishes from the menu at Villa Crespi, which are all my own creations and are the secrets behind that restaurant's great success.

"I hope to leave a deep impression of the new Italian cuisine and to bring [diners] a taste of the flavours, aromas and emotions of Villa Crespi: a complete gourmet experience."

The chef was confident that sourcing all the ingredients for his award-winning, authentic Italian dishes in Dubai would not be a problem and added that he was not anticipating any challenges during his residency.

"I don't consider this visit to Dubai in terms of challenges but as an opportunity for growth - I hope to grow myself as a result of the experience and to contribute to the growth of Dubai's culinary industry," he told Caterer.

"Bringing in guest chefs from around the world is driving the enormous phase of growth that can be seen in the food and beverage industry [in the Middle East]," he said, and he did not rule out the possibility that he might one day put his name to a restaurant in the region.

"Maybe this is something I will do in the future. I am already looking to open another restaurant later this year, but the details of that can't be announced yet."