How did you get in to the hospitality industry?
I started working in hospitality when I was a teenager. I started off as a server in banqueting functions such as weddings and events. I was very excited about all the amazing food that I saw and tasted during my work on a daily basis. It inspired me and it was around that time my passion for cooking grew.
Was being a chef a goal from childhood; tell us about your progression in the early years?
No, it was never a goal. Before becoming a chef, I studied and worked as a computer programmer. Due to my relaxed schedule I started working in a restaurant as I had prior experience as a food server. A few years in, I migrated to London to study English and it was there I started considering a career in the kitchen and studied culinary management.
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How do you stay ahead of the competition, given the cut-throat Italian restaurant scene in Dubai?
It’s important that one stays true to their business and skill. Our focus has always been authentic Italian food coupled with fresh ingredients. The quality of our product and service sets us apart from our competitors. We don’t do anything less than exceptional.
What’s it like working with a Michelin-starred chef, is there room for your style to be accommodated on the menu?
To work with a Michelin-star chef has been a great learning curve. You get to absorb so much; the philosophy of each dish, what each dish on the menu represents, and the standard of delivery. Michelin-star Alfredo Russo is a great chef and a fabulous mentor; he asks, rather demands, regular feedback and we often sit together to deliberate on where we can improve as a restaurant. It’s not about having my style incorporated, and that’s a commitment you have to be willing to make when you work at a Michelin-star chef’s restaurant.
How do you motivate your team and ensure they deliver on the vision set by Russo and yourself?
We motivate the team through continuous trainings activities. It’s not just about plating dishes, you need to be passionate about those dishes. We are constantly educating them about Italian cuisine and its culture. It’s an on-going process.
What is your opinion on the ingredients and suppliers in Dubai?
You can find everything you want, it is just a matter of price. It is all about cost and the competition among suppliers, but there is nothing that you can’t find in Dubai.
How do you balance the books in a price sensitive world, ensuring you deliver Michelin standard cuisine every night?
We are focusing on delivering very good and high quality authentic Italian food with best quality of ingredients. Michelin standard food doesn’t have to be pricey — it’s the quality of the food and service which people will pay for.
What is your ultimate goal?
I want to become an executive chef in a hotel managing multiple F&B outlets. I also desire to own a successful and profitable restaurant which will translate market’s need and expectations — a restaurant which will have right balance of the quality of food, concept and guests.
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