The Chef JKP Podcast

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Samantha Wood is one of the most prominent food critics in the Gulf region.

Her alias is Foodiva, below is the award winning website where she reviews new or up and coming restaurants.
https://www.foodiva.net
With almost a decade into running her business, Samantha knows a thing or two when it comes to hospitality, as her dad used to run hotels for a living, plus she had extensive experience in corporate hospitality P.R.

Samantha wears many disguises, not only does she write for her award winning website, but also curates dining experiences and is a PR consultant. More recently, at the start of the crisis, she launched the #UAERestaurantsUnite pro bono social media campaign to support restaurants.

Her reviews are completely impartial, doing her homework on the cuisine and the chef, the day before heading to the restaurant, to ensure she has the full heads up, not forgetting that the bill is fully paid by Samantha herself.
Describing the journey as not easy for the first two years, hence consultancy was on the breadwinner in the very beginning.

Having a love of hospitality is one of the reasons she is so passionate about all things food and supporting the industry however possible, as you can imagine, writing reviews has also given her notoriety amongst foodies and professionals alike, not just in Dubai but around the world.

There are a number of local chefs who she respects for pushing up the levels of cuisine and creativity in the city of Dubai.
One of those being Colin Clague, who has been a prominent figure in the food scene for quite some time, his latest venture is Ruya, a modern take on Turkish food - http://www.ruyadubai.com
Another chef we discussed is Reif Othman, continuing to push the boundaries, trying new dishes on his guests almost every week, with one of his latest ventures, he is cooking top a storm - https://reifkushiyaki.com

One of the greats that always get mentioned on this podcast, is the late Anthony Bourdain. Samantha was fortunate enough to interview him face to face, at one of the most amazing press trips that she was invited to, listen out for that story!

With having so much knowledge plus having such an amazing palate, which is the meal that is to be one of the most memorable for an award winning food critic?
Just before the closing down of the St Pellegrino's Top 50 best restaurants, she describes having dined at the famous Gaggan - https://gaggananand.com
This was to be one of the most incredible meals she has ever had the pleasure of enjoying, so much so that she wanted to go the after-party!

An advocate for the amazing food in the Gulf, Samantha wants tourists to experience the very best that the United Arab Emirates has to offer, we are not just talking about chicken shawarmas and hummus, it is far deeper than that. 
When going to Italy you will only eat Italian, when visiting Japan you only eat Japanese, but it is not the same when arriving in Dubai for some reason, and this is what needs to change, not just in her eyes, but in the view of many other foodies in the region.

Overall it seems like Samantha is a guardian for the food scene, and to that we say thank you FOODIVA!

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Having both Brazilian and Sicilian roots, can only mean a lot of passion and fire!

Vanessa describes herself as always enjoying food, growing up in her grandmothers kitchen, which allowed her to have an interest in cooking from a very early age.

Her first taste in the professional world of all things culinary, would take place running a pasta station over a weekend, which at the time paid a serious amount money, to any 18 year old this was not just pocket money.
This kept happening over several times throughout the year, which she enjoyed far more than current weekday duties.

Describing herself as a people pleaser, her other job was repossessing peoples house's for the bank, this was not the way she wanted to spend the rest of her life, it was this that kickstarted an illustrious career.

After a discussion with her dad, the decision was made to then study and master culinary arts.
Her first serious job would be for the large Catering firm Puff'N'Stuff Catering in Orlando, Florida.
https://puffnstuff.com

A move abroad was on the cards, it was toss up between Australia, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, the choice was made by going to study at the ICCA in Dubai.
https://iccadubai.ae

After spending some time in the region, Vanessa consults for large firms such as General Mills, Alto Sham, and Mastercard.
https://www.mastercard.ae/en-ae.html
https://www.generalmillsmiddleeast.com/ar-SA/Company/GlobalOverview
https://www.alto-shaam.com/en

This has led to becoming a chef presenter on camera, trade shows, and to meet like minded individuals, which has also allowed her to be a true showman, however even on camera this is not always easy.

Vanessa is now running her very own catering and consultancy company, that has merged with SoulTPHQ to run the event side of things.
https://www.chefbayma.com

With the wealth of knowledge the chef has under her belt, the discussion led talking about the hospitality industry changing in order to cultivate both male and female talents, nurturing instead of de-motivating them, however there is a bullish attitude towards how some kitchens are being run to this day.

Her kitchen heroes, of-course number one being her Sicilian grandmother which was the person who inspired her from the very beginning, followed by Wolfgang Puck, and the late great Anthony Bourdain.

An educated chef with bags of charisma, a rare breed amongst professional cooks, this is to be expected though, that's what happens when blending Brazilian passion and Sicilian fire! 

You can see what chef Bayma is doing, by following her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chef_bayma/

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When it come the world of social media and being an influencer, Homam Ayaso is the go to guy.
His alias is - The Gastronaut - just go and have a look at the type of content he is smashing out!
https://www.instagram.com/homamino/
A self taught cook born in Syria, raised in Saudi Arabia, it was his mother who inspired him to cook from a young age.
Studying and working in the field of marketing, he went from being graphic designer, all the way to regional creative and social media director for WonderEight.
https://www.wondereight.com

In his day job of being Regional Creative and Social Media Director at an international advertising agency. The experience in advertising and passion for food found an outlet a few years ago when he started to blog; Over the years, this work has turned him into a Food and Travel Influencer, a role that allows him to discover and share with the world his journey of cities and flavours. This gave Homam the chance to meet amazing chefs from around the world and learn the tools, tricks, and techniques that make them unique - whilst broadening his very own style. Fascinated to understand how their stories are expressed through their work.

Now based in Dubai, he is usually travelling and discovering the different cultures from around the world, the highlight of his trips are finding his way into a kitchen, cooking and talking to the local chefs, this is one of the reasons The Gastronaut is so successful, it is due to the fact the he understands cuisines, he understands the history, overall he understands people.What fascinates him is food as a means of discovering cultures through their cuisines.

Being one of the biggest influencers in the Middle East is not an easy task, but for him it is also a business.
He discusses how people in his industry can help Hospitality, using the social media platforms as partners rather than enemies.
Interestingly, he also mentions the type of people to watch out for, and those who are just there for a free meal.

If that wasn't enough, he happens to be an accomplished cook, his friends call him chef, which is a title that he denies.

A true insight into the world of real food and travel, The Gastronaut has taken one small step for man, and a giant leap for the digital world of food!

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From an early age Shane Born was taught to appreciate a good home cooked meal, and what it really means to be at the dining table surrounded by family.

It was this valuable life lesson that gave him the drive to push beyond the home kitchen, working alongside his mentor and business partner - his mother.
To this day he describes her a key figure in his culinary life.
She was the person that sparked the love of and respect of food, travelling and living  around the world as a family in places such as South Africa, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, the US, and the Middle East, visiting various cookery schools, the learning curve was fast and sharp.

Discussing food heritage, from all of the parts of globe, Shane describes how his style of food has evolved, due to his extensive culinary adventures.

All of this led to a culmination of a catering business and cookery school - Borns Kitchen - http://www.bornskitchen.com

Equally, he is also the executive chef of Bidi Bondi on the palm in Dubai - https://www.bidibondi.com
Some of the flavours combinations on his menu, delve into the extensive memory bank of the chef, in order to bring his travels and translate them on the plate.

As food brings people together, why not bring chefs together too? This is exactly what Shane has done, co founding the Dubai Chefs Collective, bringing like minded chefs together on one platform, in order to share ideas, techniques, most importantly to support each other during the pandemic.
https://www.dubaichefscollective.com

The late great Anthony Bourdain is someone that the chef looks up to, as he was the guy who really told it like it is! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain

David Chang, is another food hero Shane respects, Chef Chang is someone who take something incredibly simple, then makes something incredibly delicious, explaining food in way that everyone can understand.

Last but not least of his mentors, is the legendary chef, author and presenter - Shirley Guy https://twitter.com/shirleykilian?lang=en
Who also happened to be head judge on BBCs Great South African Bake Off.

Shane is an incredibly cultured chef, overall his knowledge of food through his family, extensive travels, and hands on experience, is a true recipe for success!

To reach Shane directly go to - https://www.instagram.com/chefshaneborn/

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A love for all things hospitality and technology has allowed Tjalling van den Burger to have a job which combines his two passions!

Being placed in a Michelin starred kitchen at a young age washing dishes allowed him to see the ins and outs of what happens behind the scenes at the highest possible levels of gastronomy, 6 months down the line, he decided to take the opportunity to work front of house, the restaurant is the famed Calla's - https://www.restaurantcallas.nl/english#calla-bloem-en
 
Just 17 he was then one of the youngest registered Sommeliers I the country, he was about to go and study at University, after some great advice  was given to him by his Head chef, Tjalling then decided to go to one of the best hotel schools in Europe " Hotel school The Hague - https://hotelschool.nl/en

4 years later, an opportunity arose to work in business with combing his love of the food industry with a start up called Hello Fresh, joining their product development team.
https://www.hellofresh.co.uk

Followed by a stint in Londons famous Apple shop in Oxford Street, however he describes the "gravitational  pull of the F&B industry was calling", which led him to join the team at Winnow Solutions as the Business Development Manager - Middle East & Africa, as they say - the rest is history.
https://www.winnowsolutions.com

The food waste issue is so big, that a trillion dollars worth of food a year is thrown in the bin around the world, just let that sink in for minute!
Winnow Solutions is helping businesses globally, not only cut on food waste, but also save millions.

Tjalling describes how artificial intelligence is now winning the fight against food waste, he also discusses what we can all do to combat this.

Can technology really help?

This is one of the questions asked during this interview, take a listen to fully understand the role that even our smart phones can play.

Food is simply too valuable to waste!

To contact Tjalling directly, you can email him on [email protected] alternatively https://www.instagram.com/tvandenburger/

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Emirati born Sahar Parham al Awadhi is the Head Pastry chef for the world re-known 7 star hotel - The Burj al Arab.
https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/burj-al-arab-jumeirah

The love of food stems from her mother, during early childhood the family were always trying new places and flavours that would lead to new experiences. 
The chef describes her mother as her "best and worst critic".

Before settling into a kitchen, Sahar studied at the American university in Sharjah, UAE, where she went on to get a degree in Communications and Design management followed by working in a role of Marketing and PR, although it wasn't until a certain conversation with her boss, that the chef spark was truly ignited.

Her first dabble into a professional kitchen would be with none other than pastry guru Liz Stevenson.
Which then led to her very first job in none other than La Serre with the charismatic chef - Izu Ani in 2014 in the well known Dubai eatery - La Serre.
http://www.yseventy7.com

This gave the young chef a real insight of the culinary world, it did at times take it's toll, mentally and physically, none the less giving up was never going to be an option.

2 years later, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself, in the way of an open day at Burj al Arab, Sahar joined as a junior sous chef, 4 years down the line she now heads up the entire pastry department, quite an achievement in such a short space of time.

If being the first female head chef to join the hotel wasn't enough, she has also paved the way for other Emiratis in the thriving food scene of the ever expanding culinary landscape of Dubai.

Within just 6 years, Sahar has truly pushed herself to be at the very top of the game, this was achieved by having an incredible work ethic consumed by fulfilling a dream of working within the hospitality industry.

A truly inspirational home grown talent !

To see what Sahar is doing - you can follow her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/saharyp/

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Alasdair Hopper went from shy teenager to being viewed by millions on the BBC, this would not of happened had it not been his love of hospitality.
His first passion of photography led him to get a degree, during this time he worked in various areas of hospitality to "enjoy the wine", this was the catalyst that gave him the drive to pursue a career in a leading front of house role.

One of his first jobs would be in the trendy hangout - The Old Firehouse pub in Exeter, the bar was full every night, crowded, loud, full of people who wanted to be seen, this is where he learnt to deal with the fast pace and long hours - https://www.oldfirehouseexeter.co.uk

His second stint would see him working for a major international chain - Pizza Express, having already learnt the fast pace, gruelling hours, it was here that he really understood the importance of engaging with his customers, which led to a promotion - https://www.pizzaexpress.com

A few years of experience under his belt, Alasdair had the opportunity to be featured on a a prime time BBC Two television show called " The Restaurant "- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00djpzy/episodes/guide

This was the X-Factor equivalent of a competition, that would see one team get the opportunity to win a restaurant with the one and only chef Raymond Blanc OBE - https://www.raymondblanc.com
Despite being a runner up, Raymond saw the potential and gave him the opportunity to work in one of the best 2 star Michelin restaurants in the world, a place where 40 chefs have earned their own Michelin stars after graduating, the legendary Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons - https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons/
This is the very best of the hospitality industry, Alasdair spent the first 3 months under an intense internship, that would see him work in all areas of the hotel, finally ending up in the incredible dining room.

The BBC came back for a second time, however with a slight twist, his own television 6 part series, being thrown on the deep end of high end catering. The ultimate test for an industry professional - https://vimeo.com/43028353

A few years later after settling down and a 4 year hiatus from the trade, he began to miss the hustle and bustle of restaurant life, un-expectantly a chance to work in a small boutique hotel in his local town of Dartmouth, England appeared.
Bayards Cove is 7 bedroom boutique hotel, steeped in history, being amongst one of the oldest hotels in the region. https://www.bayardscoveinn.co.uk

Now general manager Alasdair spends a lot of time with his team and customers alike, having learnt from the best, the focus now remains on growing an already successful business.

Not bad a for shy guy!

You can find him on - https://twitter.com/AlasdairHooper

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Simon Ritchie began to be interested in journalism at the early age of 11, having lived for a short while in Egypt, for him and his family, the only English television around during that time was only the BBC News.
Remembering the amazing and interesting stories, is what really got him engrossed in this field.
A few years later, he dabbled with various subjects, before he got the spark to go and study at university to pursue a degree in business journalism in his home town of Glasgow, Scotland.
A brief stint in London, being an intern for the award winning magazine FHM, Simon describes this as " a dream come true !"
4 years down the line, he got the opportunity to get his first serious gig, being an editor of not just one, but two magazines, in the field of hair and beauty.
So how did Simon become the editor of the coveted Caterer Middle East magazine?
His family had previously lived in Dubai, but it was only after a second visit to see his older brother, that he made the final decision to move abroad.
Fortunately, he got picked up by ITP, who happens to be the biggest publishing house in the Gulf region - https://www.itp.com
This is where the he began the journey into world of chefs, food and hospitality. 

Knowing that journalism is all about connections, he describes going to every new opening in order to get to know the movers and shakers of the industry in order to get the stories, 2 years down the line after having done an extensive amount of networking, it is now the owners, chef's and industry sources, who message him on the sly to get the latest on what's going on, impressive considering Simon has only been in the region for just over two years.
In that time he recalls interviewing industry giants like the 3 Michelin starred Massimo Bottura, who at one point had the number one best restaurant in the world - https://osteriafrancescana.it
One chef that needs no introduction is the one and only Marco Pierre White - https://www.marcopierrewhite.co
That interview did not disappoint - as the notorious chef was 30 minutes, due to an opening the night before.
The other memorable anecdote involves a heavy night out, and an interview with none other than international superchef  Jason Atherton - https://www.jasonatherton.co.uk

Simon, delves into what it takes to be at the very top of his industry, as well as mentioning that is always a plus to have a couple of good friends in the media, as you never know when they could come in handy!

Being the editor of the regions top Catering magazine, has it's perks, but not forgetting that he is a business journalist, it took a while for him to become a member of the famous foodie club, although he is not done yet, as there is still another 12,000 restaurants to review, that's just in Dubai!

Should you have an interesting story, contact Simon directly, you can email him on - [email protected] 
To see what the fuss is all about go to - www.caterermiddleeast.com

To watch the full video got to - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQnVGBXvNcg&t=16s

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Most 15 year old boys are either playing football or video games, Roberto was certainly not your average 15 year old!
This was the time that he decided to become a chef, not an easy decision to make at such a young age.
Drive and passion is what he describes as the source that drives him to be at the top of his game, learning from some of the very best chef's in the world, with this type of mentorship under his belt, he had a one way ticket to success.

His very first mentor, was the one that taught him that it is ok to make a mistake but to immediately learn from it, Chef Christian Bravo - http://www.bravorestobar.com
Kitchens are often compared to being in the army, having a hierarchy along with a certain amount of discipline, Roberto's next mentor was none other than respected Peruvian Masterchef - Rafael Osterling - http://www.rafaelosterling.pe/en/index.html

By this stage, he knew that he wanted to go International with his career, so he then got the opportunity to become the number 2 of the celebrity chef who runs over 45 restaurants around the world, the un-disputed Richard Sandoval - https://www.richardsandoval.com

Already having the position of executive chef, Roberto wasn't done with learning, so he them took the journey back to his native Peru to spend some time in the award winning kitchens, amongst the Top 50 best restaurants in the world, with none other than the celebrated Virgilio Martinez of restaurant Central -https://centralrestaurante.com.pe/en/about.html

Once he came back from his travels to Dubai, with so much experience, it was no surprise that he won the coveted "Chef of the Year " award, no once, but twice in the Gulf region, not easy task considering how many chefs there are in the Middle East.

A competent executive consultant, Roberto has opened many successful concepts, which has led him to have a loyal fanbase, this gave him the platform to record his own YouTube series showing various recipes from his extensive cuisine.
Recently, the chef has also just launched his own podacast series discussing everything to do with a chef's life.

All of these things can be found on his website - www.robertosegura.me

Roberto is the type of chef who will stop at nothing to become the very best, for sure Latin passion runs through his culinary veins, so don't be surprised if you see him on your screens soon!

You can watch the full video on - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qLGhPJaZ68&t=437s

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At the tender age of just 23 years old, Halil Asar was the youngest 3 star Michelin Maitre'D in Europe. 
Raised in his mothers restaurant, doing homework in the wine cellar, he was always going to be destined to have a shining career in hospitality. Explaining the details of what it takes to be a Master Maitre'D at the very top of the restaurant game!

Halil had gained proffesional knowledge and experience at an incredibly early age, this was the "blue flame" that ignited his love and passion.

Having worked with the likes of Jonnie de Boer - https://www.librije.com
Erik van Loo - https://www.parkheuvel.nl/en/parkheuvel/
Francois Geurds - https://www.fgrestaurant.nl
Cees Helder - who was the first 3 star Michelin chef in the Netherlands- http://www.ceeshelder.nl/over_ceeshelder.html

He then made the decision to go international, getting an opportunity to be at one of the most luxurious resorts in the Middle East - the famed Six Senses Zighy Bay resort in Oman - https://www.sixsenses.com/en/resorts/zighy-bay

Followed by doing 2 prominent restaurant openings in Dubai , which led him to become the General Manager.

An eye for detail, a master of wine, the art of making even the most challenging diner feel like royalty, a skill that has been honed over decades, Halil delves deeply into how to truly connect on a human level, never overstepping the thin red line.

Giving secrets into what it takes to be a formidable host, being empathic to guests, overall being humble, there are many lessons to be taken away from this interview.
Inspirational and passionate about all things front of house, Halil is a real master of his craft.
For more information on Halil go to - www.halilasar.com

Watch the full video interview on - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q4yDNJXkhA&t=26s

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