LEBANESE CHEF KAMIL BOULOOT RECOGNIZED BY THE LEBANESE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND ARD AL MOUMBDI3IN

Lebanese chef and restaurateur Kamil Bouloot has almost 30 years of hands-on food production and service experience. Currently head of culinary Middle East at Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, he was recently recognized for his outstanding contribution to the culinary arts by the Lebanese

Ministry of Culture and Ard Al Moubdi3in. Here, he shares his thoughts on being given this prestigious award and looks back on his professional journey.

How you were selected for this award and what does it mean to you?

I was selected for this award based on the impact, achievements and contributions that I have made throughout the three decades I’ve spent working in the culinary field, both in Lebanon and abroad.

I feel very honored and privileged to receive this award from my peers and experts in their fields, who have assessed my work and skills, and deemed them to be the best of the best. It is also immensely gratifying to be recognized for excellence in service to this industry in my beloved country — Lebanon. This award is a testament to the hard work and tremendous effort that I have put in, as well as all the challenges I have overcome to get to where I am today. I also believe that this award portrays Lebanon in a positive light.

As the head of culinary at Seagrass, how does your Lebanese heritage translate into your culinary offering?

My culinary heritage, the flavors, the ingredients, the cooking techniques and my experiences in Lebanon and in the Middle East have positively impacted my culinary choices and performance in whatever tasks and activities I have undertaken and will embark on in the future. I try to implement, whenever I can, these tastes and practices into my dishes to produce a product that showcases the restaurant’s concept, menu and market needs, as well as enhancing the clientele’s dining experience as much as possible.