MOHANAD ALSHAMALI

Executive chef, BHAR

BHAR means spice in Arabic, and in the kitchen I draw from traditional flavours of my Arabic roots but presents them in an unexpected and contemporary way. The concept behind BHAR is family style, which brings everyone together at the table in a nostalgic way.

Our trademark dish is black cod sayadieh served with fragrant spiced rice and caramelised onions.

I am constantly working on ideas that elevate basic ingredients and meals to create a dish with a unique and contemporary twist.

I’m a knowledgeable chef and have standards for my team to follow. If all goes well, I am happy and fun to be around. I take pride in training young chefs how to survive and innovate in the kitchen.

I have cooked for Gordon Ramsay and thankfully there were no kitchen nightmares and he gave me positive feedback. I’m also fortunate enough to have cooked for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his family and they liked the food.

I love sushi, so I would pick Morimoto as my favourite restaurant away from work. As a chef, I love and appreciate the craft, technique and care that go into making sushi.

When I’m not in the kitchen I love to spend time with my family, as they keep me motivated.

Downtown Hotel, Dubai, daily noon to 2am. Tel: (04) 5125511. Taxi: Renaissance Downtown Hotel. bhar-dubai.com