Angela Beitz talks to the chef with two Michelin stars who’s responsible for the cuisine at Catalan restaurant, at the recently-opened Rosewood Hotel.
What made you move to Abu Dhabi from Spain?
I was aware that many interesting things were happening in Abu Dhabi in terms of the food and hotel scene. When I was offered the job as Executive Chef of Catalan I spoke to my wife and we decided that it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.
What do you think of the dining scene here?
We have so many great restaurants here because there are so many amazing hotel brands in the city. There are lots of high-end Indian and Lebanese venues which I like and I’m enjoying learning about new cuisines. I’m interested to learn about foods and it’s great that we have Sambusek at our hotel. I have two sons and am very busy so I don’t go out that much. I love to cook at home.
What do think Catalan will bring to the dining scene?
A small piece of Barcelona to Abu Dhabi. I have brought my own simple cooking ideals with me that I have learnt from Catalonia and Barcelona. We want diners to feel like they are eating in Catalonia.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I always look to my Spanish roots and I never forget tradition. My style is to blend traditional cuisine with contemporary touches.
Where is your produce sourced from?
I am lucky as I still use a lot of suppliers from Barcelona for dishes such as codfish and other products. But some of our vegetables come from Al Ain as I think they are very good quality and some of our seafood is from Oman, which is of a very high standard. I don’t want to skimp on quality.
What do you use as the foundation for your flavours when cooking at Catalan?
I would say olive oil. It’s so important to cooking: it’s in my veins. I can’t use Italian or Greek olive oil, it has to be Spanish. I also try and combine mountain and sea, with dishes featuring chicken and lobster.
If you had to pick one dish from your menu for guests to try, what would it be?
There are a few dishes that have proven to be very popular, such as our oysters, our slow-cooked free-range egg with wild mushrooms and our apple tart. We are also serving olive oil ice cream. You can probably already tell that I love Spanish olive oil!
Catalan, The Rosewood Hotel Abu Dhabi, Sowwah Square (02 813 5552).
