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Viva Las Vegas As Masterchef Pouessel Plans Mid East Debut At Gourmet Abu Dhabi |
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The executive chef of one of America’s finest restaurants is heading to the UAE capital for a starring role in next month’s Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary festival. Vincent Pouessel, a one-Michelin-starred masterchef and executive chef at Charlie Palmer’s renowned Aureole Las Vegas restaurant in the Nevada city’s Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, says he’s eager to discover the UAE’s ’coastal cuisine’ and compare it to that of his homeland in Brittany, France. Internationally-revered for elegantly blending traditional style with innovative technique, Chef Pouessel will bring Aureole’s infused progressive American-sophisticated French menu to Gourmet Abu Dhabi – a 16-day culinary festival taking place across 14 of the emirate’s finest restaurants from February 2-17. “I want to see, try and learn everything I can during my first trip to Abu Dhabi,” said Pouessel, who will conduct a free-to-the-public culinary masterclass session on February 3rd at the Armed Forces Officers Club, before hosting a four-day Epicurean Dinner promotion at the Blue Grill, Yas Island Rotana, from February 3-6. “I grew up not far from the ocean, so I am always eager to discover a new coastal cuisine and experience seafood that I have never had before.” Never one to stick to the menu, Pouessel, a self-confessed connoisseur of ‘market cuisine’ – a cooking philosophy pivoted on the freshness and interpretation of seasonal ingredients - has vowed to remain true to the successful fare offered by Aureole, a restaurant conceived and owned by Charlie Palmer - one of America’s most-celebrated chefs. “Although I have not met Darren Andow (head chef at the Blue Grill, Yas Island Rotana) in person, we have discussed our plans for the Epicurean Dinners. I don’t want to give too much away, but as far as the menu goes we’ve tried to keep the identity of Charlie Palmer cuisine. Things will be as close as possible to what diners would experience in Las Vegas,” added Pouessel. With a diverse and extensive culinary background, Pouessel was born into a family of butchers and developed an early reverence for quality ingredients. He pursued his culinary education at Saint Michel College at Lycée Hotelir Notre Dame, earning certificates in Cuisine de Collectivitées and Restaurant Cuisine, respectively, before moving to Lincolnshire, England in 1988 to continue his practical education in restaurants abroad. After a two-year stint working alongside talented, young chefs responsible for what he dubs, ’the beginning of new British food’, Pouessel spent a mandatory two-year stint in the French army serving as a mess cook in Bordeaux, refining his skills with large château dinners. “I spent a lot of time working with one ingredient at a time, learning to apply all the techniques,” recalls Pouessel. Skillful attention to single culinary components has matured into Pouessel’s tour de force in Las Vegas, where signature Aureole dishes such the, ‘Duo of Big Eye Tuna’ and ‘Colorado Lamb Rack’ juxtapose different preparations of a main ingredient to reveal subtle, inherent nuances. With multiple trans-Atlantic stamps dotting his passport, the much-travelled Frenchman is eager to explore new surroundings on his maiden trip to Abu Dhabi. “I’m very excited to see with my own eyes the magnificent buildings and monuments in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “I live in Las Vegas, in itself an amazing destination, but some of the recent infrastructure additions, as well as events like Gourmet Abu Dhabi, have definitely put the UAE at the forefront of the world class hospitality scene.” |
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