WHY GYPSY CHEF?

The real story behind the nickname

I’ve always enjoyed traveling but it was in 2010 that I truly began immersing myself into all the different cultures I came across during my travels. It has become one of the most important parts of my personal and professional life, fuelling my inspiration to create both in and outside the kitchen. A few years back I was given the nickname ‘Gypsy Chef’ which has stuck with me as a celebration of my nomadic lifestyle and love for the open road. Travel has also become part of how I create new concepts and menus. For example, when I opened my first Italian restaurant in Dubai in 2017, I took the head chef and manager with me on an immersion trip to Italy where we traveled between Naples, Rome and Florence, the three cities that inspired the concept from a culinary point of view. We ended up drafting the core menu on a napkin while on a train between Rome and Tuscany!