Clear Vision
One of the most exclusive haunts in Monaco, Mayabay, has officially arrived in Dubai. With a clear vision for making its mark in the region, Head Chef Shane MacNeill discusses with us bringing a new luxury concept to the emirate Talk us through your career. I have been working in professional and Michelin star restaurants since 1997. After completing a Diploma in Hospitality Management at Worcester College of Technology, London looked like the most logical choice. The first high-end restaurant was with the Nobu Group, and it seemed that Asian cuisine was where it was going to continue until today. After leaving Park Lane and taking the first head chef position in the group at Ubon by Nobu the seeds had been sown, it was quite daunting but turned out to be a great experience. With the closure of the restaurant looming the group moved the scope to Nobu Paris, Armani/Nobu in Milan followed by St. Moritz with a pre-season pop up in the Baur au Lac Hotel in Zurich, Mykonos and finally Matsuhisa Athens.
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The eleven years with Nobu had been a giant learning curve working closely with Nobuyuki Matsuhisa himself on some of the openings, In Milan, Gorgio Armani was at the restaurant several times per week which proved to be essential to the business due to his professionalism, strong work ethic, and a genuinely caring attitude towards his staff members. Mark Edwards, the Nobu group executive was a pure inspiration as he was the head chef from the very beginning at Nobu Park Lane, he also organised twelve months with Jean Georges at Vong in Knightsbridge as part of a year out to learn different types of cuisine. Mark is a knowledgeable professional and a master of his craft. Cipriani restaurants headed by Giuseppe Cipriani was an opportunity to create a menu and work on more openings from
Abu Dhabi to Ibiza, London, Monte Carlo and finally Miami over a four-year period. Throughout this period, the Cipriani family were incredibly hands-on with all projects and professional with a fine eye for detail. This also helped me to familiarise myself with Italian products and cooking techniques. In 2015, the Bulldozer group brought Novikov restaurant to Dubai, it is dedicated to serving world-class food in a stylish environment. With an impeccable record and history revolving around fresh products there are very few restaurants in my opinion that are like this here. In 2018 I began work and opened Novikov in Doha, Qatar. As well as cooking and training, I also managed the kitchen design, tableware order, selected suppliers, assisted HR and chose the kitchen team. Novikov Doha is the first Novikov
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WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS
LIFESTYLE
5/31/22 5:19 PM
