The Chefs of Qatar virtual food festival, which began on April 1 and running until May 12, “aims to introduce the masterminds behind the country’s top restaurants and bring the flavours of the world to people’s doorstep.”
Qatar residents will have the opportunity to “know Qatar’s best chefs, their signature dishes and take the opportunity to experience fine dining at the comfort of their homes with Talabat.”
Here are the participating chefs at the festival:
Chaiwat Kawikitpraphat (Westin Doha Hotel and Spa): Born and raised in Thailand, chef Chaiwat found his passion for cooking at a very young age. After getting his degree in agriculture, he decided to change his career and joined Thai Airways as a chef.
Kamal Mers (Park Hyatt Doha): Kamal, from Casablanca, Morocco, works with executive chef Steffen Schnetke, overseeing Opus Restaurant to deliver a blend of Qatari, French and Mediterranean cuisines designed for sharing.
Steffen Schnetzke (Park Hyatt Doha): Steffen was born in Germany in a small village close to Berlin. Growing up in the countryside he possesses a deep passion for locally food and quality farmed products. At 16, he started his classical culinary education and soon discovered his love for French cuisine and fine dining.
Elias Gamayel (The St Regis Doha): Lebanese origin chef Elias has 20 years of international culinary experience. He was earlier executive chef in numerous reputable restaurants, including Maze Gordon Ramsay, Relais & Chateaux, Hotel Sofitel Le Gabriel and La Maison Du Saumon Salmontini in Dubai where he led culinary teams and worked with renowned chefs such as Pierre Orsi, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) and chef Gordon Ramsay himself.
Chef Gina (Dusit Doha Hotel): Chef Kanokwan Pungjaroenkijkul (Gina) from Bangkok, has set apart Benjarong as a premium restaurant offering fine Thai cuisine.
Hassan al-Ibrahim (founder of Mashkool and We Café restaurants in Qatar): Participated in the Qatar Food Festival for five years. Had multiple collaborations with hotels in Doha like Sheraton and Banana Island Resort. He also helped in creating the Katara Hospitality Qatari menu, presented in all Katara-owned hotels across the world.
Hisham al-Ahmed (Alwadi Hotel Doha): The chef, who arrived in Doha in 2010, has brought his skills and passion to Sofra, a Levantine-inspired restaurant which opened in March 2019.
Marc Féry (InterContinental Doha): Inspired by a passion for food from a childhood spent with his French grandmother, the chef started his career with an apprenticeship at a family owned restaurant in Bavaria, followed by a role as a Commis de Cuisine at Kempinski Four Seasons in Munich.
Marios Papadopoulos (InterContinental Doha): Carrying over 18 years in the global culinary industry, the native of Athens, Greece, started as a commis chef in Gatwick Copthorne Hotel in London, UK. He can also speak four languages: English, Greek, Basic Mandarin, and Arabic.
Mert Duran (Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha): A Turkish national, the chef carries more than two decades of culinary experience from his Mediterranean and Turkish roots. Olive oil is the main ingredient in everything he cooks - from the traditional Turkish kofte to Mediterranean tapas and more.
Sezar Esper Eliass (Mondrian Doha): He is behind Walima’s ingenious Arabia-inspired menu, that boasts a strong Qatari identity. A Syrian and Lebanese national with over nine years’ experience in the GCC region.
Timur Fazilov (Mondrian Doha): An Uzbek native, Timur has come a long way since his early days in London as a demi chef de partie at Little Bay in Kilburn where he mastered Mediterranean cuisine, before moving on to modern Asian Cuisine.
Vinaya Kumar (Fraiser Suites Doha): He has worked with various renowned hospitality brands like Sheraton, Kempinski, Rotana, Radisson, Park Regis, Ramada and Taj hotels across the Middle East and Asia. A specialist in International, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines, he has worked and trained with some of the best chefs in Middle East and Asia. He is equally skilled in popular cooking techniques including charcoal, braises, sous vide, curing and smoking.
Salvatore Silvestrino (City Centre Rotana Doha): Born and brought up in Naples, the culinary capital of Italy, he has worked in the kitchens in Asia and Europe, before settling in Australia and now working in Qatar. In his long culinary career, he has cooked for state banquets, Olympic delegations and even Ferrari team, counting Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa amongst his celebrity guests.
Friedemann Heinrich (The Ritz-Carlton Doha): Cooking and catering for royalty, heads of states, and internationally renowned, well-travelled business leaders, Friedemann opened The St Regis Amman as a culinary leader. He introduced new Arabic, Spanish and international restaurant concepts as well as handcrafted banquet events to Jordan.
Maroun Gebrael (La Cigale Hotel Managed by Accor): Passionate about cooking since childhood, his style is innovative and simple, by exploring modern variations of Mediterranean cuisine to appeal to the young customers while keeping the authentic taste and traditional spirit.
Steven Peter (JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha): Winner of a gold and two silver medals in Culinary World Cup, Luxembourg in 2018, two gold medals in FHA National Team Challenge Competition in Singapore in 2018 as captain of the Emirates Culinary National Team, Award of Culinary Excellence in 2015 and 2016 Middle East and Africa.
Noor al-Mazroei (prominent Qatari chef): She has worked with multiple restaurants and renowned chefs such as Vineet and Morimoto.
Sara al-Sayed (owner, Societe Bakery, Msheireb): Specialised in sweets and pastries, she creates sweets and desserts with creativity and passion.    
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