Meet Naim Zoughaib
Lebanese chef
The Lebanese chef Naim Zoughaib has a motto: “if you have a goal, there is a way to reach it”.
This principle enabled him to join the ultra-prestigious Al Habtoor Hospitality Hotel Group in 2001, where the challenges he encountered matched his ambitions
This principle enabled him to join the ultra-prestigious Al Habtoor Hospitality Hotel Group in 2001, where the challenges he encountered matched his ambitions
- 1987
- I was barely 10 years old. When I wasn’t watching my mother cook, I was preparing breakfasts for my older brothers and sisters with great enthusiasm. It was certain, then, that one day, I would be a chef. This early vocation never left me!
- 1997
- I had just finished my studies in Hotel Management at the
Dikwaneh Technical College. Having passed my exams I could at last put my passion into practice, and to do so I chose “Brillat”, a very fashionable Lebanese restaurant (close to the centre of Beirut), offering French cuisine (one of my favourites!). I started out as a Commis chef then quickly became Chef de Partie. - 2001
- After having broadened my experience at several restaurants, I joined the Metropolitan Palace Hotel (Al Habtoor Hospitality Hotel Group), a prestigious 5-star establishment in the Lebanon. As a Banqueting Sous Chef, one of my responsibilities was to organise events such as wedding receptions, dinners, etc.
- 2003
- The hotel appointed me to organise the “Lebanese Food Festival” that takes place in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was
a huge challenge, because for a month I had to prepare several new Lebanese buffets every day for 500 people. - 2004
- The “Académie Nationale de Cuisine”, a French association of international influence, one
of whose aims is to support the men and women with a talent in the field of gastronomy, awarded me a Jury’s special prize for my presentation of 6 regional dishes (hot and cold starters, soup, sorbet, main course and dessert). For me, participating in competitions such as these is essential – it drives me to seek perfection. - 2006
- I was appointed Executive Chef of both the Metropolitan Palace Hotel and the Habtoor Grand Hotel just next door, which is part of the same group. It was a fantastic challenge to take on the management of 12 restaurants – each offering a different cuisine (Chinese, French, Italian, etc.) and a team of 160 people. My days are full, supervising a range of events, purchasing, schedules, checks, etc. I am never bored, not for a second!
- 2009
- After winning a bronze medal in the culinary competition organised by the HORECA trade fair in 2004, I returned for a second consecutive year as a member of the jury alongside professionals from all over the world. This annual fair for the hotel and restaurant industry in our part of the world is fascinating, because each year the participants reveal a new and innovative
vision of gastronomy and culinary techniques. - What about the future?
- As I am always searching for new challenges and experiences, I am thinking of opening my own restaurant. This is a project I am working on slowly, but I know already that I will attempt a fusion of French and Lebanese cuisine, offering dishes with subtle, unique and very special flavours!