With 15 years of experience in prestigious five-star hotels, Rahif Akkad, founder of Patisserie Akkad and Chef Akkad Company, shares his thoughts on the vital role diversity plays in sparking creativity and enriching dining experiences.
How does embracing diversity in the kitchen team influence creativity and the development of new dishes?
Embracing diversity in the kitchen team fosters innovation by blending different culinary traditions, which promotes creative dish development. I constantly work on developing my dessert recipes, incorporating various influences from French, Italian, and American cuisines. Additionally, I draw inspiration from authentic Arab flavors, which add depth and character to my creations. As a result, this fusion of East and West creates distinctive dishes, offering unique flavors that cater to diverse food lovers. Therefore, the combination of these elements allows me to continuously innovate and craft exceptional culinary experiences.
Can working with chefs from different cultural backgrounds expand approaches to using unique ingredients?
Of course, this is a special and rewarding experience, as it allows me to explore diverse dessert dishes from various cultures. Additionally, I enjoy learning about these dishes from my colleagues in the kitchen, who share their knowledge. When I taste a dish presented in traditional ways, I appreciate its authenticity and the cultural significance behind it. Subsequently, I draw inspiration from these flavors, blending them in unique ways to create something innovative. As a result, I transform classic dishes into modern creations, adding my personal touch to enhance their creativity and distinctiveness.
In what ways does a diverse kitchen environment enhance the dining experience for guests?
A diverse kitchen environment enhances the dining experience by incorporating a wide range of flavors and techniques from various cultures. For me, this diversity allows for a creative fusion of classic and modern dishes, offering guests unique culinary experiences. Moreover, I continuously develop my recipes by blending traditional flavors with contemporary, innovative twists, reflecting the richness of different cuisines. As a result, guests enjoy dishes that showcase distinct cultural influences while maintaining a balance of nutrition and flavor. Ultimately, this diversity elevates the dining experience, making it both memorable and exciting for all.
How can chefs balance honoring traditional cooking techniques while incorporating global ingredients and new culinary perspectives?
For me, I believe in honoring traditional cooking techniques, which serve as the foundation for most classic dishes. However, I constantly work to innovate by incorporating global ingredients and new culinary perspectives, blending the past with the present. Therefore, by combining classic flavors with modern, contemporary, and innovative touches, I create dishes that reflect both tradition and creativity. Currently, I am developing a new menu that harmonizes these elements while also making desserts nutritious, high in fiber, and rich in vitamins. This approach enhances the dining experience, making desserts both innovative and satisfying for guests.
How to enhance the dining experience for guests?
I make a unique combination of the guests’ favorite and beloved taste, which is chocolate in all its types and forms, and the fruits that are usually eaten with dessert dishes, such as strawberries, raspberries, lemon, orange, blackberries, and cherries, with other fruits that are not familiar to dessert lovers, which adds a beautiful, distinctive, and shocking atmosphere to the guests, transporting dessert lovers to another world, in addition to some aromatic herbs that add a distinctive flavor and aroma with a unique creative touch to the dishes. In this way, I work on, making the guests who love eating dessert dishes eager to taste the new dishes and making each new dish an unforgettable story for all guests.
