Talented chef Said Sayed Mohamed at Raffles Makkah Palace is celebrating being named the best Chef of the Year 2011 from the Middle East and South Africa region. The award was announced in a splendid ceremony organized by Unilever Food Solutions in Dubai recently to showcase the “Best of the Best” chefs and caterers in the region. Chef Mohamed, a senior sous chef at Raffles Makkah Palace was chosen amongst the final few to plate up and serve his ultimate culinary works-of-art. That and his wide international experience were enough to grant him the honor in the Middle East and South Africa's premier culinary competition. The food was tasted and marked by a panel of well-known judges. This year, Chef Mohamed competed with six of the most experienced chefs in the regional cooking contest, which was held at the Dubai Academy of Culinary Arts. “I am pleased to have received this award; I would like to thank my family at Raffles Makkah Palace for their endless support and inspiration for me to participate in the contest,” Chef Mohamed said. “Cooking is my passion and when it comes to ingredients and menus, I tend to combine international techniques with the local flavors; I believe strongly in using fresh ingredients constantly and identifying the taste for the guest's needs.” He has previously won various major awards in other categories. Raffles Makkah Palace Executive Chef, Nikolaus Maximalian Delueg Ali, said: “The success of our dining venues also depends on the experience of the culinary team. Winning the award was a real opportunity to express our appreciation regarding Chef Mohamed's achievements, and that obviously reflectS our commitment in providing a taste unlike any other in the region, ranking Raffles Makkah Palace's current culinary experience as the center of attraction.” Chef Mohamed joined the Raffles Makkah Palace at its opening in 2010, bringing with him a wealth of experience in a diverse range of cuisines including Pacific seafood, Italian, modern French, Asian Fusion, American Steakhouse and Levantine (Arabic fusion). Visitors to the Raffles Makkah Palace will be tempted to enjoy the exciting dining experiences offered at Al Qaser for eastern, western and international favorites; the Narjes Tea Lounge for gourmet teas, coffees and freshly baked produce; and Al-Majlis, which takes its guests on a culinary tour of Levantine specialties from Lebanon, Turkey and Syria. For desserts, The Creamery is a must with its custom-made Teppanyaki ice cream served indoors or outside on the terrace, overlooking the Grand Mosque. Raffles' relentless pursuit of service excellence has earned its hotels and resorts a legion of international accolades such as Travel & Leisure World's Best Awards. Its flagship Raffles Hotel Singapore was voted Best Hotel in Asia for four consecutive years by readers of Ultratravel magazine by The Daily Telegraph while Raffles Beijing Hotel received the top score among all hotels in Beijing in the Condé Nast 2011 Gold List. In addition, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is consistently ranked among the world's top hotel brands in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards. __
