Chef Raffaele relives Ibn
Battuta’s journey through Mediterranean Europe with Italian sundried fruits and
vegetables, fresh herbs and succulent seafood
The Sicilia Italian restaurant in the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn
Battuta Gate Dubai, has just received a
double whammy bonus, with the arrival of new Chef de Cuisine
Raffaele Andreozzi.
The 43-year-old
Italian national, who hails from the Genoa region
of Italy, joins Mövenpick
Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai,
following a two-year assignment at the Anantara Desert Island Resort on Sir
Bani Yas, in Abu Dhabi.
He marked his recent arrival in spectacular fashion
by creating two brand new menus – one aimed at busy executives who have limited
time for a wholesome lunch and a more extensive and relaxed dinner menu for families
and couples enjoying an evening out.
At just AED80, the new business lunch menu is
proving to be extremely popular, especially with in-house guests and executives
working in the local Ibn Battuta Gate offices and
Jebal Ali offices.
Chef Raffaele said: “Italians
know their food, they’re blessed with some of the world’s best produce and they
know how to cook it with respect. My new two-course lunch menu comes packed
with flavour, from the freshest ingredients all within one hour such which changes on a daily basis.”
However, when it comes to dinner, Italian culture simply
refuses to be rushed, dinner is an important social and family event, not merely
an evening meal.
“The menu remains authentic, with simple
home-style Italian cooking with a Sicilian edge. It is unpretentious embracing
the "Grotto" philosophy of "cook what is fresh today”, my cooking complements my roots and I do not substitute any
of our products. My produce is all selectively & carefully sourced and
brought in directly from Italy to ensure my home country’s authentic flavours are maintained. Some of my favourite
and most popular menu items are the marinated octopus
which comes with salmoriglio and aromatic rosemary oil, baby spinach &
sweet potato, garganelli Sicilian style which is a penne pasta from gragnano with Palamita tuna, pine nuts and
raisins & the Sicilian baccala which consists of cod, fresh tomatoes,
black olives, capers, chili with a dash of extra virgin olive oil. For those with a
sweet tooth, you must try Sicilia’s tiramisu, an old Italian classic.”
Prior to his time at Anantara, Chef Raffaele
started with Princess Cruise Lines as a Demi Chef de Partie in 1998, based out
of Los Angeles and quickly rose through the ranks, making Sous Chef by 2006 and
Chef de Cuisine in 2012. The following year, he was promoted to Executive Sous
Chef for Sabatini’s Kitchen, Crown Grill Kitchen and the main Galley Kitchen.
“The theme of our hotel is based on Ibn Battuta’s
maritime adventures and Sicilia celebrates his time in the Mediterranean. Chef
Raffaele has been raised, surrounded by hearty, nutritious home-cooked food and
has spent 18 years at sea, working for Princess Cruise Lines. Given that
synergy, it has to be a perfect match,” said Maurice De Rooij, General Manager,
Mövenpick Hotel
Ibn Battuta Gate, Dubai.
During his career which spans 28 years, Chef
Raffaele also has extensive experience of working for five-star restaurants in
St. Moritz, Paris and Portofino.
