- Venues: Le Meridien Abu Dhabi and Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort Complex
- Websites: www.lemeridienabudhabi.com, www.sheratonabudhabihotel.com
- Phones: 02 644 6666 (Le Meridien), 02 677 3333 (Sheraton)
- Emails: lemeridien.abudhabi@lemeridien.com, sheraton.abudhabi@sheraton.com
In the run-up to the New Year, Le Meridien Abu Dhabi and Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort are thrilled to announce the appointment of the new Complex Executive Chef, Pyaneeandee Neeraj, who will now reign over more than 15 venues for both properties. Although, it seems like a backbreaking task to execute, Chef Neeraj is full of energy and excited about the new challenge. With over 25 years of culinary experience, he surely knows how to run the show.
Neeraj is originally from Mauritius but his culinary journey took him all around the world – Germany, India, United Kingdom, South Africa, UAE, Oman – you name it. He studied Hotel Management in Singapore, however, a great deal of his skills comes from various culinary trainings and hands-on experience. He is particularly proud of his professional training in Monaco at one of the iconic Michelin-starred (3) restaurants, “Louis XV – Alain Ducasse” at Hôtel de Paris’. Later on Neeraj continued to broaden his knowledge and pursued another Michelin training exposure in “L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon” – a 2-star Michelin restaurant in London. Shortly after, the doors opened for him to join London’s most renowned restaurant, “The Ivy”, where he had worked for 2 years. “The Ivy” has celebrated its 100th birthday in 2017 and will always remain London’s celebrity hotspot.
An interesting fact about Chef’s passion for his job is that it evolved from his interest in fashion back in the days. He recalls, “I inclined towards choosing a career related to fashion design and clothing, but the hotel & restaurant industry was booming at that time so I thought to myself – maybe, I will be more successful designing food instead.” Only a few months later Chef found himself absolutely in love with what he was doing and went on exploring the opportunities around the world.
Over the years, he has brought an uncountable number of events to life, developed hundreds of menus and led dozens of teams. He believes in engaging and coaching his coworkers by encouraging accountability and building trustful relationship with them. One of the biggest accomplishments that Chef Neeraj likes to remember is the outstanding ATM gala night that he and his team put together in 2010 at ‘The Address’ Dubai Marina hosting nearly 2000 guests. In early 2017, he appeared on the cover of Hotelier Middle East highlighting a successful reopening of Sheraton Hotel Oman after a decade-long refurbishment.
Being a creator at heart, Chef Neeraj puts emphasis on sophisticated restaurant & food concepts, which can go beyond the kitchen and have an impact on one’s soul. “It is not only about the recipes; we long for an experience that evokes certain feelings and connects with our identity. This is what I am trying to achieve every day – I want to feed my guests’ eyes, hearts and souls before the stomachs”, says Chef.
Neeraj just moved to Abu Dhabi but he is not new to the UAE. Previously, he spent around 6 years in Dubai working for 5-star luxury hotels of Emaar Hospitality group: The Address Dubai Marina and The Address Montgomerie Dubai.
