TH E C HEF
“FLAVOUR FIRST, EVERY TIME”
Born and raised between Chile and Argentina, Chef Gloria Fernandez recently took over the Head Chef position at Zoco Dubai, becoming the first-ever female chef in this role at the venue. A true Latina, Chef Gloria has been working in culinary since 2009, with roles at Hyatt and Marriott, prior to joining the Al Habtoor Group. Here she shares her passion for all things Mexican and Latin American, revealing what’s in store for diners
American cuisine. I want to give our guests a taste and feel of real Mexican and Latin American recipes with the freshest and highest quality ingredients. A place where people will meet and enjoy a culinary experience that will take them all over Mexico and Latin America with flavours, aromas and a hospitable atmosphere.
How would you describe your cooking style? Authentic, creative and immersive. It presents itself as a multi-sensory puzzle that can only be solved by following layer by layer, all the ingredients. But at the same time, tasty, very tasty! Flavour first, every time.
I feel really proud to be the first female chef of Zoco Dubai. It is a great honour that I get to bring to our guests my own recipes and flavours.
Tell us more about your vision for Zoco Dubai. My vision for Zoco Dubai is for it to evolve into the place to visit for authentic Mexican and Latin
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The Pro Chef Middle East / Edition 55
Two of my favourites on the menu are Pastel de Choclo and Chorillana. Traditional Chilean dishes with complexity. Our diners can expect authenticity, the highest quality and a great variety of dishes from all over Mexico and Latin America. Talking about Pastel de Choclo – it is a seasonal dish, similar to the English corn pudding but with Mexican notes, I blend corn with minced beef and chicken and truly love this dish. Chorillana is a combination of French fries
Photographs SUPPLIED
H
ow do you feel about being the first-ever female Head Chef?
Could you reveal some of the never-seen-before dishes?
