Chef: Ammar Al-Fouzan

Restaurant: Khaneen

Title: Founder & Executive Chef

Q: Why did you first get into cooking?

Cooking for my hungry friends during weekends at late hours back when we were in high school.

Q: What were you doing before you began your cooking career?

Legal consultations!

Q: Describe your favorite dish.

Muhammar, a Kuwaiti dish made of sweet basmati rice cooked with saffron, cardamom and rose water, accompanied with oven cooked fish stew.

Q: Name three ingredients you can’t live without in the kitchen.

Onion, garlic and parsley.

Q: What is the most important part of a sandwich?

The harmony of its ingredients from the first bite.

Q: How does your personality differ inside and outside the kitchen?

Inside the kitchen, I’m a very serious person who hates to be disturbed even from the ring of an incoming SMS.

Q: When you’re not cooking, what do you do for fun?

Scuba diving, riding my Harley, photography, and music composition.

Q: If you weren’t a chef, what would you like to be?

The thing is that I’m originally not a chef, rather an attorney who loves his profession but loves cooking more.

Q: If you could choose, what would your “last supper” be?

Since I will not have to worry about calories, I’d say Big Daddy’s BBQ Beef Rib Platter from the County Line restaurant in San Antonio Texas.

Quick fire

My Breakfast: Tea with milk is a must.

My Knives: VICTORINOX from the makers of Swiss Army Knife.

Most overused spice: Cardamom.

Favorite Foodie Destination: Any genuine Texan BBQ house.

Favorite Kitchen Gadget: The blender.

Favorite Food Aroma: Saffron.