Muhammad Iqbal – grill chef at Radisson Dubai Damac Hills’ Fire Lake restaurant – has been in the kitchen longer than many top chefs have been alive. With 36 years of experience, the spritely steak master tells Hotelier Middle East how his passion for cooking remains and how he now looks to train the next generation of chefs.
“I have worked with many fantastic chefs over the last 36 years, but the most influential person in my life is my prime minister [Imran Khan]. I have been inspired by him from a very young age,” he told Hotelier.
“I am almost 60 years old now but the fire is still in belly. My focus now is on teaching the young chefs of the future and passing on my knowledge so they can develop as I have.”
Chef Iqbal got his start in 1984 as a pot washer, taking a job in a kitchen as to stay out of mischief as a child, he says. Whilst at work, the sight of chefs clad in white moving around swiftly, conjuring aromas that really impressed him, motivated him towards acquiring that skill. It is then that he decided he wanted to be a chef and started working after his duty hours to gain the knowledge and skills to become the chef that he is today.
After training for years he got a chance to work at the JW Marriott Deira in Dubai worked in the main kitchen and room service where he further developed his skillset. From there he became the face and reason The JW Steakhouse proved so successful for more than 20 years.
The chef said: “I love working with good quality products and being able to deliver consistent steaks time and time again.:
Turning Radisson Dubai Damac Hills into a success
The hotel’s marketing manager Cahal Altman said: “I have only known chef Iqbal since April, but straight away I was impressed with his work ethic, skill, knowledge and the way he works with the team. Iqbal knows his craft, seeing him in the butchery trimming and preparing the steaks, ensuring the right amount of fat is left on the cap, ensuring the steaks are portioned correctly Is an art, our guests have high expectations and Iqbal delivers. Once upon a time, Iqbal was the head chef in the best steak house in Dubai, we now have him guiding the grill section and contributing to Fire Lake’s success.”