Abu Dhabi Week spoke to executive chef at Ornina, Victor Arijo, about the new tapas on offer and how his Spanish roots are influencing the menu.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Of course, my life in Spain is a huge influence on my cooking style. But I have worked in Michelin star restaurants in England and in Spain where the chefs were French, German, English, Spanish – they came from all over the world. Also every time I travel I make a real point of tasting all the foods from the area.
So tell us about the new menu?
We are going to launch two different menus. Downstairs, we are going to have more traditional tapas in comparison to the upstairs restaurant where the cuisine will be more sophisticated. Downstairs will show a blend of traditional Spanish tapas and some Arabic influences, separate from the bar food menu so there is no confusion. Upstairs we have worked on a menu where all the tapas plates come out at once.
As an executive chef, what is your role in the kitchen?
It can be easy for an executive chef to sit back and watch the meals get prepared by the other chefs. But I really like to get involved. I don’t want to forget how to cook! It’s also really important that I make sure the high standard I expect of every dish is maintained. For me the most important thing is to keep the customers happy and keep them coming back again and again.
Ever had any special requests in the kitchen?
Yes there have been a few! But we always try to accommodate the customer as much as we can. If something isn’t on the menu and they request it, we try our best to create it.
Do you have a signature dish?
Well the tuna ajo blanco, which is on the menu, is from my region of Spain in Andalucia. My mother would make it and it’s very nice.
… is hers better than yours?
Er, yes I think it’s much better! Her culinary skills aren’t as good as mine but she puts so much love into it, even the best skilled chefs can’t be as good. Especially when eating at home with your friends and family, this is what tapas is all about.
