Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano, Egypt

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2005
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Chef de Partie, Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh

Employment History

• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh; Hyatt Regency Taba Heights, Sinai

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree, Hotel/Motel Administration/Management, Alexandria University

Birthplace

• Alexandria, Egypt

Languages Spoken

• Arabic, English

“It’s demanding and busy, with many different concepts to stay on top of,” says Wael Essam, describing the vast and varied dining operation he oversees as Executive Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano in Egypt. “There is quite a lot going on here, really, and I’m fortunate to be able to contribute to every part of it.”

Quite a lot, indeed. Located along a private beachfront on the Mediterranean, the Hotel has 11 food and beverage outlets, with a international range of offerings from an Asian lounge to an elegant Lebanese and Syrian dining room overlooking the sea, plus two Italian offerings including a café driven by bread and dough that is prepared fresh daily.

Appointed to his role in 2021, Essam had spent his career preparing it. “From the time I started studying the culinary arts, I always loved reading culinary books, going to restaurants, and following international chefs,” he recalls, explaining that was the only way for him to stay on top of new techniques. Over the years, he developed particular interests in Asian, Italian, and French, all of which is “proving quite useful now.”

Many of the cooks in the Hotel’s kitchen are in the same position he once was, and Essam aspires to inspire them. The team has about 90 people on the culinary side plus another 30 in stewarding. Most of them are Egyptian. He likes to focus on developing their talent and often does cooking classes for the entire kitchen. How do they go? “A lot of our younger cooks don’t have a background in hotel management; they’re only interested in becoming chefs. Through training, they can see the importance of both.”

Managing culinary operations includes being up front and accessible to patrons. Essam sees guest relations as one of his strengths, and agrees that part of the job for a head chef is to bring people into the experience. He is always happy to step into the dining room and detail what is on the menu, he says, adding that conversation is great way to give guests precisely what they want. “Understanding guests’ desires is key to exceeding their expectations. I like to think I’m good in this area, always proud to explain my food.”

Meantime, Essam believes that Egyptian cuisine deserves a higher profile, and that enhancing it with European gastronomic techniques such as sous vide is one way to get it there. He calls his approach to local cuisine “modern Arabic,” and he puts a lot of work into presentation. “Too often Egyptian chefs just put things on a plate. That’s not going to work for a generation that is always searching the Internet for new dishes to try.”

Essam got interested in cooking growing up in Alexandria, where he watched chefs on TV and his mother and grandmother in the home kitchen. After studying hotel management he got right to work for a big international hotel brand before joining Four Seasons in 2005 as a Chef de Partie in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

With its array of concepts and access to fresh seafood from the Red Sea, the Resort was an ideal destination for Essam to learn, grow, and put his passion for international cuisines to work. His efforts paid off as he rose step by step to Executive Chef in 2019.

Now right at home back in Alexandria, Essam is delighted to be at a property that caters to business travellers as well as weekenders and seasonal vacationers. Having a resort element opens a lot of opportunities for his team to go beyond typical hotel offerings, with everything from fine dining to barbecues on the private beach on the menu.

When not on the job, Essam likes to relax with fishing near his home in Alexandria or from a boat he keeps on the Mediterranean for group outings with friends. “I also have a few aquariums,” he says, noting three of various sizes that he maintains as a hobbyist: one for tropical fish, another for freshwater shrimp, and another for turtles age 13 years and counting. “They’re doing great.”