Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2023
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Current

Employment History

• OTORO Modern Japanese, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Monsoon Restaurant, Bahrain; Catch Restaurant & Lounge, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Benihana Restaurant at JW Marriot, Pattaya, Thailand; Pinehurst Golf Club, Pathum Thani, Thailand

Education

• Safe Steps Part 1-2 – Ecolab; Intermediate Food Safety; Thai–Swiss Culinary Education Center, Bangkok; 4th Year Service Certificate - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; PIC Level 3 Training by Dubai Municipality.

Birthplace

• Maharasakham, Thailand

Languages Spoken

• Thai and English

Driven by a fiery creativity, Chef Wattana Lai-On’s’s dazzling 25-year career has its roots in his Thai childhood. Watching his mother cooking for the family with a sense of flair and fun instilled a culinary curiosity in the young Wattana and inspired him to set his sights on hospitality.

With a clear vision in mind, Chef Wattana studied at Thai-Swiss Culinary Education Center in Bangkok before setting off on a globe-trotting adventure that has seen him create in prestigious hotels and restaurants from Macau to Bahrain. While he’s always on a mission to evolve his craft, he never forgets where it all started: “My roots are what helped me branch out and hone my art around the world.”

Chef Wattana’s first roles as commis sushi chef then teppanyaki chef nurtured a defining love for the art of Japanese cuisine. Mentorship with Japanese master sushi chef Nobu Yamazaki was an education in the technicalities of sushi - its perfect preparation and precise knife techniques - as well as the heart and passion that lies in such careful creativity. His early career clarified the most important factor of all, an ethos he stands by today: “I always knew I was meant to feed people and put a smile on their faces with the food I serve,” he explains.

From China to Cyprus and across the Gulf, Chef Wattana has been dedicated to sharing the vibrant Asian food scene with as many people as possible. Working as head chef in award-winning restaurants, including Michelin-starred OTORO Modern Japanese, Abu Dhabi, has allowed him to pioneer his vision alongside nurturing his team.

With graceful leadership cultivated over two and a half decades, Chef Wattana takes a conductor-like approach to inspiring unified collaboration between departments for a harmonious outcome. “It takes a well-synchronised orchestra to indulge people with a great performance,” he smiles.

It’s these shared values of creativity and care, vision and vibrancy that make Chef Wattana and Sintoho at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya – with its sky-high views and innovative Asian cuisine - such an exciting match. Thrilled to begin a new chapter at Four Seasons, Chef Wattana shares his culinary art with Kuwaiti gourmands through signature dishes such as yellowtail carpaccio with sliced yellowtail tuna, jalapeno, green chili and leche tigre dressing.

When he’s not perfecting his presentation, Chef Wattana loves relaxing with music and exploring new places, including seeking out Kuwait City’s hidden gems. And with cooking a family passion - his wife is also a chef and the eldest of his three daughters is at culinary college - there’s always good food on the menu at home.