The executive chef of Via Mercato in Riyadh discusses the Saudi culinary scene and offers some cooking advice Pierre Haddad has cooked for the likes of Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck DUBAI: Lebanese chef Pierre Haddad is the executive chef at Riyadh’s Via Mercato — a luxury gourmet food hall he joined in March. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle “There is a revolution in the food and beverage market in Saudi Arabia,” he tells Arab News. “I love being part of it. It is booming, and it will boom even more. I wish nothing but the best for this country. We are all here for a mission to always deliver the best of the best for this country.” Before joining Via Mercato, Haddad worked in Lebanon, the UAE and Egypt. Along the way, he has served some of the biggest names in sports, including Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi.   “He is a very humble legend,” Haddad said. “I served him, his mother, his kids and his wife. I was very happy in the moment. I created dishes on the spot for him because he is someone very special to me. It was an unforgettable experience, and I can always mention it to my kids in the future. I am very proud.” Perhaps a more daunting challenge was serving virtuoso chef Wolfgang Puck, although Haddad says that Puck “loved” his food. “It was an honor for me to get such good compliments from a big chef like him,” he recalls. Here, Haddad discusses the importance of respect, passion and knives.  Q: When you started out as a professional, what was the most-common mistake you made when preparing a dish?  A: When you start as a chef, you are always passionate about it and you are always in a hurry to see results. But you must respect the recipe time, the ingredients and the procedure.  What’s your top tip for amateur chefs? Well, I always advise them to love what they do. If they don’t have the passion for it, they will not succeed. They also need to have good quality knives. What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish? Salt. I don’t mean iodized salt; I mean real salt. It enhances all the flavors. But you need to be careful of the dosage to create the perfect experience.  When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  Not the food, but I’m barely able to find a good server who can describe the food and be passionate about it. I get sad if the food comes and it’s delicious, but the server wasn’t able to explain it in the right way.   What’s your favorite cuisine? I like all kinds of food, but I love Italian. It’s so close to my culture, especially the pizza. I like to taste each element of a pizza: the dough, the sauce and the toppings. If the chef can hit all three elements and create a unique taste, then you know that the rest of the menu will be great.  What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home? I like cooking breakfast, especially eggs. I still wake up with the same passion and I like to be innovative and creative with the spices, condiments, and cheeses. It’s the start of the day, so when you do it right, your day will continue right.  What behavior by customers most annoys you? When they try to change something in the dishes. I’d like for them to try and understand my philosophy when making the dishes for them and why I put each item in a dish. I want them to enjoy every single bite, not just eat.   What’s your favorite dish to cook and why? I was always influenced by my mother. I spent a lot of time with her in the kitchen. I still remember the taste of her kibbeh nayeh. I can still remember the taste of it. It’s in my taste buds until now. It’s a mix of raw meat, bulgur and spices. My mom was the master of this dish. I was influenced by her to do it perfectly.   As a head chef, what are you like? If you’re not a disciplinarian, then you’re not a chef. We’re like an army; you should always lead by example. Sometimes I shout, so everyone can wake up and focus a bit, but I’m not always shouting at people. We need to give some love to the family that we work with — you spend more time with them than your actual family. You need to treat them like family, but at the same time know the limits. They need to cooperate, respect the recipe, respect the food and respect the guests. Lebanese chef Pierre Haddad’s carabineros carpaccio (Supplied) Ingredients: 1 piece carabineros carpaccio 50 g carabineros smoked roast garlic sauce 10 ml basil oil 10 g yuzu caviar 5 g caviar oscietra 10 leaves micro greens 3 pieces craquant Carabineros smoked roast garlic sauce: 100 g smoked roasted garlic 1 piece carabinero shrimp 10 ml basil oil 1 pinch salt maldon 1 pinch black pepper 60 g kewpie mayo 5 ml white balsamic 1 pinch piment d’espelette Sauce instructions: Cut 0.5 cm from the top of the garlic glove and wrap each one with aluminum foil and cook in the oven on 180*c for 20 minutes. Remove, from oven take off the aluminum foil and squeeze the garlic so you have the pulp. Blanch the carabineros in boiled water for 30 seconds, place in ice bath. In a blender place all ingredients together and blend until you have a smooth blend. Platting instructions: Peel the carabinero shrimp, keep the tail hanged, with a knife open the back end to end very carefully. Tenderize the shrimp very gently covering it with parchment paper. Place the shrimp in the bowl. Dots the carabinero sauce in an unsymmetrical way. Place the caviar gently with caviar spoons Add the yuzu caviar near the caviar oscitera. Garnish it with craquant & sakura mix, and drizzle some basil oil. Place the carabinero head on the side of the plate for garnishing. -ADVERTISEMENT-