From ocean to plate: Chef Arafat’s seafood revolution at DoubleTree Qatar

Published: 17 October 2024

Every Thursday night, DoubleTree by Hilton hosts a seafood buffet that showcases Chef Muhammad Arafat’s creativity and Qatar’s deep love for seafood.

By Godwin Isaac K

In Qatar, seafood is more than just a meal; it’s a celebrated culinary tradition that resonates deeply with the nation’s culture and coastal geography. With its rich maritime heritage, Qatar boasts an abundance of fresh fish and shellfish, making seafood a staple on local tables.

DoubleTree by Hilton captures the essence of Qatar’s love for the ocean’s bounty, merging local flavours with international flair. In the bustling kitchen of the DoubleTree, Chef Muhammad Arafat stands at the top, showcasing his diverse experiences from around the globe. With nearly 16 years of professional cooking, Arafat has transformed his early dreams into a vibrant reality, blending flavours and techniques from various cultures onto the plate.

Arafat’s culinary journey began in Sri Lanka, where he enrolled in hotel school in 2008. Speaking to News Trail, he said, “After working for three years in my home country, I moved to the Middle East. I applied for a job in Qatar at Salam Hospitality, a fine-dining restaurant. It’s a multi-cuisine establishment with two Michelin-star chefs, so I had a great opportunity to work with one of them.”

After moving to Bahrain for three years, Chef Arafat returned to Qatar and joined Hilton DoubleTree. “I took this job as a challenge because Hilton is well-known, with more than 6,000 properties around the world. It is now my responsibility to maintain those standards amidst a growing local market,” he admits.
Every Thursday night, the hotel hosts a seafood buffet, a beloved event that showcases Arafat’s creativity and highlights Qatar’s deep love for seafood. “I update the menu based on the preferences of our guests,” he explains.

“The seafood buffet stands out for its live cooking stations, where guests can choose from a variety of fresh fish, lobsters, shrimp, and calamari. Guests can tell us how they’d like it prepared; more or less spice etc, we ensure that each dish resonates with the nationalities represented in the dining room. I can guarantee that our guests will leave satisfied,” Arafat adds.

Every day, he serves guests from various nationalities, including Europeans, Indians, and Arabs, adjusting his dishes to match their tastes while maintaining the hotel’s high standards.

One of the hotel’s most popular dishes is the Salmon Populaire, which exemplifies Arafat’s creative approach to traditional cuisine. This dish features a perfectly seared salmon fillet, served with fresh spinach and a rich lemon butter sauce.

Another highlight is the Beef Stroganoff, a classic dish reimagined with his unique touch, incorporating a medley of mushrooms. Other best-selling dishes include the Beef Rib-eye and American-style burgers.
Arafat leads a diverse kitchen staff of 27 across three outlets, with 17 working directly under him, representing seven different nationalities. “They are the real heroes in the kitchen. I trust them, and we’ve built a great team together,” he says.

Discussing the challenges he faces, he states, “Most of our ingredients come from outside Qatar, which sometimes puts us in a situation where an item is unavailable due to shipment delays. In those cases, I go to the supermarket and buy it myself, because I never want to be in a situation where I cannot feed my guests.”

The DoubleTree by Hilton in Qatar welcomes guests from various nationalities, necessitating a careful balance of different cuisines. During breakfast, the hotel adheres to Hilton’s established standards while also catering to the diverse tastes of its guests, featuring options from Europe such as croissants, Danish pastries, smoked salmon, and sausages, alongside traditional Indian dishes like paratha, chapati, and pav bhaji.

Arafat’s cooking style leans towards French cuisine, yet he embraces a range of culinary expressions, from casual to fine dining. “Cooking runs in my family. My first job was as an electrician, but later I realized it wasn’t my passion. I took my brother’s advice, who is also in the culinary world, to pursue a career in cooking, inspired by my father, who has 30 years of experience as a chef,” he shares.

Currently, DoubleTree by Hilton has three F&B outlets and is planning to open a fourth a Mexican restaurant in the future. Right now, they have an American restaurant, an international restaurant, and a coffee shop.