Romain Mejecaze has been appointed as director of food and beverage

French national Romain Mejecaze and Syrian native Saleh Ali Jalis have been appointed as director of food and beverage and Arabic chef de cuisine, respectively, of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, announced Pep Lozano, general manager of the luxury waterfront resort.

Romain Mejecaze, who joined The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi in July 2012 as assistant director of food and beverage, was instrumental to the successful opening of the luxury resort’s ten food and beverage offerings while driving talent acquisition and training efforts, overseeing supplier relations and setting up operational standards. With his promotion to the position of director of food and beverage, Mr. Mejecaze will continue to focus on these key areas as well as further developing his property’s extensive meeting and event facilities and outside catering services.

Before joining The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Mr. Mejecaze successfully managed a team of over 300 employees at the One&Only Royal Mirage resort in Dubai as an assistant food and beverage manager, and had served as a restaurant manager at the same property prior to that. Mr. Mejecaze started his professional career in various culinary positions in his native France and after working for several years in the US and the Caribbean, eventually moved to Scotland where he joined banquets operations team at the acclaimed Gleneagles Hotel in a managerial role. An avid athlete with a passion for travel and great food, Mr. Mejecaze holds a Professional High School Diploma from Lycee Hotelier Professionel Quercy, France with a major in Restaurants and Table Art.

Saleh Ali Jalis is the new chef de cuisine at Mijana, the signature Lebanese restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, effective October 1st, 2013. Mr. Jalis comes from The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai where he made a name for himself as one of the leading regional cuisine chefs while being at the helm of the Arabic restaurant Amaseena. Recognized for his passion for authentic Arabic food, he was selected as a culinary trainer to assist with the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi where he was involved in menu development and training. 

Prior to moving to the UAE, Mr. Jalis spent six years with the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he started as a cook and rose through the ranks to the position of junior sous chef. Mr. Jalis studied hospitality at the Hotel and Tourism Training Centre as well as taking a professional cookery course from Hotelier School, both in Damascus, Syria. His hobbies include watching movies, swimming and reading.

Adjacent to the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and set amidst beautifully landscaped gardens with its own private beach, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal features 447 luxurious guest rooms and suites, as well as 85 private one- and two-bedroom villas, 10 striking restaurants and lounges, a state-of-the-art health club, and one of the largest outdoor swimming pools in the region.