Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi has appointed Jennie Lorenzo to the position of chef de cuisine, overseeing Nautilus, where she will be responsible for the entire kitchen of Abu Dhabi’s favourite fine dining seafood restaurant, as well as its re-invention and innovation.

With a career spanning of 14 years, Lorenzo has worked in some of the world’s toughest kitchens and renowned chefs.

For a young chef, Lorenzo has built on a solid reputation for her artisanal and seasonal cuisine, and has chosen to perfect her skill in a style of cuisine sometimes referred to as ‘Inventive Cuisine’.

Lorenzo arrives in her new home at Yas Viceroy, fresh from an explorative year of travel where she has honed her skills at some of the world’s culinary hotspots.

She undertook several stagiaires; spending time in the kitchens of celebrity and Michelin starred chefs.

Her travels and experiences exposed her palate to new taste profiles and triggered new ideas, adding to her personal library of taste, sense and memory.

While she feels that the ingredients’ source is very important, it’s what the chef does with the ingredients that allow them to, in her words, “achieve a balance of flavour with an element of surprise”.

“The year I took off from cooking I spent, besides staging, dining at top restaurants as well as savouring street foods and eat at obscure hole-in-the-wall places,” explained Lorenzo.

“It is a discovery of how people eat and what chefs cook at every level.  It’s exploring and discovering ingredients and tasting unique and subtle nuances of flavour that inspires some of my dishes.”

Lorenzo has been part of three teams to be awarded one Michelin Star in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Heiner Werdeling, general manager of Yas Viceroy commented: “Yas Viceroy is extremely excited to bring such a well established international chef to Nautilus. Jennie is a fantastic addition to our new food and beverage executive team.

“Her experience with some of the world’s leading chefs will serve her well as she will be personally responsible for the re-launch of Nautilus over the summer months.”