CROWNE Plaza executive chef Rainer Mueller brings to the island's diners kitchen experience spanning 34 years.
Born in Germany in November 1958, chef Rainer built on his passion for cooking at a very early age.
He said: "I have always wanted to be a chef and started my career when I was 15."
Chef Rainer completed a three-year apprenticeship in Germany after serving in the military for a year in 1974.
He then moved across various hospitality names such Seehotel †berfahrt and Schlobhotel Kronberg in Germany, The Bell Inn in England, Seehotel Waldstatterhof in Switzerland and Cape Sun Hotel and The Cascades Hotel in South Africa.
In 1986, he changed focus to Asia accepting a position as executive chef at the Bankers Club in Taiwan.
He said: "My offer to go to Taiwan came at a time when the country was still pretty much closed to the outside world. It was also my first experience in Taiwan's regional cuisine.
"The professionalism of the Taiwanese people made it a very interesting working experience."
In Taiwan, chef Rainer met the love of his life and his wife of 22 years, Maria Rosario.
He then moved on to Malaysia as executive sous chef in the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.
He said: "It was a big step forward for me as it brought me to the five-star city business hotel arena. The tranquility of Malaysia and diversity will always be on my mind."
Chef Rainer made his Middle East debut in 1990 as executive sous chef at the Albilad Hotel Mšvenpick in Saudi Arabia, where he stayed for two years.
He then returned to The Cascades Hotel in South Africa for one year before going home to Germany in 1993.
For four years, chef Rainer managed his own business, Restaurant Peninsula in Dillingen Pachten, but he soon moved back to hotels.
He said: "I missed the lure of working with professional people in a big kitchen and all the challenges that go with it, so I decided to take an offer from Mšvenpick to join them in their property at the Red Sea Resort of El Gouna, Egypt.
"While there I was sent by the Mšvenpick head office in ZŸrich to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a month to train the kitchen staff of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal."
After three years chef Rainer took the opportunity to join the Sheraton Cairo Hotels, Towers and Casino.
Mšvenpick once again approached him for the company's Sharm El Sheikh branch, also in Egypt, Jolie Ville Mšvenpick Golf and Resort.
His stint there gave him the chance to prepare meals for several heads of state and important government delegations at various world meetings such as the Arab League Summit in 2003, the World Economic Forum conference in 2004 and the Peace Summit between Israel and Palestine in 2005.
After four years, he returned to the city as executive chef at the Sonesta Hotel and Casino, Cairo, before landing on the shores of the kingdom last June.
He said: "I feel Bahrain is a melting pot of cultures.
"My profession has taken me around and has let me experience first hand the cultural and gastronomical diversity of people... which I feel is an added blessing.
"The surprising amounts of culinary information I have learned through these journeys have made me a better chef."
Chef Rainer feels the most important ingredients in his kitchen are fresh vegetables and fish as well as chilled meat.
He said: "I feel food must not be over cooked or too decorative... it must be kept simple."
Chef Rainer is at present preparing a list of regional cuisines with daily themes including 'Tempura Delights' on Friday evenings, Friday Bubble Brunch, 'Indonesian Dream' on Wednesdays, 'Seafood Nights' every Tuesday and Thursday, 'Tandoori Nights' on Mondays, 'Italian Nights' every Sunday and 'Oriental Nights' every Saturday.
For the future, chef Rainer plans to settle down in Asia somewhere and maybe write a book on travel.
He lives in Juffair and has two daughters Samantha, 19, who is away at university and Stella, 12, a student at St Christopher's School.
l Chef Rainer shares one of his favourite recipes with GulfWeekly readers.
Stir fried crab with coconut milk and roasted pumpkin
Ingredients
2 pieces fresh medium size crab cleaned and cut
5gm sliced fresh ginger
5gm crushed garlic
10gm sliced white onion
2ml fish sauce
150ml coconut milk
40gm roasted pumpkin cubes
20gm string beans
1 cherry tomato
10 ml oil
freshly grounded black pepper and salt
Suggested side-dish: Steamed jasmine rice
Procedure:
Stir fry cleaned crab pieces in a wok. Add sliced ginger, onion, garlic and string beans. Add coconut milk and fish sauce and then add the roasted pumpkin cubes... season with pepper and salt. Simmer for approximately five minutes before arranging on the platter.
