DUBAI: As executive chef of Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, Nelson Amorim is leading the culinary operations of one of Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious luxury hospitality projects. The Portuguese chef oversees six dining outlets, in-villa and destination dining experiences, and a brigade of more than 60 staff in one of the Kingdom’s most remote resorts.
Amorim’s career has taken him across Portugal, Macau, Hong Kong, Thailand, Egypt and now Saudi Arabia. His resume includes Michelin-starred kitchens and high-profile luxury openings. Before joining Six Senses Southern Dunes in 2024, he served as head chef at Mare Social in Cairo, a contemporary restaurant concept created by acclaimed Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa.
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
Seasoning. It takes time to understand how to season properly food. Under-seasoning or over-seasoning is a common mistake.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Keep the kitchen organized so you have enough space to work in. This can set the stage for the whole meal preparation. Whenever one of my friends or family asks me to cook at their place, I normally find the kitchen has very little space to work in. Keeping things tight reduces stress.
What’s one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
Lemon juice. Acidity can cut though fattiness or too much richness and balance flavors instantly.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
It depends on what type of restaurant I go to. Normally, I’m just looking to enjoy it, not to find mistakes. I’m always looking to find value for money. I’ve had meals that cost me $20 and I’ve considered them expensive. On the other side, I’ve had meals that cost $400 and I’ve considered them great value. The more you pay, the more you expect, and if the criteria are not aligned, then you’ll be looking into the details.
What’s your favorite cuisine or dish to order?
I like to try different things. I’m open to different cuisines, but if I could pick only one, I would have to go with Mediterranean cuisine, because it’s with what I grew up with.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
When time is limited, I like to cook stews. You only need to cut the ingredients and it only uses one pot.
What by customer behavior most annoys you?
I’m very flexible with special requests and my team has to follow the same philosophy, which is: “Unless it’s impossible, we will do it.” I’m also not the kind of chef that gets upset if guests want their meat well done. Customers are paying for a service, and they should get what they like. If someone enjoys their steak well done, then what’s the problem? The only thing that I don’t like is when costumers are rude to our people. This is unacceptable for me. Nothing can justify it.
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
I enjoy barbeques of any type. There’s something romantic and primitive about cooking with fire in a relaxed atmosphere.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
The most difficult things are normally the simpler ones. Everyone knows how to make French fries, but think about when you go to a place and the French fries are not crispy, or they’re oily? Immediately you’d say, “I can do better at home.” That’s bad news for any restaurant.
How does being part of a team influence the way you work?
Having a positive, high energy and motivated team will help ease the pain of hard work and long hours. And even if you have some people on your team who aren’t on the same page, they’ll be influenced to start behaving the same. That’s why, for me, the most important part of this job is building a team with different individuals and personalities who come together as one.
Chef nelson’s Tomatoes & Berries Salad (2 Portions)
Salad
120gr Heirloom Tomatoes (or 2 or 3 varieties of fresh & seasonal tomatoes)
20 gr Fresh Blueberries
20gr Fresh Strawberries
5ml Apple Cider Vinegar
7ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt Flakes
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Wash & cut the tomatoes & the strawberries in chunks. Wash & cut in half the fresh blueberries. Put it in a bowl and season with the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar & the sea salt flakes. Reserve aside.
Parsley “gazpacho”
100gr Fresh Parsley (including stems)
5ml Apple Cider Vinegar
7ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
50gr Green Apple
40gr Cucumber
10gr Onions
15gr Lemon Juice
Sea Salt
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Wash & cut all vegetables, herbs & fruits in big dices. Add all remaining ingredients and blend it until smooth. Check seasoning (if needs more salt or acidity). Pass it though a strainer to remove any lumps. Reserve aside.
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Za’atar Goat Cheese
50gr Goat Cheese
5gr Za’atar
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Mash the goat cheese with a fork. With your hands, make small balls with the goat cheese and coat them in the za’atar (can replace for other herbs or spices like oregano). Keep in the chiller.
Presentation
In bowl, add the tomatoes & berries salad. Poor the parsley gazpacho in it and display the goat cheese balls on top of it. Garnish with fresh herbs (or edible flowers). Throw some pickled onions in it for an additional probiotic & flavour boost!
