How did you get started in cooking?
I started cooking when I was 13 years old. My father and mother were always cooking, and they both had kitchens, and another outside because my dad loves outdoors. I have brothers and sisters who are chefs in the United States. I started when I went to visit them, and they got me into cooking. I definitely enjoy it.

What’s special about Pampano?
Doha is a nice place. This restaurant I love so much, and I love the terrace outside. It’s small, but I think it’s perfect for me because I consider it the best view at the Pearl-Qatar. It’s wonderful because we’re changing the mind of the people, what they thought of Mexican food. Everyone usually just thinks Tex Mex, so this is something I’m really proud of. Sometimes, yeah, I want cheese on top of this, like an enchilada or something, but we totally break the stereotype of Mexican cuisine.

What was it like winning Best Restaurant?
It was amazing. We’d been working so hard, my teammates and myself, so it was surprising, but I think we deserved it. When they announced that this restaurant had won, some guys came up to us and said they agreed. And we beat some of the big hotels – they have been here longer than us, and they have the experience in years of developing five-star restaurants. Actually, all the managers from here are from the big hotels, and they were like, wow! They were shocked.

So, why do you think you won? What is it that makes Pampano the best restaurant in the city?
Because we really take care of the small details in every single dish that we make. And then I keep my people motivated. We try to keep music on in the back, we try to be very careful with the consistency, the quality, with the freshest seafood we can get, and just break the rules a little bit. I tell them to be creative, let’s do this, let’s do that, it’s a happy kitchen. I think it’s the soul of the restaurant, so if you make them happy you can taste it.