Executive Chef Hany Ali is at the helm of Europa Village, an innovative destination wine resort in Temecula Wine Country. Europa Village offers the charm and character of Europe, transporting guests to the traditional villages of Spain, France and Italy. Chef Ali also hosts The Europa Table Culinary Club, which offers members a quarterly culinary experience where he creates a themed box of culinary tools and ingredients and a tutorial to cook at home. Learn about Executive Chef Hany Ali…
Follow at: @europavillage
Hometown: Hurghada, Egypt
First job: At the age of 14, I began my culinary journey at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hurghada as a dishwasher and then slowly became an apprentice under their executive chef.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: Golfing! You can find me on any golf course, anytime. My favorite golf course is Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach. I also love spending time with my family in and around Newport Beach.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: One of my biggest accomplishments was my two years in the international management training program with Four Seasons. The program helped shape me into the chef that I am today. Hospitality became engraved in my DNA and my ultimate passion.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Moving to the United States and realizing that the units of measurement were completely different in Egypt than in the USA. I thought I had some decent culinary skills under my belt in Egypt, but when I came to America, I had to basically start from scratch and reteach myself the American metric system. Hopefully, I don’t need to move to another country again where the metric system is different; otherwise, I’d be starting my career all over again.
Someone who inspires you and why: Chef Anthony Bourdain. His story is my story. Chef Anthony Bourdain started out as a dishwasher, just like me. He was never afraid to wash dishes, get his hands dirty and be a part of a team. Just as Anthony Bourdain started out, I started out at the very bottom and worked my way to the very top. If you work hard, it will pay off, no matter how or where you start.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: There are three pieces of advice that I’d like offer young and upcoming culinarians. One – you should always follow your passion. Never stop giving 100 percent. If you’re doing your work from the heart, people will understand, and they will feel the love and passion through the food that you make. Two – never stop learning. There is always something new to learn and to teach yourself. Three – work clean! If you want to become a chef, this is key! It’s important to constantly clean your knives, your workspace, your table, everything! A clean workspace says a lot about what kind of chef you are.
Favorite quote: “I think that you’ve got to make something that pleases you and hope that other people feel the same way.” – Thomas Keller
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I used to be a backup dancer from the age of 17 to 21.
What makes someone fabulous: Someone who is kind and never afraid of what challenges they may face. A fabulous person is willing to take risks.