The Man behind “Moorish Fusion Cuisine”

Chef Zouhair Zairi, a Moroccan born headed for America at the tender age of 19 with a dream of pursuing his passion “culinary art”. His first job was washing dishes in a Mediterranean restaurant in Atlanta, but after a while, his responsibilities were increased lending him the opportunity to learn all aspects of the business. After a while and many sacrifices in his career, Zouhair’s skills and eye for food presentation led him to a rewarding career in the hospitality/culinary industry.

In 2002, Zouhair became the executive chef and director of his own restaurant, Spices in Maui. It was named Best New Restaurant by Maui No Ka ‘Oi Magazine. In 2004, Zouhair earned the coveted Culinary Excellence Award from the JW Marriott Resort & Spa and a Certificate of Appreciation from the White House.

With his extensive training and experiences throughout various regions of the country, Chef Zouhair relied heavily upon memories of his mother’s and grandmother’s fare in his youth letting to this ground-breaking cookbook “Moorish Fusion Cuisine” where he introduces a unique approach to a mouth-watering ancient gastronomy and represents a personal homage onto the Moorish cuisine of his  homeland.

“My approach is to showcase the ingredients that keep it simple. I have a knack of combining herbs and spices and transforming them into complex, aromatic blends that I sprinkle onto meat, poultry, and fish. I enjoy using traditional ingredients, like rose petals, orange blossom water, and precious argan oil, in new ways. I add rose water to my vinaigrettes, which adds a beautiful fragrance and is soothing to the palace.” He was quoted saying

Now at the age of forty, Zouhair has become full circle. Having accomplished his dream of becoming a success in the culinary world. His greatest joy is spending time at home with his wife and two sons in beautiful Maui, while creating and sharing new culinary delights with home cooks.