Chef of the Month: Darius Seitfudem

I have made it my goal to focus on the finest produce, which guests will travel for, rather than the usual items filling up space

As the Executive Chef at Chatrium Hotels & Residences, Darius Seitfudem plays a pivotal role in overseeing the operations of the group's flagship hotel in Bangkok, featuring 562 rooms, suites, and four F&B outlets. His responsibilities encompass managing business operations, controlling inventory, and ensuring top-notch customer service.

With 19 years of comprehensive experience working across Europe, Australia, South East Asia, and the Middle East, he has developed strong organizational, leadership, and management skills, as well as a passion for culinary excellence and creativity. He has worked in 5-star hotels and Michelin Star-awarded restaurants, collaborating with European Michelin Star chefs, holding royal private dinners, and implementing successful promotions and marketing campaigns. His mission is to deliver exceptional dining experiences to guests, while maintaining high food quality standards and health code regulations.

What is your goal for the success of Chatrium Grand Bangkok's F&B?

My goal is to position Chatrium Grand Bangkok as one of the best dining destinations in Bangkok, successfully competing alongside the city’s most acclaimed restaurants. We want to provide our hotel guests and local residents with the perfect place to dine for every occasion, from business lunches and family dinners to couples’ meals and life’s most special moments. We also hope to attract international visitors, who may not be staying at our hotel but have heard of our reputation for culinary excellence.

What is the one thing you think people come back to your restaurants?

There are several factors that keep guests coming back to dine at Chatrium Grand Bangkok. One of the main elements is the sheer luxuriousness of the weekend brunches and dinners at Savio. Diners are enticed by the unlimited selection of luscious Canadian lobster, silky-smooth foie gras, tender Australian wagyu beef, heavenly haranaka tuna, and many more premium imported ingredients that are cooked to perfection. I have made it my goal to focus on the finest produce, which guests will travel for, rather than the usual items filling up space that are likely to go to waste. Our unique Chinese Sunday Brunch is also very attractive, as it gives us a point-of-difference and helps to attract discerning Asian diners.

What are your challenges when it comes to opening outlets that are so close to such a significant dining area such as Siam district?

Of course, Siam is a popular culinary district with a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from casual street food to fine dining. But we like to think that Chatrium Grand Bangkok is complementing this vibrant culinary scene and providing something that is unique to the market. As previously mentioned, Savio’s focus on showcasing luxurious ingredients gives us a point-of-difference and helps to attract diners from across the city. Bangkok is a wonderful culinary city, where world-class gastronomy can be found on almost every street corner. We simply need to carve our own unique niche and have confidence that, by staying true to our principles of offering high-quality cuisine at a competitive price, we will keep guests coming back.

Do you have any specific milestones to set up for the restaurants at Chatrium Grand Bangkok?

I try not to set specific milestones for our restaurants. Instead, I go into every day striving to achieve excellence and create the best possible dining experiences for our guests. The ultimate goal is to be recognised by the Bangkok community as one of the city’s best dining destinations, and looking further ahead, it would be nice to gain a reputation among international visitors, and to make Chatrium Grand Bangkok a destination-of-choice for culinary enthusiasts visiting Thailand.

What is your favorite thing about your day as a chef?

As a chef, every day is unique and brings exciting new challenges. I love working together with my brilliant team of chefs and creating great memories for all our guests, young and old. This is a highly exhilarating and rewarding profession and I am grateful to have the opportunity to demonstrate my passion for food.

What is your advice to those talents who are striving to become a chef in hotels?

I would advise every young chef to keep learning; follow great chefs, discover new flavours and learn new cooking techniques. Being a chef is not just a job; it is a passion that requires hard work and long hours. Most importantly, never give up on your dreams. You will have setbacks, but if you keep learning and striving to improve, you will succeed.

Visit Darius Seitfudem at Chatrium Hotels & Residences