West Coast flavours at Discover America Week

The Discover America Week brings a smorgasbord of American culture for the local audience to witness and experience. And cuisine is one of them. Guest chef Andy Arndt has come down all the way from the US West Coast to create Taste of California at Marriott Marquis City Centre Doha.
US ambassador Dana Shell Smith officially opened the Taste of America celebrations in the award-winning New York Steakhouse yesterday. “We are excited to celebrate Taste of America here at the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha in an authentic American steakhouse. It perfectly sets the tone for the week-long activities, providing an American culinary and cultural journey here in Qatar,” said the ambassador at the opening ceremony.
The Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel joins the second annual celebration of Discover America Week being held between February 15-22 this year, in co-operation with the US embassy in Qatar, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the Orange County Visitors Association, California.
As part of the celebrations, the hotel has partnered with Orange County Visitors Association and Qatar Airways, bringing in guest chef Andy Arndt from the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. He will be creating a true Taste of California in the New York Steakhouse.
Chef Arndt will also host a special Californian Vino Dinner on February 17. Guests can indulge in a four-course set menu featuring Californian delicacies. On February 20, guests can join for an exclusive cooking class, learning how to prepare popular Californian dishes.
“We are proud to participate in this prestigious celebration. It provides an exciting opportunity to partner with one of our sister properties, bringing the culinary marvels from California to our award-winning New York Steakhouse,” said Andreas Wissdorf, General Manager. “We are excited to welcome chef Arndt and we look forward to showcasing the best of Californian cuisine to our guests”, he added.
Chef Arndt has long years of experience and will play a critical role in bringing the flavours of West Coast to the shores of Doha. He first started working in a kitchen at the age of 14. While attending the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Arndt worked at Boulevard with chef Nancy Oakes who taught him the importance of focusing on the seasonal ingredients abundant in the area.
In 1998, Arndt accepted a position at San Francisco’s award-winning Mc2 with chef Yoshi Kojima, who helped him develop and execute his French-Californian cuisine inflicted with subtle Japanese elements.
Chef Arndt left the West Coast for New York City, where he embarked on a series of stages with the city’s leading chefs. Chef Arndt was then hired as chef de cuisine at Halcyon Restaurant at the Rihga Royal Hotel where he managed a kitchen of 40 staff and received some of the restaurant’s best critical reviews.
While he was executive chef at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, the resort acquired a Five Diamond AAA Rating. He has a large focus on fresh seasonal ingredients and the farm-to-table mentality native to his location.
Discover America Week Qatar 2016 is an annual series of events celebrating the US-Qatar partnership. This joint effort between the US embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar will highlight American business and innovation, travel, food, music, fashion, art, education and culture.
The week-long series of events will offer information on investing in the United States, revive nostalgic memories about the pop legend Elvis Presley, showcase authentic US arts and fashion, encourage travel and education in the United States and highlight American brands in Qatar.