02
October
2022
|
22:39
Europe/Amsterdam

JONAS MUNYANEZA, CHEF DE CUISINE AT ONE&ONLY GORILLA’S NEST

Chef Jonas is the Chef de Cuisine at One&Only Gorilla’s nest, a rare setting that combines refined glamour with the intense drama of the natural world, allowing guests to satisfy a once in a lifetime bucket list experience – following in the footsteps of majestic mountain gorillas. Jonas will join a team of passionate chefs who will create dishes that tell a new story of Rwanda every day of the year. Selected with care and attention, each dish boasts new culinary creations inspired by the seasonal produce that grows in abundance around the resort. In his new role at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, Chef Jonas will lead the charge in telling the story of authentic traditional Rwandan cuisine to the world.

Chef Jonas was born and raised in Gisenyi, Rwanda. He moved to Cape Town in 2005, where, inspired by the vibrant culinary scene of the city, he decided to forge his career in gastronomy.  After earning a qualification in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Hospitality, he commenced his career as a trainee chef at Blues Restaurant. Within a year, he had risen through the ranks to become Chef de Partie, and his expertise was then called upon to assist in the launch of renowned restaurant Carne SA as Head Chef. During his tenure, the restaurant won first place in the 2012 DSTV Eat out Awards for “Best Steakhouse” and also received notable mention within “The Wolftrap Best Steak house award in South Africa”. However, after spending over a decade at the helm of Carne, Jonas developed a yearning to return to his native country, to focus on and showcase the simple yet supremely unique flavours of Rwandan cuisine to the One&Only traveller.  

Chef Jonas is passionate about empowering the next generation of Chefs in Rwanda and in addition to reinvigorating the menus at Gorilla’s Nest, will be spearheading the Gorilla’s Nest Internship Program which will train and educate aspiring Chefs from the local community, providing them with the opportunity to receive one-to-one mentorship on their new career path.

In his free time, he loves to focus on his fitness, go for hikes and spend time with his family.

For more information or reservations, please visit: oneandonlyresorts.com