Name:	Dinoo Fonseka
Age:	31
Nationality:	Sri Lankan
Position:	Sous Chef, Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

"I joined Al Maha in 1999 as the Senior Chef de Parti, which is one position under Sous Chef. I had previously been working for the Hilton chain in Colombo so I was coming from the city. It was very different. When you first come to Al Maha, it is amazing. Unique.

Working at Al Maha is a great experience. You learn a lot. They are really concerned about each individual guest and their food preferences, so if they come back to Al Maha we will know what they like. You have that kind of attention to detail here. We don't have set menus either, so every day is different. I have never seen so many different ingredients in my entire life.

There is only about 140 staff at Al Maha and you get nationalities from all over here. It's not tough; it's a small community you work with so it is like a family. It's a privilege to work with so many cultures.

As my job is so customer-related, I get a lot of customer satisfaction as I get feedback immediately. All I have to do is just walk to the customer's table and ask.

There is always some kind of training programme available, so if you feel weak in a certain area, or if you want to get to know another cuisine, then you can see if there is an opportunity to improve. I was sent to England to work in one of London's fine dining restaurants as part of my training. And I got promoted in April."