French Celebrity Chef Speaker Abdellah Aguenaou has been in the food industry since his humble beginnings working at his family’s restaurant in Rabat, Morocco. When he moved to France for education in engineering, Aguenaou simultaneously began his education in the culinary world as well, working nights in restaurants in Paris where classic French cooking quickly became his passion.

Celebrity Chef Speaker Abdellah Aguenaou’s culinary career started when he was accepted into the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and began traveling to New York City between classes to work for free at such prestigious restaurants as Le Cirque, L’espinasse and Windows of the World. An externship took him to Scottsdale, Arizona where he worked under the acclaimed chef, Alessandro Stratta at the five-star Mary Elaine restaurant located at the Phoenician Resort. Working under Chef Stratta in the five-star kitchen, Aguenaou learned everything there is to know about fine foods. He took his experience and newfound knowledge to the Marriott Wardman Park hotel where he worked his way up in the kitchen, eventually transitioning to executive chef at the prestigious restaurant, Café Promenade, located in the Mayflower Renaissance Washington, DC.

In 2010, Chef Abdellah hosted Bravo’s Celebrity Chef Tour, cooking with finalists of the series Top Chef, celebrity chefs, Richard Blais, Carla Hall, CJ Jacobson, and Fabio Viviani at the Mayflower Renaissance for an event benefitting the James Beard Foundation. The James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner Series brought the experience of dining at New York’s James Beard House to the attendees in Washington, DC.