Barack Obama’s former favourite chef reveals big plans for Queens Wharf restaurants

He’s cooked for world leaders, but now this king of the kitchen is taking on his most challenging role yet – in Brisbane.

A former chef to ex-US president Barack Obama is set to undertake the mammoth task of rolling out 50 new restaurants in Brisbane’s highly anticipated $3.6b Queens Wharf development.

Uday Huja has been recruited as The Star Brisbane’s new director of culinary, responsible for launching the smorgasbord of bars and eateries in the riverfront entertainment resort precinct, including a lavish sky deck that is sure to attract international attention.

Chef Uday Huja reveals his big plans for Queens Wharf as new culinary director of the $3.6m leisure destination. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The kitchen whiz said cooking a state dinner at the White House for Barack Obama was nothing compared to his monster new role.

“Queens Wharf has been coming out of the ground for eight years and everyone has been watching so to say that the expectations are high is an understatement and we now need to deliver,” Mr Huja said.

While there would be plenty to be nervous about, the kitchen whiz said he was “excited” for the challenge and wanted to put Brisbane well and truly on the map.

“What we really want to do is feature the best of Queensland and the local Brisbane spirit,” he said.

“We really want to create a memory for those guests who visit and we want them to think, ‘What an amazing place this is’.”

Mr Huja said the key to that would be the service, with the chef keen to implement a three month training program for all staff, while also bringing theatre back into the hospitality experience.

“I think in hospitality, theatre has sometimes been forgotten,” he said. “Dining shouldn’t be transactional, it should be an experience, so we would really like to bring that back by interacting with our guests and potentially introducing trolley service.”

To ensure the development has the best staff possible, Mr Huja is on a hiring spree across Queensland, and will also visit Dubai to recruit potential expats who are at the top of their game in the UAE.

the Queens Wharf restaurant precinct will be rolled out in two phases, with the first phase scheduled to kick off in April with the opening of up to 22 new food and beverage establishments, including a high end Japanese, a glam Italian restaurant, steak and seafood venues, and a Vietnamese offering from celebrity chef Luke Nguyen.