MENA House’s ‘Moghul Room’ Just Got a New Chef

Moghul Room at Marriott Mena House knows how to set a scene: parquet floors, gilded chairs,
and a straight shot of the Pyramids from your paneer. It’s a Cairo classic, long celebrated for its
legacy of authentic Indian cuisine - the kind steeped in tandoor smoke, tempered spices, and
time-tested gravies that don’t pander to the faint of palate.

And now, Chef Manoj Nautiyal is taking that legacy and dialling it up.

He’s worked in kitchens across Delhi, Dubai, Nairobi, and Cairo. He’s led brigades. He’s served
dignitaries. But more importantly, he’s got an internal spice compass that doesn’t miss. What he
brings is refinement, not reinvention - a deeper precision to flavours that have always been at
Moghul Room’s core.

The tandoor turns out char with real consequence. The gravies land with purpose - sour, heat,
funk, fat. A new Lucknow-style lamb is simmered until it collapses; fish steeped in tamarind and
coconut arrives glossy and bright. Even the dal - silky, earthy, impossible to stop eating - feels
like it’s had its technique tightened, not tampered with.

In 2021, Nautiyal was formally recognized by the Egyptian Chefs Association - a tidy line for the
CV. But the more convincing proof might be in the growing number of locals booking a second
dinner.