What is your full name and age?
Jakub Mares, 38.
What is your current position?
Executive Chef Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa and Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas.
How long have you lived in Hua Hin or been coming to Hua Hin?
It will be two years in Hua Hin next week, and 10 years altogether between Thailand and Malaysia.
What did you know about Hua Hin before you moved here?
I knew it as a getaway destination and I came here a few times on weekend trips.
What do you like most about your profession?
Creating memories for guests and for my team. Most of my closest friends are people I’ve met in the hospitality business around the globe over the past 20 years.
What do you like least about your profession?
Hahaha! There can’t be much, otherwise I would have changed to another sector already.
What do you like most about Hua Hin?
Being fulltime at the seaside makes me feel like I’m always on holiday. I grew up in Carlsbad, Czech Republic, where the nearest coast was about 1000km away.
What is your favorite restaurant and why? (please don’t promote your own restaurants)
A little place in Tamarind Market in Cha-Am serving great roast pork and pork ribs and lots of local noodle shops.
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
Spend time with my family, eating, playing golf and relaxing with friends and colleagues over a beer.
What would you recommend to new-comers to do in Hua Hin and why?
Just relax and enjoy a great destination with fab food, markets, golf courses and lots more.
Tell us a surprising fact that people might not know about you?
I love scuba diving. Back home in Central Europe we don’t have any clear seas to dive in. All we have are lakes, dams and rivers where you have to use dry suits because the water’s so cold. The water’s also very dark so visibility can be 0 cm while the temperature of the water can be 0 degrees. Scuba diving here in the warm, clear waters of Thailand is much more fun.
What is the most outlandish thing you have ever done and why?
There are some things I would rather not mention! However, this story might relate to the topic. Two years ago, I was invited to a large Indian wedding in London to take care of their Italian food. As a Czech guy, it was quite surprising being flown all the way to London from Bangkok just to cook. But much more outstanding than that was when I proposed to my wife in Central Park, New York