Award-winning celebrity chef Asif Syed has found a new culinary home in Southwest Florida a year and a half after his beloved restaurant 21 Spices closed in East Naples.
Syed has been working on the Atlantic coast of Florida for the past year, introducing new modern Indian cuisine to Ayre by Karma, a restaurant at the Amrit Ocean Resort on Singer Island. But now he’s made his grand return to the Gulf Coast.
Syed has joined the Signia Hilton Naples Grande Beach Resort as its director of culinary, bringing over 20 years of experience to the role. His responsibilities include overseeing the resort’s culinary program as a whole as it enters a new era this winter.
The “King of Spice” isn’t just a Naples legend, but a Food Network champion as well. In 2018, Syed defeated world-famous chef and TV personality Bobby Flay at his own game on “Beat Bobby Flay.” He has also competed on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” and “Guy’s Grocery Games.”
Beyond TV appearances, Syed has also cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City, the U.S. Naval Observatory, and was even invited to the White House in 2022.
“If you want to become something in life, it should be work that makes your parents proud that you are their child,” Syed told the Naples Daily News in 2022. “After working with me, you have no choice. You have to be successful.”
Chef Asif Syed skewers chicken breast at his restaurant 21 Spices on Friday, September 13, 2019 in East Naples.
The 474-room Signia Hilton Naples Grande Beach Resort is currently being transformed from the inside out ahead of its late-2026 reopening. Guests can expect refreshed accommodations, dining experiences, and amenities.
“With experience spanning restaurant ownership, resort fine dining and an established reputation in South Florida, Asif Syed brings both entrepreneurial experience and a recognizable culinary profile to Signia Hilton Naples Grande Beach Resort,” Gary Sims, Vice President and Managing Director of Signia Hilton Naples Grande Beach Resort, said in a news release.
“As we complete the resort’s exciting transformation, his leadership will be pivotal in bringing our renewed vision. We look forward to introducing our future guests to the creativity, energy and thoughtful hospitality he brings to the table.”
More details on the rebrand of Signia Hilton Naples Grande Beach Resort will be available in the coming months. The resort has been closed since April for renovations and is expected to reopen in December.
Kendall Little is the food & dining reporter for Naples Daily News. Questions, comments, or tips? Email Kendall.Little@NaplesNews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Chef Asif Syed returns to Naples with resort culinary director role
Dining and Cooking