Gastronomy News Where to Eat Around the World

Yasmina Hayek, the under-30 chef in charge of 24 restaurants: “My goal? To let the world discover Lebanese cuisine."

by:
Sveva Valeria Castegnaro
|
Copertina Yasmina Hayek

Yasmina Hayek, a 28-year-old chef, has turned her passion into a winning business. At the head of 24 restaurants, she currently has one goal: to spread the flavors of her native country between the Middle East and Europe. Her strong passion and commitment to preserving Lebanese gastronomic culture earned her the title of MENA's Best Female Chef Award 2025.

The News

To anyone who would relegate Lebanese cuisine to hummus, falafel and babaganoush... Yasmina Hayek is ready to contradict you. With her 24 restaurants, spread across the Middle East and Europe, Hayek has proven that the gastronomic culture of her homeland is more than all, or just that.

Yasmina Hayek 1 PS
 

Grown up breathing the love of food and Lebanese culture, initially, Yasmina thought she was devoted to medicine, but it only took a hospital internship to realize that was not her path. "The kitchen is definitely a happier laboratory to be in. Being a chef mixes food, art, science, travel, openness and curiosity-it's really a huge world. I grew up among wonderful tables, excellent meals and happy tummies,", she tells The World 50 Best.

Em Sherif PS
 

Yasmina then went on to graduate from the Institut Paul Bocuse in France, attend Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris and Copenhagen, and earn a Master's degree in Food Design in Milan at the Scuola Politecnica di Design. "Each experience has taught me something different. I grew personally and really shaped my personality and who I am today, including what I like and what I don't like about the food industry".

Dish Em Sherif 2 PS
 

The watershed year, however, is 2019, when Lebanon's economic and political crisis triggers in Yasmina a strong desire to celebrate and, more importantly, to introduce the cuisine she grew up with to the rest of the world. "Those events turned my head and I realized more than ever the impact of preserving our roots and cultural heritage. That's how I started working in the Lebanese food sector. As a young woman in the industry I thought, 'if I am not the one who will transform and take the local food culture to another level and export it around the world, who will? ' " .

Em Sherif Yasmina e sua madre PS
 

So Hayek began to work alongside her mother Mireille in the restaurants she had opened in Beirut as early as 2011. The early days, however, were not the easiest; often working with family members complicates things, but the strong connection with her mother and the deep bond they both have for their Lebanon soon made everything easier. "I had my own way of seeing things and there was some conflict between us. I had different ambitions then, but then I thought, 'my mother's cooking is so successful, there's a reason why people love her product and it's up to me to find a middle ground where I can meet her'. Now we are the best partners imaginable, we love working together. My mother built this business on her own as a home cook and self-taught. Now, my challenge is to take it to another level and make what she has accomplished even bigger and better.".

Em Sherif Cafe PS
 

Apparently the 28-year-old young woman has succeeded, so much so that she has been awarded Best Female Chef 2025 by Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants for which she will be honored on January 28 in Abu Dhabi. "I am incredibly grateful to receive MENA's Best Female Chef Award this year. This recognition is not just for me, but for everyone who works at Em Sherif and shares the same commitment to our roots and passion for our craft. For me, cooking is about more than the food we prepare-it's about creating a space where people feel welcome, appreciated and at home, no matter where they come from or where they are. In a world that can seem divided, I believe that food is a bridge and not a wedge, it is a privilege to have the opportunity to share the flavors of my heritage,", she confides.

Yasmina Hayek at work PS
 

To manage the restaurants, Hayek is supported by a close-knit and competent team. The 24 restaurants - four directly owned in Lebanon and 20 franchised - include different brands such as Em Sherif Restaurant, Em Sherif Café, Em Sherif Sea Café and Em Sherif Deli. Each new opening requires hard work and market analysis in order to tailor the identity proposition to the local customer base.

Dish Em Sherif 3 PS
 

This aspect is crucial for Yasmina; she understood and internalized it from the first steps she took as an entrepreneur, when she opened the first European restaurant in London at Harrods. "It was a challenge! It was my first opening and I learned a lot. Such a large portfolio is definitely challenging, but our team is growing; we are developing as a family, not a chain. We are involved in every restaurant; we travel for every opening and take care every step of the way, it is necessary to personalize the offer without losing identity. Last October for the opening of the restaurant in Oman I thought of a plate of mashboos with Omani lobster and a bespoke hrisseh, the dishes create a bridge between cultures. Food is not only about what is on the plate, it is also about everything that accompanies it. It is the music, it is what you hear, what you touch, and even what you see on a screen. It is everything and it is what we do".

Yasmina Hayek 2 PS
 

Last year Hayek also opened a restaurant with a deli in Beirut's New Star Co Building , an all-day diner where one can enjoy specialty coffees, sandwiches, salads, mezze, and desserts. "I always thought there was a lack in the ‘gastronomy’ category for Lebanese food so I wanted to create a place where people could enjoy a sandwich leisurely, work on the PC with a coffee or drop in after a workout. We also throw parties with DJs playing vinyl over the refrigerators with shawarma spinning in the back. In this space we are able to reach a different clientele than we have at Em Sherif: a younger, more hip clientele. There is a great lack of awareness about Lebanese food, but I am happy to invite anyone into our kitchens to see how long it takes to prepare each dish. It is very labor intensive, there are hours and hours of preparation. I have a feeling that the way Lebanese restaurants have branded themselves does not always reflect our culture. That's what I want to show the world. I want to show the beautiful part of Lebanon, the Lebanon I grew up in. I am so grateful to have the privilege of working in the family business. I love what I do and I am excited every single day that I go to work. It is something I would wish on everyone".

Latest news

show all

We respect your Privacy.
We use cookies to ensure you an accurate experience and in line with your preferences.
With your consent, we use technical and third-party cookies that allow us to process some data, such as which pages are visited on our website.
To find out more about how we use this data, read the full disclosure.
By clicking the ‘Accept’ button, you consent to the use of cookies, or configure the different types.

Configure cookies Reject
Accept