I was 8 when I first held a casserole. My mother would make me help her prepare food when she had invitees and I use to make the family pancakes for breakfast on my own. At 18 and while studying for my BA, I had my first restaurant job in Florida as a dishwasher, then waiter. Back in Egypt, I worked in a company and realized that office jobs are not made for me. So I decided to leave and went to Peru where my passion for cooking rose back again. I would cook everyday in the jungle. In Buenos Aires, I had a different culinary experience meeting my first cooking mentor Sol. When I understood that all I love is cooking I opened a coffee shop in San Francisco that failed. It made me realize that I need to learn the art of the kitchen. So I enrolled myself in culinary school in Santa Monica then got my first internship with chef Raphael Lunetta in French Cuisine. Afterwards, I worked with Michelin star chef Joe Miller. Now I’m back in Egypt and feel ready to open my own restaurant in my hometown in Maadi.
I don’t consider myself a chef but a cook: it’s a continual learning process.
