Reif Othman on propelling Zuma into one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants and on launching his own, Reif Kushiyaki

The Lighthouse Conversations

Feb 26 2020 | 00:32:59

00:00 / 00:32:59

Show Notes

We’re continuing with our food theme this month with a chef who’s left a tremendous mark on the Middle East culinary scene since his debut at Zuma in 2009. Reif Othman is a new breed of owner-operator chefs who landed Zuma Dubai on the “World’s Best 50 restaurants” before kick-starting his own Japanese street food venture, Reif Kushiyaki. Reif shares stories about his humble beginnings, what got his blood flowing and pushed him to leave his native Singapore, snapshots from his time at Zuma and, finally, why giving back is so important to him.

Other Episodes

Episode 33

March 10, 2021 • 00:44:08

“I use my shows to make a statement,” gallerist Isabelle van den Eynde on her curatorial techniques, working with Emirati artist Hassan Sharif and the challenges of showing art through the pandemic.

This week we caught up with gallerist Isabelle van den Eynde, founder of the eponymous Gallery IVDE, one of Dubai’s most established and celebrated...

Episode 31

February 03, 2021 • 00:53:11

‘Every act of reading is historical,’ Nadia Wassef on the art of reading vs. the craft of writing, and the business of founding Diwan, one of Egypt’s most popular modern book stores.

This week we’re joined remotely by Nadia Wassef who in 2002 co-founded Cairo’s popular Diwan bookstore with her sister, Hind Wassef and their friend...

Episode 6

January 29, 2020 • 00:34:11

Isobel Abulhoul on building book centric businesses & instilling reading habits in children

This week, we’re joined by the CEO of the LitFest Foundation, Isobel Abulhoul, who is at the the center of the UAE & the...