Youssef Akiki

Youssef Akiki, Lebanese chef and culinary consultant

Youssef Akiki is a chef from the village of Hrajel, Lebanon, whose career combines restaurant cooking, hospitality consulting and training. He began working in local restaurant kitchens at the age of 15, while studying for his certificate in Hospitality Management. After graduating, he expanded his training with certifications at Le Centre de Formation Alain Ducasse, CREA Formation "Cuisson Sous Vide à Juste Température" and L'École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie, among others.

Training in leading European kitchens

His apprenticeship included internships at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Paris), Nicolas Le Bec —two Michelin stars— in Lyon, De Leest —two Michelin stars— in the Netherlands, Pastorale —two Michelin stars— in Brussels, MNP Slaughterhouse in Australia and Hôtel de Ville —three Michelin stars— in Crissier, Switzerland. These placements opened the door to learning alongside chefs such as Nicolas Le Bec, Alain Ducasse, Jacob Jan Boerma, Bruno Goussault, Joël Robuchon and Jérôme Ferrer.

Career in hotels, television and restaurants

In 2002 he joined Intercontinental Hotel Group, where he built a career in prestigious restaurants and hotels. He led the kitchen at Beirut establishments such as La Posta and took part in a morning show on the MTV Lebanon channel. His television presence extended to national and international live cooking shows, including Tomorrowland (Belgium), Montreal en Lumière (Canada), the Beirut Cooking Festival and Horeca.

In 2009 he was invited to join Burgundy, a fine-dining restaurant in Beirut, as executive chef. In parallel, he was a managing partner at Oh Bakehouse and Paname, and a member of Les Toques Blanches du Monde. During his time at Burgundy, the restaurant was listed in the Best 50 Discovery list of restaurants in the world and was included by CNN among the 20 most underrated restaurants in the world. Akiki received several recognitions from the Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon and was voted Chef de l'Avenir by the Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie.

Consulting, teaching and industry commitment

Since 2015 he has worked as lead culinary consultant for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, where he delivers hands-on training and shares know-how in masterclasses on U.S. beef. Since 2019 he has been an active board member of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Nightclubs, and Patisseries in Lebanon. He also advises on introducing innovation in the industrial sector for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and was a lecturer at Notre Dame University in Lebanon. He was part of the jury for the Africa and Middle East regional finals of St. Pellegrino Young Chef 2020 and in 2021 he joined The World Master Chef Society.

Current projects: Kitchen Backstage and brût

He is currently the owner and manager of Kitchen Backstage Company, a boutique food and beverage consultancy offering consulting, advisory, training and development services tailored to the hospitality industry. He is also the founder of brût, a seasonal food destination offering a Levantine cuisine experience under the farm-to-table concept. In addition, he is chef partner at Butler's Table in Batroun.

A cuisine of familiar flavours and sustainable produce

Throughout his career he has developed a signature cuisine characterised by approachable and comforting yet elevated flavours. Among his principles as a chef is his advocacy for inclusion and for sustainable, local and international ingredients to take centre stage in many of his dishes. The chef's website features a section of signature dishes, with the chance to discover his recipes and prepare them from scratch.