Jad Youssef was raised in a Lebanese family in Beirut, where he grasped from an early age the significance in life of good quality food. During his childhood, he observed his mother crafting traditional, authentic dishes, always from scratch. Jad went on to receive formal training at L’Ecole Hoteliere in Beirut, and gained his early professional experience at restaurants and hotels including the Intercontinental Hotel and the Holiday Inn Hotel in Beirut, to name a few. In 2000, Jad decided to pursue his culinary aspirations and moved to Oslo. During his time in Norway, Jad worked as head chef at Jeppe Restaurant, where he broadened his culinary repertoire to reflect Norwegian and Scandinavian cuisine. By 2003, Jad moved to London where he took on the role of Head Chef in the renowned Lebanese Restaurant Fakhreldine in Piccadilly. Additionally he held the position of Executive Chef at Levant Group, specializing in Middle Eastern and North African Cuisine. In 2009 Jad undertook a career shift and launched his own Lebanese street food restaurant, Yalla Yalla in Soho. Jad and his partner Aga Ilska went on to open a two further sites in Fitzrovia in 2011, and then Greenwich in 2013. A testimony to Jad’s talent, Yalla Yalla received many raving reviews in publications such as the Metro, The Independent, Time Out, Guardian, Observer, Tatler Evening Standard and the Financial Times. Jad’s chicken liver mezze dish earned a spot in Time Out’s “The Best 100 Dishes in London” in 2012. Celebrated chef and journalist Tamasin Day-Lewis fell in love with the chicken liver recipe and featured the recipe in her book “Food You Can’t Say No To.” Author Salma Hage showcased two of Jad’s recipes in her bestselling book “The Lebanese Kitchen.” In 2008 Jad appeared as a guest chef on popular TV series “Celebrity Master Chef!” Following a whirlwind few years, Jad and his family took a break and relocated to Hong Kong for a couple of years, where he joined Black Sheep Restaurants as Executive Chef. In 2020 Jad and Aga opened Lebnani Restaurant in Reigate Surrey, inspired by the culture of Beirut Soul Food. Jad is known for sourcing the freshest seasonal ingredients and creating dishes that highlight the authentic Lebanese and Middle Eastern flavours. “I am always drawn to the traditional methods of Lebanese cuisine – the timeless classics are always the best.”

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