The Chef JKP Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story shaped by culture, trade, and a woman who believes food can create understanding in ways politics never can. Victoria Hassani grew up inside her family’s restaurant on the Jersey shore. Breakfast crowds, seafood dinners, a deli, an ice cream shop and a childhood built around menus, ingredients, cost control and hospitality. Her earliest memories we...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story shaped by culture, curiosity, and a woman who sees food as memory, craft, and connection. Leen Al Zaben grew up between Jordanian Bedouin hospitality and the fresh, seasonal cooking of her grandmother’s kitchen. Big salads, olive oil, Friday breakfasts, and long family tables. Those early moments became the foundation of her palate and the way she...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story built on pressure, persistence, and two people who refused to settle for the careers they were “meant” to have. Dan and Fix spent years in engineering and construction before Carnistore ever existed. Long days on site, managing hundreds of workers, solving problems nonstop, and dealing with deadlines that could cost millions. But the one thing that...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story that’s as honest as it is inspiring. From a small hawker stall in Singapore to standing on the Michelin stage in Dubai, Chef Akmal Anuar has lived a journey built on discipline, sacrifice, and starting from zero more than once. He didn’t grow up loving food. He grew up watching his parents hustle to feed their community. Cooking came later, through...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story that blends tradition, determination, and the pursuit of flavour. From the heart of Mexico to Dubai’s shores, Chef Sergio Hernández Ruiz has built his career one kitchen and one lesson at a time. Now the Chef de Cuisine at Tamoka, Sergio brings Latin warmth, coastal soul, and bold creativity to every plate. In this episode, he opens up about growin...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story built on precision, passion, and perseverance. From the south of France to the heart of Doha, Chef Fabrice Rosso has crafted his journey one plate and one lesson at a time. Now the Executive Chef at IDAM by Alain Ducasse, Fabrice’s path takes us through the world of Michelin kitchens, from Nice and Monaco to Paris, where he trained under some of th...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a story that brings together food, family, and fearless creativity. When her mom once suggested turning her newsletters into a book, Joan Tuaño Rumsey brushed it off. Years later, that tiny spark became Steak Simplified, a thoughtful and beautifully written guide that makes people fall in love with meat, education, and culture all over again. From growing...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with an inspiring story that blends precision, passion, and pastry in the most beautiful way. From cycling through snow at 3:30 in the morning to his first job in a small pastry shop in France, Chef Christophe Devoille has come a long way. Today, he leads one of the world’s most iconic pastry programs as the Executive Pastry Chef at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai....

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with another remarkable story of resilience, flavor, and fire featuring Chef Thinus Van Der, Culinary Director 99 Sushi Bar. From growing up in South Africa surrounded by braais and family kitchens to becoming a Michelin-star chef in the UAE, Thinus’s story is a masterclass in grit, gratitude, and growth. After surviving stage three brain cancer, he returned to...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with another powerful voice in food: Solemann Haddad, Head Chef and Owner of Moonrise in Dubai. At just 26, Solemann became the youngest chef in the region to earn a Michelin star, but his story is about more than accolades. From dropping out of university three weeks before graduating to building one of Dubai’s most talked about restaurants, Solemann has forge...

Send us Fan Mail Season 11 continues with a very special guest: RJ Harvey, Culinary Director at Potatoes USA. RJ is a walking encyclopedia of potato knowledge, but more than that, he is a chef who has lived the grind, from his first hotel kitchen job in Denver to competing on Food Network’s Alex vs. America to now leading innovation at the Spud Lab in Denver. In this conversation, RJ shares how ch...

Send us Fan Mail Chef JKP AKA James Knight-Paccheco gives a warm welcome to Season 11. For the first time the season is extended to 16 episodes, and in this solo opener James shares what he has been up to, talks about the big Michelin moments in Dubai, thanks the hospitality community, introduces Potatoes USA as the season sponsor and launches a listener Q&A. This episode is an honest, persona...

Send us Fan Mail We saved the best for last - go behind the scenes of Time Out Market Dubai with the powerhouses shaping the city’s food culture! Recorded live at the market, this episode brings together three key figures shaping the region’s food culture:📣 Yousra Zaki, Group Food Editor of Time Out GCC📣 Argiris Tragoutsis, General Manager of Time Out Market Dubai📣 Michael Marlay, Senior Vice P...

Send us Fan Mail What’s fueling Dubai’s food revolution - street eats, Michelin stars, or the influencers in between? In this live episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco sits down with two powerhouse voices in the UAE’s food space: Courtney Brandt, writer and food critic, and Olivera Saponjac, content creator and culinary storyteller. Straight from Time Out Market Dubai, the t...

Send us Fan Mail How does a backyard barbecue turn into a White House invitation? In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, recorded live from Time Out Market Dubai, host James Knight-Paccheco is joined by Hattem Mattar – pitmaster, entrepreneur, and one of the UAE’s most exciting culinary voices. Hattem shares how he went from a career in oil & gas to building a barbecue brand that fuses Emira...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Time Out Market Dubai, James Knight-Paccheco sits down with one of the city’s most daring culinary innovators: Chef Reif Othman. Known for blending humor with haute cuisine (yes, he’s the guy behind the viral toilet roll cake), Reif shares his journey from creative concept to culinary cult favorite. But this episode is about much more than viral dishes - it’s about how t...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a powerhouse entrepreneur DMs a Michelin-trained chef… and together they rewrite Dubai’s culinary playbook? Live from Time Out Market Dubai, this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast brings you a blend of Asian-American fusion! Host James Knight-Paccheco sits down with the brains behind over 20 restaurant brands, Neha Anand and multi-award winning, Chef Kelvin Cheung...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when family, tradition, and passion come together to create a culinary legacy? Live from Time Out Market Dubai, this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast dives into the inspiring story of a family trio turning sourdough and hospitality into an award-winning experience. Host James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Eva, Lilian, and Emilie to explore their journey - from honouri...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when two of Dubai’s most passionate chefs bring Latin fire to the stage? Live from Time Out Market Dubai, this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast brings the energy of Latin America straight to you! Host James Knight-Pacheco sits down with two powerhouse chefs: Penelope Diaz from Fusión Ceviche, and Omar Rodriguez from Slab. Together, they dive into the roots of their cul...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a humble home kitchen into one of Dubai’s most talked-about Thai food spots? In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, recorded live at Time Out Market Dubai, host James Knight-Pacheco sits down with Lisa Knight and Chef New, the dynamic duo behind Café Isan – an award-winning Thai street food concept known for its bold flavors, authenticity, and community...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a pizza empire in one of the world’s most competitive food cities? In this live edition of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Michele and Bill Johnson - the powerhouse duo behind Pitfire Pizza - for a no-filter conversation about passion, perseverance, and the pursuit of the perfect slice.🎙️ Live from Time Out Market Dubai, t...

Send us Fan Mail In this live edition of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco dives deep into the world of luxury flavours with two of Dubai’s most exciting artisan creators: Orit Mohamed from Boon Coffee and Zubin Doshi from Scoopi – home of the iconic Black Diamond, a $3,000 liquid nitrogen ice cream. From the aroma of Ethiopian highlands to scoops topped with saffron and truffle, th...

Send us Fan Mail What do the kitchens of Gaggan, Switzerland’s Michelin-starred fine dining scene, and Dubai’s vibrant Masti have in common? One man behind the pass: Chef Prashant. In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, recorded live at Time Out Market Dubai, James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Chef Prashant, whose journey spans some of the world’s most influential kitchens. They get real about...

Send us Fan Mail For the first time ever, the Chef JKP Podcast goes LIVE - and we’re bringing the fire straight from Time Out Market Dubai. In this epic new season you can expect:🔥 12 episodes🎤 1 epic live audience🌍 100% Dubai food cultureHost James Knight-Pacheco kicks off season 10 with a no-holds-barred conversation featuring three of Dubai’s culinary heavyweights: Spero and Alex from BB Soc...

Send us Fan Mail In the fifth and final episode of this special Valrhona x Chef JKP Podcast series recorded at the iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi, we’re bringing it home with one of the UAE’s rising culinary stars — Chef Khaled Al Saadi. Host James Knight-Pacheco dives into an inspiring conversation about:🍽️ The evolution of the Emirati food scene👨‍🍳 Why collaboration is key to culinary growth🍫 And wh...