The solution came when the Middle East called and Reif landed an opportunity at the iconic Burj Al Arab in Dubai. In the Muslim city, restaurants can only serve pork after obtaining a special license, with strict rules requiring the pork to be stored, prepared, and cooked separately from other foods. This allowed him to work without compromising his own beliefs, while still operating at the highest level of fine dining.
While at the Burj Al Arab, Reif had the opportunity to cook for several VIP guests, including celebrities such as 50 Cent. The rapper’s strange request? “He wanted to have KFC but not from KFC. Thankfully we figured it out,” Reif chuckled.
Not long after, popular fine dining restaurant Zuma tapped him for the role of executive chef, a position he held for six years. Under his leadership, Zuma Dubai became one of the world’s best-known restaurants, holding a spot in the World’s 50 Best list for four consecutive years. Reif also oversaw the restaurant’s operations in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Hong Kong and Miami.
CARVING HIS OWN PATH
Eventually, Reif left Zuma to strike out on his own. Seeing the trend shifting from fine dining toward premium casual, he opened his own self-funded restaurant, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, in 2019. The restaurant offers a creative, modern take on Japanese street-style fare, specialising in skewered and grilled meats, alongside sushi, ramen, gyozas, sandos and more. Today, it has three outlets in Dubai and two franchise locations in Egypt.
