Born in Aleppo, Syrian chef Mohamad Orfali is one of the most prominent figures on Dubai’s culinary scene, known for his innovative approach to Middle Eastern cuisine. He is currently the CEO and culinary director of Orfali Bros restaurant.

Orfali, who developed a passion for cooking and the culinary arts in 1994, enrolled at the Aleppo Culinary Institute in 1997. Despite his great interest in French cuisine, the rich culinary culture of Aleppo, where he was born and raised, became indispensable to him. In 2009, he trained at Le Nôtre Culinary School in Paris, specializing in “Mastering the Art of Preserves,” “Sous Vide Cooking,” and “Cuisine according to Chef Joël Robuchon.”

Orfali worked as Executive Chef at the Alshaya Group for 5 years and as Head of Culinary at Fatafeat TV, part of the Discovery network, for 8 years. During this time, he created the Arab world’s first gastronomy-focused cooking shows.

In 2015, Chef Orfali founded Orfali Bros with his brothers. The restaurant, which attracted great interest from the day it opened, quickly gained widespread acclaim for its creative menu that combines traditional Arabic flavors with modern techniques. Orfali Bros crowned this success by being named the best restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa.