RAY ALBERT SAAD
RAY ALBERT SAAD
Chef
Mediterranean. Seasonality. Innovation.
Great cuisine is not created by complexity, but by restraint, emotion, and respect for every ingredient.
Ray Albert Saad
About Ray
Lebanese-born chef Ray Albert Saad has built his career through Michelin-starred kitchens, international culinary competitions, and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine.
His philosophy combines precision, creativity, and seasonality to create experiences that are both technically refined and emotionally memorable.
Read MoreFeatured Philosophy
01
"Mastering fundamentals before innovation."
02
"The ingredient leads the dish."
03
"Every plate should tell a story."
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Career Highlights
2026
Head Chef, Sekoya
California
2025
Top Chef Middle East · Quarterfinalist
2023
Head Chef, Ritage Garden by Maroun Chedid
2020–21
Daniel · 2 Michelin Stars
New York
About
Origins
Raised surrounded by Mediterranean flavors, Ray's earliest memories are of shared tables, open markets, and a family kitchen where hospitality was never optional. That upbringing set a lifelong passion for hospitality in motion, long before it became a profession.
Education
Institut Paul Bocuse, France · International Culinary Arts.
Philosophy
Cooking, to Ray, begins with respect: for the ingredient, the guest, and the craft itself. Technique is earned before it is bent; every dish is built on classical discipline before creativity is allowed to lead. Hospitality sits above ego, culture and travel shape the menu as much as any single ingredient, and seasonality is treated as instruction rather than inspiration. It is a philosophy rooted in Mediterranean soul, always in service of an experience that feels both precise and personal.
Today
As Head Chef at Sekoya in California, Ray is developing a modern Mediterranean-Californian dining experience built around seasonal produce and live-fire cooking, with an eye toward future restaurant concepts, consulting, and international recognition.
Career
Sekoya · California
2026–Present
Developing a modern Mediterranean-Californian dining experience with a focus on seasonal produce and live-fire cooking.
Top Chef Middle East
2025
Competed as a quarterfinalist on Top Chef Middle East, testing technique and creativity against the region's leading chefs.
Ritage Garden by Maroun Chedid
2023
Led the kitchen at Ritage Garden, overseeing menu direction and daily service under Maroun Chedid's concept.
Various Michelin-Starred Restaurants · France
2020–2023
Trained across a range of Michelin-starred kitchens throughout France, building a foundation in classical technique and high-performance kitchen standards.
Daniel (2 Michelin Stars) · New York
2020–2021
Worked alongside Michelin-starred professionals at Daniel, refining classical technique and high-performance kitchen standards.
Institut Paul Bocuse · France
2020
Graduated with specialization in culinary arts and restaurant management.
Achievements
Competition
Experience
Institut Paul Bocuse
Kitchen Management
Seasonal Menus
Advisory
Guest Experience
Global Kitchens
Le Comptoir Libanais, Lyon
Portfolio
Philosophy
I
Every component arrives with its own season, origin, and character. The kitchen's job is to listen before it intervenes.
II
Restraint is a technique in itself. A dish earns each element it keeps.
III
Innovation only holds up when it is built on fundamentals mastered first.
IV
The guest's experience is the measure of success, never the chef's.
V
Olive oil, fire, and shared plates: a heritage carried into every menu.
VI
The produce of a single season, wherever that season is found, treated as the starting point rather than the garnish.
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