16 UNDER / 30

Tarek Alameddine, originally from Aley, Chouf region, first turned to cooking as an outlet for stress and as a way of enjoying food, but it was only when he was majoring in Business that Almeddine realized he should be considering cooking as a career. His passion took him to Les Roches, via the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Jordan. Soon he began planning his internship, which he was determined to do at D.O.M, with the famous Brazilian chef, Alex Atalla. Almeddine applied twice to Noma because he wanted to discover more about the Danish chef, René Redzepi’s vision. Still at Noma, he is currently toying with the idea of coming back to Lebanon and opening a restaurant unlike anything yet experienced in the country. After months of deliberation, HN has handpicked a list of 16 tastemakers who, at the tender age of 30 or below, are redefining our palates and diets. They’re sure to impress you, inspire you and, perhaps, instigate a little bit of jealousy. More than anything, the list should assure you that the future of hospitality in the Middle East is in good hands Faisal Al Nashmi was selected by His Excellency, the French Ambassador to Kuwait, Christian Nakhle, to be Kuwait’s sole representative in the worldwide gastronomy event, Goute de France, hosted by the renowned French chef, Alain Ducasse. He was also identified as a successful figure by Kuwait Airways and became a face for its youth marketing campaign. Al Nashmi is a member of Kuwait Chefs Club, a national group of executives and directors representing Kuwait’s culinary movement. An economics course prompted Antranik Balabanian to switch majors to Business and Finance, after he first opted to study Chemistry. Realizing early on that corporate life wouldn’t be his forte, Balabanian sought to pursue an entrepreneurial career. In 2015, while working as a procurement officer, he and his two brothers were presented with an opportunity to penetrate the street food scene. Their passion for cooking, family unity and hard work has seen The Bros concept elevated to the status of established F&B brand.

With a stellar resume featuring more than 10 years of industry experience, and as runner up in the prestigious Global Final Bacardi Legacy competition, Jad Ballout has established himself as not only a respected bartender, but also an international thought leader in creativity and craftsmanship. Under his leadership, his bar has received numerous industry heavyweight awards, including: 27th and 26th place on the list of World’s 50 Best Bars in 2018 and 2016 respectively; Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa in 2018 and 2016; and a coveted position on the Tales of the Cocktails’ list of Top 10 Best International High Volume Cocktail Bars in 2018 and 2016. Together with his partners, Ballout recently opened the world’s first Asian Middle Eastern all-day bar, Electric Bing Sutt, in Beirut. Karim Barza took his first steps in the kitchen at the age of 13, during summer vacation, when he began working with his father, the celebrity chef Joe Barza, at Bread and Roses Catering in Lebanon. Aged 17, he joined the Casper & Gambini’s team as a commis de cuisine. He then decided to apply to La Sagesse school of Hotel Management, with plans to specialize in this field. Having his own restaurant was always his ultimate goal and a year ago, Barza felt it was time to make this dream a reality, by opening La Burgeria, in partnership with Isai Kozaily. Growing up, Rawad Boulos came to realize that his favorite times were those that involved helping to organize a good time for people around him. Having decided to make a career out of it, he began working in the event management and hospitality industry. Boulos’s current project is Riverlane park and entertainment area in Jisr El Wati.