Meet Reif Othman, the Michelin-awarded Singaporean chef who made it big in Dubai

Food has always been at the heart of Reif Othman’s life. The Singaporean chef grew up watching his mother run a nasi padang stall, and every Sunday, “she dragged me to the wet market”, he recalled fondly. 

“That’s how I fell in love with food. My mum would buy a simple mackerel and when we got home, it would become two completely different meals. For lunch, we would have a fried version, and for dinner, it would be transformed into something else entirely,” said Reif, eyes twinkling at the memory. 

In his schooling years, Reif helped out at his mother’s stall, tending to customers and plating dishes. What left the deepest impression was his mum’s speed and skill: “She could churn out 36 dishes within three hours and with just two burners. That’s crazy!” he quipped. Something else caught his attention – the lively atmosphere, where the ladies chatted happily with each other, not a grumpy face in sight. 

These early experiences with food became the catalyst for his career. Moving to Dubai in 2005, Reif worked in some of the city’s top kitchens, including Burj Al Arab’s Al Mahara and acclaimed fine dining restaurant Zuma. He later made his mark on the city's culinary scene by starting his own ventures, debuting concepts such as Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, a premium casual eatery that has earned a spot in the prestigious Michelin Guide. 

This September, Reif's journey comes full circle as he brings the cult-favourite concept to Singapore for the first time. Hosted as a month-long pop-up at Conrad Singapore Marina Bay, the event offers guests the opportunity to savour his unconventional take on Japanese cuisine.

STARTING FROM THE GROUND-UP

Reif’s culinary skills were honed entirely through experience. His first real taste of professional cooking was at the age of 16, when he took up a part-time job as a pizza chef at an Italian restaurant. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, so I had to hustle my way up,” he shared. “I was also a bit rebellious, mixing with the wrong crowd and not doing well in academics.” 

It was the head chef of that Italian restaurant who gave him a much-needed wake up call. “He told me, ‘You’re a good kid and you can be a good chef. Why waste your time?’ That was when I decided to stop hanging out with the wrong people and focus on building a career.” 

What truly cemented Reif’s love for cooking was being asked to create “something out of the box” for a regular customer – a unique, off-menu pizza. The customer loved his creation, and in that moment, he realised what drove him the most was the joy of seeing guests satisfied and happy.  

After completing his National Service, Reif worked briefly as a finance broker but eventually returned to the kitchen. His early mentors include renowned chefs such as Raffles Grill’s David Mollicone and Peranakan culinary doyenne Violet Oon. Reif was drawn to Peranakan cuisine due to its similarities to nasi padang and credits Oon for not only honing his kitchen skills but also teaching him resilience and strength in character.

GLOBAL EXPOSURE AND DUBAI SUCCESS

Hungry for more exposure, he later left Singapore to work in Europe, seeking a deeper understanding of food and ingredients. But as a Muslim chef, Reif faced his own personal struggles in European kitchens, where pork and lard are used extensively. 

“A lot of dishes were beyond the limit of what I can taste or cook,” he explained. While his colleagues were understanding and respectful, “I always felt as though I had one leg in and one leg out,” shared Reif. 

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. 

Reif describes his cooking philosophy as “yoshoku”, a style that blends Western influences with Japanese techniques and flavour sensibilities. “It’s not traditional or authentic Japanese, it’s a mix of everything I’ve learned from French, Italian and other kitchens combined into one,” explained Reif. He also calls his food “unconventional”. “I want it to be fun and funky. I’m naturally a bit more energetic and playful in my approach, so that energy comes through in the food.”

In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki went viral for its cheeky toilet roll cake, inspired by the global toilet paper shortage. Layered with lemon butter sponge and yuzu ganache, it offered a much-needed dose of humour – and comfort – during a difficult time. 

Over the years, the business-minded Reif has evolved into a restaurateur, steadily building a diverse dining portfolio with a range of food concepts. These include unconventional Korean barbecue restaurant Hoe Lee Kow and TERO (The Experience by Reif Othman). The latter is an intimate, omakase-style chef’s table, with a theme that changes every few months. TERO is also where he unleashes his full creativity, occasionally revisiting his Singapore roots with elevated renditions of nasi lemak, chicken rice and mee siam made with premium ingredients. The ever-energetic chef recently debuted his latest concept in Dubai – a Japanese handroll bar called Yubi.

A LEGACY IN THE MAKING

Reif's talent has earned him several accolades, including Michelin Bib Gourmand distinctions for Reif Japanese Kushiyaki and Hoe Lee Kow. In 2022, he was honoured with the Chef’s Choice award at the Middle East and North Africa 50 Best Restaurants. 

Despite these achievements, Reif emphasises that winning awards are not his driving force. “When I opened my restaurants, I didn’t open for Michelin or 50 Best. I opened them because it felt like right time to achieve something in my life, a legacy for my children and the chefs who have worked with me,” said the married father of two. 

Reif’s entrepreneurial streak has also taken him beyond the world of F&B. He previously channelled his love for sneakers and streetwear into a retail shop called Soleside, before ultimately deciding to close it two years later to fully focus on his restaurants. "Retail is a whole different game, you can’t apply the same marketing strategies as you do in F&B,” he admitted. 

Recognising that his achievements have given him the privilege to give back, he also founded a charity school in Zanzibar, which he describes as a constant reminder to “keep my feet on the ground and stay humble always.”

A CHEF’S HOMECOMING

This September, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki makes its Singapore debut with a month-long pop-up in collaboration with Conrad Singapore Marina Bay, marking the first time Reif is bringing his concept back to his home country. “The pop-up is an opportunity for me to show Singaporeans what I’ve been doing in Dubai,” he quipped. 

Running till Sep 30, guests can indulge in signature dishes that have made Reif Japanese Kushiyaki a cult favourite in the Middle East. Alongside charcoal-grilled skewers, highlights include the Wagyu Katsu Sando, with tender Wagyu beef layered between pillowy milk bread and paired with mustard mayo; the playful Hand Grab Wagyu, where diners use seaweed to “grab” the beef; the umami-packed Mushroom Donabe Rice; and the quirky Tiramisu Boba, a twist on the classic dessert with chewy tapioca pearls.

“Going through all that hustle in my life and coming back to Singapore to showcase what I’ve built – it’s a personal milestone for me and my team,” Reif noted.

While friends have long encouraged him to open his kushiyaki restaurant in Singapore, the chef remains undecided. The pop-up will be an opportunity for him to "feel the market". "I can always reevaluate in the near future," he acknowledged.

More than just a showcase of his food, the pop-up is a celebration of Reif’s journey and the passion that continues to drive him forward. Reflecting on his own path, Reif offers some simple advice for young chefs: “Master your basics and travel the world.”

Balancing the roles of businessman, chef, and leader is a delicate act, so he adds another piece of guidance: “Never stop learning.”

This philosophy carries over into his cooking and is perhaps the secret behind his success. “Seeing my guests happy and hearing them say, ‘chef, well done’, that’s pure joy,” Reif quipped. “I create dishes that cater to my guests, not to my own ego. There are chefs who cook for themselves, but I prefer listening to what my guests want. Then I take a step back, re-engineer the dish and leave my own personal touch on it. That’s always a win-win formula.” 

And for the ever-evolving Reif, who always has something up his sleeve, there’s certainly more to come.