Chef Dima and herChef Dima and herJourney of Revitalizing the Food Industry in Syria

Chef Dima has created legacies that range from the farm-to-table movement to modern Syrian & Japanese cuisine, in addition to reaching the semi-finals of MENA Top Chef Program, setting new standards along the way that has inspired women to follow her lead. As a believer of food as a peacemaker, she sought to revitalize the food industry in Syria. As a child, growing up in a country rich with heritage & flavors and playing in her mother & grandma’s kitchen, cooking became her only passion.

She moved to Canada to pursue her dream and bring her skills & passion to a higher level of techniques & art. Graduating with a degree in foodservice & restaurant management from Montreal, she specialized in gastronomy & restaurants business. “Traveling is one of the main reasons for knowledge improvement; however, passion is the source of creativity and the key to success in life”, Dima quotes.

Now with over 20 years of experience in her field of passion in several countries and with numerous achievements, today Dima is sharing her knowledge and expertise through her own hospitality & culinary consulting firm, supporting restaurant owners, managers & chefs in Syria to achieve their goals and equipping them with the right gear for success. This journey came with several challenges, mainly her experience with masculinity in the kitchen. As a woman, she was questioned for her skills, capabilities, and work-life balance. She maintained resilience, proving her competence in the face of sexism, and reminding people that the first person who fed them was “their mothers”.

The war in Syria took its toll as well, forcing her to leave the country and start all over again. She moved to Lebanon and spread the Syrian food culture throughout pop-up events between Europe, the Middle East, India & Morocco. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to Syria on a mission of solidifying a new reputation in the food business industry. In one year, Chef Dima opened and managed 14 new restaurants and outlets, pushing Syrian restaurants to a higher level of quality. This bumpy road leaves her saying: “everything happens for a good reason”.