Dubai-based chef and restaurateur Reif Othman has received the UAE’s Golden Visa - a ten-year residency for himself, his wife and two children.
The coveted visa recognises Othman’s service and dedication to the country’s F&B industry over the last 12 years, where he has been instrumental in raising the profile of Far-Eastern cuisine in the UAE with his unconventional approach.
With his wife Jasmine Othman heading up the front-of-house operations, Reif’s restaurant is very much a family-run business. “Both myself and my family have called Dubai our home for the last 12 years, and along with our business expansion plans, we are committed to the UAE long-term, so the Golden Visa recognition is the icing on the cake. It is an absolute honour. I have always been a workaholic who lives and breathes cooking. To champion a cuisine, one has to innovate constantly, something that requires dedication and hard work,” said Othman.
In return and as a thank you to his customers and the broader Dubai community, guests dining at Reif Japanese Kushiyaki in Dar Wasl Mall from June 20 to 26 for lunch or dinner will be offered a complimentary golden dessert created specifically for this celebration.
It is a Genmaicha green tea crème brûlée with gingered mango and Shibanuma chocolate crémeux topped with edible gold leaf.
Reif’s passion for food began at a young age in Singapore helping his mother in her Asian cafeteria and studying at Shatec Culinary School. In 2007, he joined the One Rochester Group in Singapore as group executive chef for some of the city’s top restaurants and hotels, before relocating to Dubai to work at Burj Al Arab.
In 2009, Reif was recruited for the Zuma Dubai team as executive chef, moving up the ladder to regional executive chef for Zuma in the Middle East and Turkey.
