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Front row at Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, from a night at Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

There’s a certain kind of tension in the air before the list is revealed. The chefs arrive, the teams gather, the community tightens up, and for a few hours, the region’s hospitality story sits in one room.

In this special event episode, Chef JKP speaks to chefs, restaurateurs, writers, and key voices from across the MENA dining scene, capturing the moments that happen between the flashbulbs. What it means to make the list, why the number is “just a number,” how teams earn recognition, and how the region is evolving from imported concepts to truly homegrown destinations.

From quick-fire questions to honest reflections on craft, culture, pressure, and pride, this is a snapshot of a historic night for Middle East hospitality.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

• Arriving at MENA 50 Best 2026 and the suspense before the reveal
• Chefs on what it means to be included, and why teams matter most
• The MENA dining landscape and how it compares globally
• Writers on the role of awards in putting talent on a world stage
• Why the ranking is “just a number,” and what recognition really represents
• The shift from imported to homegrown concepts across the region
• Community, collaborations, and cooking beyond borders
• Standout dishes and moments from chefs across the list

Chapters

00:00 Welcome from MENA 50 Best 2026
01:00 Venue check-in at Emirates Palace and the pressure building
02:00 First reactions on the carpet and the feeling of being included
03:00 How the MENA dining scene compares globally, plus predictions
04:00 Being part of 50 Best and the quick-fire questions with chefs
05:00 Team pride and what the list means beyond the individual
11:00 Why awards matter and how they put chefs on a world stage
15:00 The region’s shift from imported concepts to homegrown excellence
17:00 Collaborations, pop-ups, and why community matters in hospitality
21:00 From humble beginnings to the global stage, the journey behind the ranking
31:00 How the list is evolving year by year and why movement keeps it exciting
39:00 Final wrap, gratitude, and closing from the night

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Welcome to the third episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 3, Chef JKP brings together insights from Björn Frantzén and Regan Hillyer, exploring leadership, mental resilience, and how emotional state influences performance inside high-pressure kitchens.

Björn reflects on leadership from lived experience at the highest level of gastronomy. He speaks about accountability, hiring and training responsibility, and why a leader must first look inward when performance drops. Drawing from his time building world-class restaurants, he explains that what truly separates elite kitchens is not technique alone, but culture, pride, and a team that believes deeply in how and why the work is done.

Regan brings a complementary perspective grounded in wellbeing and performance psychology. She breaks down how stress shows up in the body before people are even aware of it, why most leaders miss those signals, and how breath, awareness, and presence directly affect decision-making. She connects leadership to service, explaining why calm is not passive, ego blocks performance, and true leadership is felt more than announced.

Together, this SNACK examines why great kitchens rise or fall on the emotional state of the people inside them. From how stress transfers through leadership to how energy carries into food itself, this conversation reframes performance as something shaped long before service begins.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Leadership accountability and owning team performance
• Why culture matters more than control
• What elite Michelin-level kitchens have in common
• Personality, pride, and belief inside great teams
• Recognising stress responses in real time
• Breath, presence, and decision-making under pressure
• Leadership without ego
• Why calm is a leadership skill
• How energy transfers from kitchen to plate
• Creating environments where teams perform with clarity

CHAPTERS

01:00 Leadership responsibility and accountability
03:00 Hiring, training, and owning outcomes
05:00 What defines top-level kitchens beyond technique
07:00 Culture, pride, and chef personality
09:00 Recognising stress in the moment
11:00 Breath, presence, and performance
13:00 Leadership as service, not ego
15:00 Energy, food, and emotional transfer
17:00 Final reflections on calm and excellence

FOLLOW THE GUESTS

Björn Frantzén

Personal
https://www.instagram.com/bjornfrantzen

Restaurants
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfzn

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantzen.sgp

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfrantzen

Regan Hillyer

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/reganhillyer

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LinkedIn

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Welcome to the second episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 2, Chef JKP brings together insights from Himanshu Saini and Peggy Pui Ki Li, exploring pressure, recognition, and what really changes after success arrives.

Himanshu speaks candidly about what Michelin recognition actually feels like. From the uncertainty of awards season to the pressure that follows, he reflects on how visibility reshapes a restaurant, its guests, and the expectations placed on the chef. He shares the emotional weight of recognition, the responsibility that comes with it, and why peace and patience matter more than chasing the next milestone.

Peggy brings a complementary perspective shaped by years of operating at the highest level of hospitality. She breaks down the difference between commercial and fine dining, how attention to detail defines premium experiences, and why leadership, clarity, and mental resilience are essential when operating under constant scrutiny.

Together, this SNACK episode explores what happens after recognition. The pressure it brings, the responsibility it creates, and how chefs navigate visibility, expectations, and their own wellbeing without losing focus on the craft.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• What Michelin recognition actually feels like in real time
• The pressure that follows awards and global attention
• How visibility changes guests, expectations, and business
• Mental health challenges after success arrives
• Managing distractions outside the kitchen
• Leadership through uncertainty and responsibility
• Commercial dining versus fine dining operations
• Attention to detail at the highest level of hospitality
• Developing talent and kitchen culture
• Staying grounded while navigating recognition

CHAPTERS

01:00 The reality of Michelin announcements
03:00 Pressure, nerves, and expectations
05:00 Visibility and changing audiences
07:00 Managing attention beyond the kitchen
09:00 Mental health and balance
11:00 Leadership under pressure
13:00 Commercial versus fine dining
15:00 Talent, culture, and long-term thinking
17:00 Final reflections on recognition

FOLLOW THE GUESTS

Himanshu Saini

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/chefhimanshusaini

Restaurant

https://www.instagram.com/tresindstudio

Peggy Pui Ki Li

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/peggy_p_li

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https://www.instagram.com/chefjkppodcast

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE