Personalities
Yousef Ghalaini
Executive Chef, FIG Restaurant
Chef Yousef Ghalaini is the Executive Chef for FIG Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, the seasonal bistro with an emphasis on organically grown
and responsibly sourced ingredients. At FIG, Chef Yousef celebrates his passion and commitment for working with local farmers and using the freshest California ingredients to create Mediterranean inspired cuisine.
As a native of Lebanon, Chef Ghalaini was immersed in the culture of food at an early age in his grandfather’s bakery where he learned to bake the bread that he still makes today. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, he began his career at the Michelin-rated REDD restaurant under Richard Reddington mastering the style of California French cuisine, before moving across the country to New Haven, Connecticut in January 2010, where he brought new life to Bespoke in New Haven garnering critical praise from local media and the regional food section of the New York Times. During his career, he also opened Go Fish restaurant in St. Helena, Calif., worked for Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa and opened Steak 954 at the W Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida followed by Imperial No. Nine at the Mondrian SoHo Hotel in New York City. Chef Ghalaini most recently opened the restaurant at The Bench at The Lodge at Pebble Beach in Monterey, CA two years ago.
