Five Talks on the Menu at Cairo Food Week at GEM
The Cairo Food Week Conversations lineup brings together leading voices in gastronomy, sustainability, heritage and storytelling. Here are the conversations worth pulling up a chair for.
Cairo Food Week is taking over the Grand Egyptian Museum starting September 26th with the full spread: signature dinners, superstar chef takeovers, and talks that put the big questions on the table. In partnership with GEM Talks, the Cairo Food Week Conversations lineup brings together leading voices in gastronomy, sustainability, heritage and storytelling. Here are the conversations worth pulling up a chair for.
Championing Arab Cuisine
Moderated by Omar Shihab
Speakers: Mostafa Seif, Qais Malhas, Tarek Alameddine, Fayçal Bettioui
Time: 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM
Arab cuisine recipes echo stories of memory, migration and resilience on a plate. From Cairo to Amman to Beirut and Marrakech, chefs Mostafa Seif, Qais Malhas, Tarek Alameddine, and Fayçal Bettioui are reshaping the ways we experience our shared culinary roots. With Omar Shihab guiding the conversation, expect a deep dive into how chefs are using food to build communities, design sustainable menus, and preserve culture.
Fireside Chat: Documenting for the Digital Age
Moderated by Amy Mowafi
Guest: Nadir Nahdi
Time: 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM
In this intimate fireside chat, MO4 Network’s Founder & CEO Amy Mowafi sits down with Yemeni-British filmmaker and storyteller Nadir Nahdi to unpack what it means to tell soulful stories from the Arab world in a digital age. Together, they’ll explore how to balance tradition with creativity, global relevance in a fast-paced digital landscape. and why documenting our food culture today matters more than ever.
Mastering Restaurant Ventures: From Concept to Business
Moderated by Farida El Shafie
Speakers: Engy Radwan, Yasmin Khalil, Nadia Ezz
Time: 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Behind every buzzy restaurant launch is a reality check of strategy, funding, and market know-how. This talk introduces AUC’s new Restaurant Business Management Program, designed for the next generation of Egyptian restaurateurs. Industry expert Engy Radwan, academic Yasmin Khalil, and Marakez’s Executive Corporate Marketing & PR Director Nadia Ezz join moderator SceneEats Managing Editor Farida El Shafie to break down the lessons every aspiring F&B entrepreneur needs to know.
Presentation: Building the World’s No. 1 Restaurant
Moderated by Omar Shihab
Speaker: Eduard Xatruch (Disfrutar)
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
What does it take to become the best restaurant in the world? Chef Eduard Xatruch of Barcelona’s Disfrutar, crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2024 and holder of three Michelin stars, takes the stage in Cairo for the very first time. Expect an unprecedented look inside the techniques, concepts, and passion that built an institution redefining the global fine dining landscape.
Preserving & Promoting Culinary Heritage
Moderated by Nadir Nahdi
Speakers: Asma Khan, Omar Shihab, Karim Abdelrahman, Mennat-Allah El Dorry
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
How do we keep culinary traditions alive in the age of algorithms and fleeting digital trends? Asma Khan, restaurateur and cookbook author, founder of Darjeeling Express (London); Karim Abdelrahman, chef & founder of Avec Karim; Mennat-Allah El Dorry, archaeobotanist; and Omar Shihab, founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of BOCA (Dubai), Icon Award 2025 winner from MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants, join filmmaker and storyteller Nadir Nahdi to explore the question. From supper clubs to flagship restaurants, academic research to sustainability activism, each offers a distinct way of preserving and promoting culinary heritage in a rapidly changing cultural landscape.
Register at cfwcoversationsxgemtalks.ticketsmarche.com
