Mohammed Inani: Finding fulfillment in the culinary world

Photos of Inani’s achievements and cooking.

For Saudi sous chef, Mohammed Inani, cooking for a living was never his life plan. However, when his plan to pursue a career in engineering did not come to fruition, he resolved to follow his heart and pursue his love for cooking. His resolve, hard work and dedication led him to his current position at the three Michelin star restaurant Saison in San Francisco.
Born in Austin, Texas where his family was living at the time, they moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after a few years. After completing high school, Inani returned to the United States to study engineering. He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and a master’s in project engineering from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. During his years as a student, Inani worked part time as a cook at local restaurants. He grew up watching and learning to cook from his mother. In Jeddah, Inani’s parents own a restaurant that serves Indonesian food cooked by his mother, where he sometimes helped out. Due to this background, he immersed himself in the culinary world of whichever city he was in. Arab News reached out to the chef to ask him about his journey to where he is today, his love for cooking, what it takes to be a chef, and his straightforward advice to anyone looking to enter the culinary world.

When did you realize cooking was what you wanted to do for a living as opposed to a hobby?
After I graduated, I looked for an engineering job for six months without success. I then decided I would do what I love the most in life, which is cooking!

Have you ever worked in your parents’ restaurant?
I helped with financial stuff and management of the restaurant, and that was when I visited home for like 2-3 weeks a year.

How was your decision met by family and friends, was it with support or hesitation?
My parents always knew about my love for cooking and that I wanted to open my own restaurant one day, but never thought I would turn this into a career. I would say they were a little bit disappointed at first. Eventually, they started to accept the idea that this is my life. They believed in me and supported me, and over the years they have seen my progress and success, and they are now happy that I am a chef.

What about cooking appeals to you? In other words, why did you choose to become a chef?
What appeals to me about cooking is that it’s a way for me to de-stress, and meditate; I get into the kitchen, start cooking, and forget about everything else that’s going on in my life. I’m a chef and I love what I do the most for one thing, which is that moment when someone tastes my food and tells me that it is one of the best things they have tried. The other day I was cooking for a group of people and someone told me, “I never thought that great food could make someone so happy.” That meant so much to me.

What kind of training have you received?
Chefs throughout the years have trained me professionally.

Which cuisine do you enjoy preparing the most, and do you ever experiment with ingredients?
I cook all types of cuisines. I’m drawn mostly to Japanese cuisine, but Asian cuisines in general such as Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. I often mix Asian techniques with French techniques to create something that is mine, my own cuisine! I like experimenting with everything, that is when you really come up with something unique.

If you were to open a restaurant, in which city would it be?
My future restaurant will most likely be in Dubai or Jeddah. But, I will leave that decision for when the time comes.

What are some hardships that you have come across in your career? Also, what have been the benefits or rewards you have found?
A lot of young cooks go into the culinary world thinking it is glamorous and fun, and that they will be able to create their own dishes and so on. But let me tell you this, culinary degrees mean nothing to restaurants (Not in Saudi, I mean the rest of the world). Everyone starts at the bottom no matter what culinary school they attended. The only thing that separates you from others is your experience and the places you have worked for. You have to earn that privilege, you have to prove you are worthy, talented, and a hard worker, and that takes years. Furthermore, working at high-end restaurants is one of the hardest jobs any one could have. It literally takes every ounce of your brain and muscles, you are running around on your feet for up to 14 hours a day with one half an hour lunch break, the only time you can sit down. Fourteen hours on your feet! But for some reason, I find it very satisfying. It is a feeling that no one could understand unless they experienced it and loved it. Being a professional chef or cook and knowing how to cook are two very different things.

What was your proudest moment as a chef?
The proudest moment I had as a chef was when I was told by our chef de cuisine at Saison that I would be replacing one of the sous chefs that had left. To become a sous chef at a three Michelin star restaurant was no small deal for me.

Please elaborate on what it means to you as a chef to have worked with Iron Chef Morimoto and to work currently at the three Michelin star restaurant, Saison.
Working with Chef Morimoto was a great experience. Learning from one of the best chefs in the world is something not everyone has the opportunity to do. So, I count myself very lucky, and I am thankful that I had that chance. I grew so much as a chef by working with Chef Morimoto.
Working at a three Michelin star is a whole different level of excellence, such as the produce, herbs, and proteins...Everything is treated to perfection, everything you do, you do to perfection. Cleanliness level is that of hospitals. It is extremely difficult to work at that level with some of the best chefs in the world, but the amount of growth and discipline you gain is insurmountable. You benefit from a whole different mindset about food and cooking.

Who are some chefs that you admire and why?
The chefs I admire the most are the ones I have and currently work with. I see their extreme drive, passion, skills, and work ethic, and I feed off of that. We learn from each other. Everyone has something to offer, and that to me, is more admirable than any celebrity TV star chef.

What advice would you give to people looking to go down the same career path?
My advice to young cooks is harsh, but it is the truth. If they go down this path, it is going to be very hard work. They will have to sacrifice a lot of things including a social life. There will be no such thing as weekends or vacations, and they should get used to 4 hours of sleep. They will be faced with so many obstacles, and not every one will survive. That is what it takes to be real chefs that make a difference in the culinary world.

Making strides in his career and excelling at his job are Chef Inani’s top priorities. Whether it is helping out his parents with their restaurant back home in Jeddah, or working side by side with internationally renowned chefs, he strives to advance as a chef, make his family proud, and do what he has always wanted to do, which is to make his own path and to follow his heart by cooking. For more on Chef Mohammed Inani, follow his Instagram account @chef_moeinani.

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