Top Chef (Middle Eastern and North African TV series)

Top Chef is an Arabic-language reality competition series based on the American television series of the same name. The contestants compete against each another in culinary challenges and are judged by the show presenter Siham Tueni, head chef Joe Barza, and a weekly panel of professional chefs and other personalities from the food industry, with one or more contestants eliminated in each episode.

Show format
Each episode has two main challenges; the Quickfire Challenge and the Pressure Test.

In the Quickfire Challenge, each contestant is required to cook a dish with specific requirements or participate in a culinary-related challenge within one hour or less. A guest judge selects one or more chefs as the best in the challenge.

In the Pressure Test, the contestants have to prepare one or more dishes to meet the challenge requirements. Some of these challenges can be individual while others could require teamwork. After the Elimination Challenge ends, the four judges consider the guests' comments and deliberate on the best and worst dishes.

Judges

 * Siham Tueini
 * Joe Barza

Guest Judges

 * Episodes 1 & 12: Yasser Jad – CEO of SARCA
 * Episodes 1 & 3: Joumana Salameh – Founder and executive manager of Hospitality New Magazine
 * Episode 2: Clovis Khoury – Owner of Maison Clovis restaurant, Lyon
 * Episode 2: Tony Saade - Owner of Montangnon restaurant
 * Episode 3: Roger Zaknoun – GM of La Plage, Derwande, Sofil Catering …
 * Episodes 3 & 12: Toufic Khouweiry - Owner of Kababji, U Bay, Table Fine
 * Episode 4: Sami Hawchar - Manager of Cater Trainment
 * Episode 4: Miled Rizkallah – GM of Mikana
 * Episode 4: Hala Nakhoul – Manager at Boecker World Holding Inc.
 * Episode 4: Anissa Helo – Owner of culinary school in London
 * Episode 4: Magdalene Roumi – Nutritionist and owner of Diet Delight
 * Episode 5: Alia Chaaraoui – Director/ board member of Noura
 * Episode 5: Michel Bayoud – CEO at Boecker World Holding Inc.
 * Episode 5: Fady Karam – GM of Buddha Bar
 * Episode 5: Olivier Gougon – Owner of Lady M Catering
 * Episode 5: Paul Ariss - Head of Syndicate for food and beverages
 * Episode 5: Samer Sabbagh - – Manager of food and beverages at Emirates Airlines
 * Episode 5: Thomas Rizkallah – Owner of Buddha Bar
 * Episode 5: Pia Chaaraoui – Assistant manager at Noura
 * Episode 6: Thomas Gugler – Manager Menu development & costing, Executive master chef at Saudi Arabian Airlines catering
 * Episode 6: George Ojeil – Head of food and beverages at Le Royal Hotel
 * Episode 6: Joyce Mouawad – Sales and marketing manager at Le Royal Hotel
 * Episode 7: Claude Thomy – Owner and GM of Crepaway restaurant
 * Episode 7: Ralph Nader – GM of Ember Consulting and Beach International
 * Episode 7: Samer Rizk – Partner and GM of Le Capitol restaurant
 * Episode 7: Ziad Osseily – Partner in Le Capitol restaurant
 * Episode 8: Walid Rizkallah – Owner of Chez Sami restaurant
 * Episode 8: Tony Rami – Secretary General of the syndicate of owners of cafes, restaurants, and pastries in Lebanon
 * Episode 9: Walid Mouzanar – Owner of Aziz and Walid Mouzanar Jewelry
 * Episode 9: Alfred Osseily – Owner of La Table D’alfred restaurant
 * Episode 10: Nicolas Kattan – Owner and GM of Cat and Mouth Catering
 * Episode 10: Jessy Dibo – Partner in Galateo
 * Episode 10: Charles Azar - Executive chef at Four Season’s Hotel, Beirut
 * Episode 10: Fernando Gomez – International executive chef
 * Episode 11: Anthony Maalouf – Owner of Casper and Gambini’s
 * Episode 11: Dory Rizk – GM of Afkar Holding
 * Episode 11: Cherine Yazbeck – World Gourmant 2010 award winner
 * Episode 12: Lyne Hajj Touma – GM of Le Tarylland
 * Episode 13: Jean Claude Ghossn - Chairman/GM for Ghia Holding
 * Episode 13: Marcello Zakaria - Chef from Accademia Barilla
 * Episode 13: Bruno Blancho – International chef from Moulinex
 * Episode 13: Pierre Daw - Head of marketing at Arla
 * Episode 13: Antoine Khoury – CEO of 19 hotels and 150 restaurants in Group Partouche
 * Episode 13: Zeid Goussouss – Former Jordanian Minister of Tourism
 * Episode 13: Rogger Edde – Owner of Edde Sands

Season 1

 * Nathalie Doumit, Lebanon
 * Moussabh Al Bedwawi, UAE
 * Michel Aoun, Lebanon
 * Marie-Therese Kassis, Lebanon
 * Maher Ramzi, Jordan
 * Joumana Mansouraty, Lebanon
 * Jean Habch, Lebanon
 * Hani Zein, KSA
 * Daoud Hanna, Lebanon
 * Chahira Daoud, Egypt
 * Abdul Alhawssawi, KSA
 * Daoud Hanna, Lebanon
 * Hani Al A’awil, Syria
 * Abdul Samad, KSA
 * Issam Jaafari, Morocco – Winner of season 1
 * Sleiman Khawand, Lebanon
 * Soumaya Idrissi, KSA