Check Out Joseph Saady’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Saady.

Joseph, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started at a very young age. My family comes from Syria and Lebanon, and I was born in Detroit. In our culture, family is everything, and because family is everything, food is everything.

When we came to California, we lived on land with horses and animals. Food wasn’t just something that showed up on the table—we were connected to the entire process. At a young age, we were burying lamb, growing grapes, making bread every day, and pulling vegetables straight from our garden.

My first real experience cooking for other people started with a deep fryer. We were living in Antelope Acres, California, surrounded by farmland, and I started making French fries and fried chicken for the people working in the fields. It was simple, but that’s really where it began.

Funny enough, American food was almost a treat for us growing up. Going somewhere like Olive Garden was exciting because at home, we were eating and cooking Mediterranean food every single day.

From that deep fryer came a grill, then a deli, and eventually a café called Foxy’s Landing at the local airport. We were cooking bacon, eggs, toast, club sandwiches—all that classic café-style food—for retired pilots, locals, and the families of the people who owned and worked the surrounding land.

Then we bought a steakhouse.

That was one of the greatest chapters of my life because I got to cook alongside my dad. We cooked over an open fire, brought all the local cowboys together, and I really started mastering steak and steakhouse cuisine while still bringing my Mediterranean roots and influence into the food.

From there, it became a lifetime of studying. Using science and molecular gastronomy to help influence my home cooking to create my own cuisine. I’ve had the opportunity to train under incredible chefs, meet people I once considered my idols, and eventually work alongside and learn from some of those same people.

Fast-forward to today, and I’m still a student. I’m still learning, still working, and even trying to understand this whole new world of social media—which, if I’m being fair, I’m still pretty foreign to.

I’ve always been an extreme person. When I commit to something, I take it to the extreme. I work hard, I study hard, and I don’t stop. That mentality has taken me from looking up to people in this industry, to training under some of my idols, to now having the opportunity to hopefully inspire and contribute something meaningful to the culture myself.

It’s been an incredible ride filled with a lot of humility and a lot of failure. But I’ve never wanted the journey to be driven by ego. I want it driven by faith, hard work, and what matters most to me: the food, the people, and bringing people together around a table.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been a lot of ups and downs—probably more downs than ups—but the ups have made every part of the journey worth it.

I don’t necessarily feel the need to get into every struggle or difficult chapter, because I believe all of it served a purpose. My faith is the foundation of how I look at my journey. I truly believe the Lord has used every failure, setback, closed door, and difficult season to mold me into the best version of myself and prepare me for where I am today.

The struggles taught me humility. They taught me perseverance, gratitude, and most importantly, that this craft isn’t just about me. I believe I’ve been given the ability to cook and bring people together so I can use it to do more for others.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change the road. The difficult parts were just as necessary as the victories. It wasn’t always easy, and it certainly wasn’t always smooth, but it was all meant to be—and I believe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a chef, but I’ve always looked at food as more than simply cooking. My style is rooted heavily in steakhouse cuisine and my Mediterranean upbringing, but I’ve spent my career modernizing those foundations through technique, molecular gastronomy, and a lot of creativity. I love taking something familiar—something people already have an emotional connection to—and presenting it in a way they’ve never experienced before.

I’m also known for hosting my own cooking competition show, This Is Fire, which has now gone for ten seasons. That platform has given me the opportunity to work with incredible chefs and personalities, showcase my craft, and hopefully inspire the next generation of cooks to push themselves while never forgetting where food comes from and why we cook in the first place.

But when you ask what I’m most proud of, it actually has very little to do with my résumé. I’m most proud of being a father and being a believer in Jesus Christ. Those two things define me long before being a chef ever will.

What sets me apart is something I try to live rather than talk about: I don’t believe I’m here to serve myself. I’m a servant to this craft, and more importantly, I’m a servant to others. Whether I’m cooking for one person or thousands, mentoring another chef, working on television, or simply feeding my family, the purpose remains the same.

My philosophy has always been “Do More For Others.” I don’t want my career to be measured only by dishes, restaurants, television seasons, or accolades. I want it measured by the people I was able to impact along the way.

I live for others, and that will never change.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to be persistent, be considerate of others, and not be so hard on yourself.

You have to learn to accept failure. Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s part of becoming the person God created you to be. Some of my greatest growth has come from the moments when things didn’t go the way I planned.

Most importantly, I’ve learned humility. Humility is growth. The moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop learning. I never want to stop being a student—of food, of people, of faith, and of life.

Keep going, give yourself grace, learn from your failures, and always remain humble. Every part of the journey is shaping you for what comes next.

Pricing:

• TBD

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Grandmasterchefjojo.com
• Instagram: grandmasterchefjojo
• Facebook: grandmastercheefjojo
• LinkedIn: https://linktr.ee/Grandmasterchefjojo
• Youtube: Grandmasterchefjojo

Image Credits
Creative Dynamic