Chef Sewilam Sayed is the Executive Chef at Jospereno, and if you want to understand what makes our DIFC steakhouse different, you start with him and the fire he cooks over. There are no shortcuts at the pass, no clever gadgets standing in for skill. There is charcoal, heat, a good cut of beef and a chef who has spent years learning exactly when to leave it alone and when to act. This is a warm, honest look at the craft behind every plate we send out, why Spanish charcoal grilling matters, and how we keep premium steak within reach at prices that start from AED 99.
Who is Chef Sewilam Sayed
Chef Sewilam Sayed leads the kitchen at Jospereno as our Executive Chef. He is the person who decides how a cut is trimmed, how long it rests, and how close it sits to the coals. That sounds simple until you stand next to a live charcoal grill and feel how quickly things can go from perfect to overdone. Cooking over real fire is not forgiving. It rewards attention, patience and a feel for timing that only comes from doing it again and again.
What you notice first about working with Chef Sewilam is the calm. A busy night in DIFC can send a steady stream of orders to the pass, yet the rhythm stays steady. Each steak gets the same care, whether it is a quick Fire Cut at lunch or a Sharing Board for two on a Friday night. That consistency is the quiet promise behind our tagline: Premium Steak. Honest Prices. Real Fire. We would rather earn a guest who comes back every month than impress one who never returns.
Why Spanish charcoal grilling changes everything
At the centre of our kitchen sits a Spanish charcoal-fired oven. It burns 100 percent charcoal at high heat behind a sealed door, which means the meat is surrounded by intense, even radiant heat rather than a single flame licking one side. That heat does two things at once. It builds a deep, caramelised crust on the outside while the inside stays juicy and tender. Get the balance right and you taste both in a single bite: the savoury, almost nutty char on the surface and the soft, beefy centre underneath.
That crust is not a happy accident. It is the result of the Maillard reaction, the chemistry that happens when proteins and sugars in the meat meet very high heat and start browning into hundreds of new flavour compounds. You can read the science of it in this clear explainer on the Maillard reaction from Britannica. The short version is that a hotter, drier surface browns better, and a charcoal oven gets hot in a way a home pan rarely can. That is the whole point of cooking over coals: control the heat, build the crust, protect the centre.
Charcoal heat versus a kitchen pan
| What matters | Spanish charcoal oven at Jospereno | Typical home pan |
|---|---|---|
| Heat source | 100 percent charcoal, high and even | Gas or electric, one contact surface |
| Crust | Deep, caramelised all over | Browns where it touches the pan |
| Interior | Juicy and tender | Easy to overcook near the edges |
| Aroma | Real charcoal smoke and char | Mostly the fat in the pan |
| Margin for error | Managed by an experienced chef | On you, in real time |
None of this is meant to talk down a good home cook. The honest truth is that the equipment and the hands behind it make a real difference, and that is what you are paying for when you sit down at a proper grill. If you want to go deeper on getting the inside right, our steak doneness guide walks through rare, medium and well done so you can order with confidence.
The craft of Chef Sewilam Sayed at the grill
Ask Chef Sewilam Sayed what makes a great steak and the answer is rarely about one secret. It is a stack of small decisions, each one easy to get slightly wrong. The cut has to be the right thickness for the heat. The surface has to be dry so it browns instead of steams. The placement near the coals decides how fast that crust forms. And the rest, that quiet minute after the steak leaves the fire, lets the juices settle back through the meat so they end up on your plate and not on the board.
Here is how that craft shows up in the cuts you can order:
- Fire Cuts from AED 99: steak, fries and salad, built for a fast, satisfying meal without cutting corners on quality.
- The Prime Ribeye at AED 129: the Chef’s Pick, marbled for flavour and finished with that signature charcoal crust.
- Charcoal Sharing Boards at AED 199: four options, Ribeye, Burger, Smokehouse and Lamb Chops, each strictly for two, working out around AED 100 a head.
- The Wagyu Classic burger at AED 65: proof that honest value and real fire are not just for the headline steaks.
Everything we serve is 100 percent Halal. If you are new to ordering steak and not sure where to begin, our guide on how to choose the perfect steak cut takes the guesswork out of it. To see the full range of cuts that come off the charcoal, visit our steak menu.
Honest value is part of the craft
It would be easy to wrap good steak in a high price tag and call it a day. We chose a harder, more interesting path. The skill that goes into a steak should not put it out of reach. That is why premium cuts start from AED 99 and why a Sharing Board feeds two for AED 199. Chef Sewilam and the team treat that AED 99 Fire Cut with the same seriousness as the AED 129 Prime Ribeye, because honest prices only mean something if the quality behind them is real.
That philosophy is exactly why so many guests keep coming back, and we dug into it further in our piece on why steak lovers choose Jospereno in Dubai. Value here is not a discount. It is a decision about what a good meal should cost.
Where to find us in DIFC
Jospereno sits in the Al Murooj Complex in DIFC, Dubai, an easy walk from the Financial Centre metro station on the Red Line. We open from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM daily and the kitchen takes its last orders at 12:30 AM, so there is plenty of room for a long lunch or a late dinner. If you are weighing up where to eat in the area, we are proud to feature among the best restaurants in DIFC.
Walk-in welcome, every day — just come by and grab a table. hello@jospereno.com or call +971 52 420 6404. If you are coming for the midday rush, our lunch menu is built for a quick yet proper meal in the heart of the financial district.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Chef Sewilam Sayed?
Chef Sewilam Sayed is the Executive Chef at Jospereno, our Spanish charcoal-fired steakhouse in DIFC, Dubai. He leads the kitchen and oversees how every cut is prepared, grilled over charcoal and rested before it reaches your table.
What is Spanish charcoal grilling?
It is cooking inside a Spanish charcoal-fired oven that burns 100 percent charcoal at high heat behind a sealed door. The intense, even heat builds a deep caramelised crust on the outside of the steak while keeping the inside juicy and tender.
How much does a steak cost at Jospereno?
Premium cuts start from AED 99. Fire Cuts with steak, fries and salad begin at AED 99, The Prime Ribeye is AED 129, and charcoal Sharing Boards are AED 199 for two, which works out to around AED 100 per person.
Do I need a reservation?
Walk-in welcome, every day — no waiting list and no deposit, just come in. You can also reach us on WhatsApp or by calling +971 52 420 6404.
Is the food at Jospereno Halal?
Yes. Everything we serve at Jospereno is 100 percent Halal, prepared in our DIFC kitchen and grilled over Spanish charcoal.
Come and taste the difference real fire makes. Jospereno is open from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM daily in the Al Murooj Complex, DIFC, Dubai. Premium steak, honest prices, and a chef who treats every cut like it matters.
Go deeper into the kitchen.
Meet Chef Sewilam Sayed → his full culinary portfolio