Heritage as Ingredient: Basil Yassin’s Recipe for Innovation

What does it mean to preserve culture through cuisine? In this candid conversation, host Raja Haddad sits down with Basil Yassin — the culinary creator behind Yava and Tonton Bakes, two of Dubai’s most talked-about dining concepts.

 From Musakhan Pretzel to caramel-dipped mini croissant pops, Basil blends Palestinian heritage, creative experimentation and bold entrepreneurship to build food experiences that are anything but traditional. 

🤟 Basil opens up about:

 • Leaving a corporate career to pursue hospitality 

• Using Palestinian ingredients to tell a different kind of story 

• Why team culture is the true “ingredient” behind great dining 

• The struggle to prove identity in a city that moves fast

 • Riding the wave of social media — but not letting it define him 

• The future of his brands — and the dream of a beachfront boutique hotel 🎧 Whether you love food, culture, business or just a good story about taking risks and staying rooted, this episode will inspire you to create — and keep moving forward. 

📍 Visit Yava & Tonton in Wasl 51, Jumeirah — and taste the story for yourself. 

📺 Subscribe for more episodes featuring the creative forces shaping the Middle East. 

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