Rachid Kourda.

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EECUTIVE CHEF / GENERAL MANAGER

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Born in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia, chef Rachid Kourda developed an appreciation for fine food at a young age. His father a diplomat and his mother the General Manager of Home Bank, he dined at the finest restaurants and soon developed a discriminating palate.

When his father was offered a position at the Tunisian Embassy in Lyon, France, Kourda jumped at the chance to explore the gastronomic capital of France. He soon registered in the culinary arts program at Lycée Hélène Boucher, located in Lyon where he spent three years learning the ins and outs of the restaurant business from the art of cooking to management to marketing.

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Armed with his degree, Kourda set off on his culinary journey, traveling to Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Italy to gain a better understanding and sharpen his skills with international cuisine.

In the summer of 1991, when his family returned to Tunisia Kourda enrolled at the Enterprise Food Service University. Even as he studied, he worked for many luxury hotels using and continued to develop his culinary and hospitality skills.

Upon finishing his studies, Kourda headed for the United States, arriving at LAX in October of 1996. With the whole of the country before him, he decided to explore the culinary traditions of US and discover some of America’s best dishes. From Los Angeles to Miami with stops in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, Kourda has worked as a General Manager at la Fontana Italian Kitchen in Glendale, California, Sous Chef at Harvard Gardens in Boston and as Executive Chef at Panino Gourmet in Los Angeles. He’s worked in the kitchen as Executive Chef at Cafe Toscano Fusionin Massapequa, New York, Anima Bistro in Brooklyn and Nissen 2 in Woodbury, New York.

Kourda, whose insight and creativity is limitless, shares this wonderful world of food with diners at Zapp Brasserie at the Red Lion Inn in Cohasset, Massachusetts. A fully active chef and restaurant advisor, Kourda also works to create a cooking network program.