Fardad Khayami is the chef-owner of Muse, a contemporary French restaurant in Santa Monica, California. Born and raised in London to Iranian parents, he developed an early interest in cooking and worked in restaurants as a teenager. He also trained and competed as a boxer before a knockout around the age of 16 prompted him to reconsider his ambitions.
After his grandfather moved to Los Angeles, Khayami applied to the University of Southern California, where he studied business and corporate finance. He interned at banks and entered financial modeling competitions, planning a career in investment banking. Cooking for his roommates began as a practical arrangement: they paid for groceries, and he prepared dinner.
Those meals attracted neighbors and friends, eventually becoming Museum, a student apartment pop-up developed with roommate David Gelland. Khayami changed the entire menu each week as the operation grew from five-dollar dinners to tickets costing approximately $150. He continued developing his cooking through cookbooks, online research, and practical experience.
In August 2024, he opened Muse in the former Mason supper club space in Santa Monica. Designer Marc Ange created the interiors, which accompany a rotating art program that debuted with works by Joan Miró. His younger brother, Nikdad Khayami, oversees pastry.
At Muse, Khayami develops dishes collaboratively with his kitchen team, drawing on French techniques and seasonal California produce. He favors bold flavors and continues to refine his cooking while learning from colleagues with more extensive restaurant experience.
Hospitality is central to his role. He spends much of service in the dining room and takes a detailed interest in how guests are looked after, from the way water is poured to how tables are cleared. His aim is to combine polished service with the relaxed warmth of the dinner parties that first brought people to his apartment.
