FAST FUEL

Emerging L.A. restaurant kingpin CHARBEL HAYEK's recipe for strength and consistency.

- BY PAUL KITA

IF THERE WAS ever a guy who legitimately didn't have time for fitness, it's Charbel Hayek.

He's the chef of Ladyhawk, a modern Eastern Mediterranean spot in West Hollywood, plus three other L.A.-area restaurants and one in Miami, and he's also opening two new eateries in 2026. Yet Hayek, 28, says he's never gained more than a few pounds since graduating from culinary school in France at 18. That's because whatever's going on in his life, eating well and working out are constants. In fact, on top of hitting the gym two or three days a week, running, and swimming, he's recently started boxing too. "Right now, my biggest fitness goal is consistency—showing up every day and making choices that keep me feeling strong and energized," he says. That also means regularly eating high-protein meals that don't weigh him down, like this spin on shrimp tacos.