Chef Emmanuel Stroobant started his career at the tender age of 16, cleaning dishes in one of the best restaurants in Belgium. At 18, he enrolled at a hospitality institute in Belgium and fortunately for this budding chef, his training saw him experience some of the very best restaurants in Belgium, including one, two and three star Michelin establishments.

At 23, he opened his first restaurant in his hometown, Liege. It was an overnight success but Stroobant wanted another adventure and after doing some travelling, he finally settled in Australia for five years.

Emmanuel then lived in Kuala Lumpur for two years, during which he was awarded the title of Best Expatriate Chef 1999 by World Asia Media. Emmanuel and his wife Edina moved to Singapore to yet again experience another life-changing episode, when their restaurant, Saint Pierre opened in December 2000.

Since then Emmanuel has clinched several more awards – Wine and Dine Best New Restaurant 2002, Most Innovative Menu 2002, 2004 and 2007, World Gourmet Summit – Award of Excellence, Best New Restaurant 2002 and 2003, Chef of the Year 2002 and 2006 and his most recent achievement, Restaurant of the Year 2007. In 2008, Saint Pierre became a member of Relais & Châteaux.

Emmanuel has also written two cook books, Cuisine Unplugged and Vine Dining – White which has won the Gourmand World Media Award for Best in the World Matching Food and Wine. Plus, he also has his own TV series, Chef in Black and subsequently Chef in Black II.

Emmanuel was also the opening Consulting Chef to the award winning lifestyle establishment 7atenine in Kuala Lumpur. 7atenine Singapore also opened with Emmanuel creating the food concept.

Additionally, Emmanuel owns a series of restaurants; San Marco, a fine dining modern Italian restaurant; Brussels Sprouts, which offers Belgian fare; Picotin, a family-style eatery and The French Kitchen. Opened in January 2009, The French Kitchen is a collaboration between him and Jean-Charles Dubois who previously worked at the renowned Raffles Grill.

Visit the St Pierre restaurant website