Chef Emmanuel Stroobant has indeed come a long way!

Hailing from Belgium, his career began at a tender age of 16 with the cleaning of dishes in one of his country’s best restaurants. He had oped that this part time job would help pay his way through university as his first ambition was to be a lawyer. Whilst finishing high school and juggling between academics and his night job, Stroobant took an affinity to his working environment, and was soon on his way to peeling, chopping vegetables and making salads!

At 18, he well and truly chose the culinary path and enrolled at a hospitality institute in Belgium. For four years he was seconded to various parts of the country to experience different management styles and cuisine genres. Fortunately for Stroobant, his training stages encompassed some of the very best restaurants in Belgium that included one, two and three star Michelin establishments.

At 23, he opened his first restaurant in his hometown, Liege. It was an overnight success and after three summers, Stroobant yearned for another adventure to broaden and hone his craft. His travel took him through the continents of Europe, America, and finally settling into Australia for a period of five years.

Following that, he made a life changing decision by heading to Asia. His maiden stop was to Kuala Lumpur in late 1997 and he adapted to the local scene and culture like a fish to water. Stroobant made it a point to understand the needs and wants of his patrons and his efforts were duly recognised when he was awarded the ‘1999 Best Expatriate Chef’ by World Asia Media. In that same year Stroobant and his wife Edina moved to Singapore to yet again experience another unchartered episode. They both joined a small café/restaurant located in an obscure part of Singapore called The Fig Leaf. Having grown fond of the hole in the wall concept, the husband and wife team did not remain with The Fig Leaf when it relocated to bigger and better premises. They thrived on the personalised custom accorded to each and every guest that visited their first restaurant, Saint Pierre, when it opened its doors in December 2000.

Eighteen months along, more accolades and awards were clinched by Stroobant for his flagship restaurant, Saint Pierre. The primary ones being 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 ‘Restaurant of the Year 2007’.

Saint Pierre became the only Singapore member of the world renowned Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious association of the world’s finest hotels and restaurants; and has been awarded 1 Michelin star by the second edition of Michelin Guide Singapore in 2017 followed by gaining 2 Michelin Stars at the latest guide in 2021.

Stamping his brand of different food concepts into his string of eateries, Stroobant currently co-owns the following popular outlets. Shoukouwa Sushi Restaurant , 2 Michelin – starred fine dining Japanese edomae sushi restaurant at One Fullerton, in partnership with Japanese cuisine specialist Hanachiyo. Rocks – Urban Grill + Bar, a contemporary barbecue restaurant with spectacular views overlooking the Marina Bay at The Sail @ Marina Bay. SQUE, a casual dining bistro offering a wide variety of global cuisine and over 200 different types of international beers – located at The Central @ Clarke Quay and Mapletree Business City.

1. What is your philosophy when it comes to food?

2. Name your most Favorite dish on the menu? And why?

I cannot name a particular dish on the menu that is my favourite because every dish has its own distinctive elements. However, if I had to pick one dish, it would be the Artichoke (herb-crusted purple artichoke stuffed with pine nuts and zucchini, with turmeric sauce) – a simple ingredient that is transformed into a very unique dish.

It is not a new dish, and we have tried to remove it from our menu. However, due to popular demands and requests from guests to bring it back, this dish is now one of the mainstays on the menu.

3. Main considerations when it comes to choosing your ingredients?

Seasonality comes first – we are living in a world where we can get white asparagus from South America all year round; but it is not the same if you want to get seasonal spring white asparagus from Landes or Loire Valley.

Relationship with the producers is important. If your butcher knows exactly what you are looking for, his expertise can help us (chefs) to source and cook better.

Consistency is also a key element. From size, flavour and colour, to ripeness and freshness, all components are crucial in maintaining the high standards and consistency of the food.

4. How do you see the growing demands for sustainable produce affecting the food world?

Sustainability is essential – it is simply the respect of nature, producers and my guests in making sure that our ingredients come from people who love what they do, who take pride in their produce, and it is our duty to prepare them with the same amount of respect.

I also hope that my kids and the next generation will still have some real food (i.e. birds that are raised according to organic standards and are not fed any hormones, antibiotics, drugs, have access to outdoor space, and consume clean drinking water) to eat. If we keep growing genetically modified organisms and serving processed food, what will happen to our future generations?

5. If you weren’t a chef, or in the food business, what would you be?

I cannot think of anything else other than being in the food business. Even if I weren’t a chef, I would venture into something F&B related.

6. Do you have a memorable food experience that impacted you as a child or young chef?

I have a lot of amazing food memories, but one of the most unforgettable experiences when I was young was Peking duck. It was like a brand new experience for me back then. Of course, now that I’m almost turning half a century old and being in Asia for close to 20 years, I realized that the Peking duck I had in Belgium wasn’t authentic. But as a child, it was fascinating to see the process of slicing and wrapping the duck – my first real experience of playing with food.

7. What do you enjoy most about being a chef?

Being a chef is like many other passions, you do it because you love it. Despite the long hours, commitment, and the constant keep-up to the ever-evolving trends in the culinary world, it is challenging yet rewarding to explore different seasonal ingredients around the world, experiment with different flavours and textures, and to push myself beyond my creativity limits.

8. Other than creating good food, what are the most important qualities that make a successful chef?

A successful chef is more than just creating good food. You need to have great organisation skills – to lead a team of kitchen staff, ensure that plates are going out perfectly in a timely fashion, control food budget and expense, determine how much of each ingredient to buy each week, schedule shifts for employees, etc. More importantly, what sets a chef and a great chef apart is attention to detail. A missing element in a dish or a fish cooked for a minute too long can all ruin the overall dining experience.

We also tend to misinterpret the meaning of the word “chef” as it is often referred to as a cook. In France, a cook is known as a “cuisinier”. The word “chef” means leader (chief or head), and besides cooking, he or she needs to be able to drive an entire restaurant team to deliver the very best in any circumstances.

9. If you had a choice of anything for your last meal, what would you choose to have?

I would probably focus more on the company rather than the food. Spending time with my loved ones over a comfort meal of homemade lasagne, a nice cheese platter and a great bottle of burgundy. Phones will be banned!

10. Do you have any tips for budding chefs or restaurateurs?

My advice for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs is to work hard (really hard) and focus on achieving their goals. It is a career that demands long hours, selfdiscipline, commitment, never say die attitude and grit.

It is beyond just a positive attitude. To be a good chef, you need to put time and effort into your skills. To prepare a proper meal and to make everything from scratch, you will need to sacrifice your time. It is definitely not an easy career that will be appreciated by all.

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ADDRESS:
1 Fullerton Road, #02-02B One Fullerton, 049213
PHONE: 6438 0887
WEBSITE: http://www.saintpierre.com.sg/