CHEF EMIL CECIL ESS

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Won MLA Butchery Competition in 2012 while still in school.
• Worked in Huber’s Butchery to complete my butchery training for 9 months (2013 – 2014).
• Worked in Buona Terra, an Italian fine dining restaurant located in Scotts Road for 4.5 years, rising up from Commis Cook to Junior Sous Chef in 3 years.
• Joined the opening team for Restaurant Zen (2018) as a CDP to learn more skills and cooking technique.
• Zen won two stars after being opened for 10 months.
• Left Zen to travel to San Francisco to work at In-Situ, an exhibition restaurant located in SFMOMA. This was under Chef Corey Lee and Chef Ian at that point of time. (2020).
• Had to return to Singapore due to the pandemic. Rejoined Zen and left in 2021.
• Together with 2 other chefs, we started a Texan BBQ Smokehouse called Social Smoker and was the head chef and pitmaster during that time. (2021-2023).
• Joined the Frantzen Group and trained with Chef Bjorn and his team for 3 months in Stockholm for the opening of Brasserie Astoria Singapore.
• Head Chef of Brasserie Astoria Singapore to date.