Philippine chef, Oscar Perez, has recently been appointed the new executive chef of the renowned St. Regis Bali.
Graduating from the Hotel and Restaurant School, Mester Laeren, in Denmark, he completed an apprenticeship at The Golden Fortune in Copenhagen, a highly renowned seafood restaurant in the Scandinavian region. From there, Oscar worked at a well established restaurant, the Leonore Christine, before which he helped his old mentor, cook and restaurateur, Claus Christensen, in the opening of Gammel Mont 71.
Oscar has an interesting background, being a descendent of the Philippines but growing up in Copenhagen, Denmark. His interest in cooking began at an early age, when his mother used to ask him to help out in the kitchen. From there he watched and learnt the secrets of home cooking and this triggered his ambition to join the culinary world, encouraged further by a family with a strong hotel background.
Restaurant Nouvelle, a Michelin awarded restaurant, is where Oscar Perez specialized in Nordic and French cuisine together with Lars Kyllesbech, at that time a leading chef in the culinary world with his innovative Nouvelle cuisine. Perez’s achievements shone through the fact that for four consecutive years while he worked at Restaurant Nouvelle, it maintained the Michelin award.
His burning interest in Asia then brought him back to this part of the world. Among the hotels that he worked in are renowned hotels such as the Regent Hotel Kuala Lumpur, a Four Seasons Hotel and what is currently The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, before moving to the W Retreat & Spa in Maldives. Being in Asia now for a decade, his culinary creations have moved more towards Asian flavors.
