Eating on Samui - March 2015

FLAVOURS OF SAMUI JEAN-FRANÇOIS BROUCK Jean-François graduated from the Ecole Hotelière Provinciale de Namur in Belgium and spent the next six years working with great chefs such as Freddy Van Decasserie in the 2-star Michelin restaurant, La Villa Lorraine, before going on to De Bijgaarden, and then refining his craft alongside Yves Mattagnes at Sea Grill.

Then, like many of today’s hot chefs, he decided to see the world and experience what other more exotic cuisines could teach him. Jean-Francois found himself at the world’s most luxurious hotel, the ‘7-star’ Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. As Sous-Chef in charge of their signature seafood restaurant, Al Mahara, he created their quarterly menus and embraced the excitement and knowledge of working in the most sumptuous hotel in the world.

Still in need to see the world he headed off to Singapore as Chef de Cuisine for the opening of a new cutting edge restaurant , The Cliff, awarded by the World Gourmet Summit. Then on a visit to Bali, he became enchanted with the island and its people and decided to make it his home. He spent the next 4 years there working in various restaurants and hotels such as CasCades Restaurant at The Viceroy Bali, which he decided to make his signature restaurant, creating an outstanding menu of fine imported produce with both Western and exotic Asian influences.

After a few years working at Kai Restaurant/Swissotel Moscow, ranked as one of the top 10 restaurants in Moscow, Jean-Francois decided to join the Zazen team in Samui in March 2014 in order to take over the remarkable work of Chef Stéphane Courtin.

Zazen Restaurant Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa Bophut Tel: 077 425 085 Web: www.samuizazen.com