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GUEST CHEF
Luke Dale-Roberts
British born Luke Dale-Roberts trained at Baur Au Lac Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland– at the time recognised as one of the top five hotels in the world.
He returned to London where he honed his skills in the art of French Fine Dining at ‘Elenas L’Etoile’ under Roux Brothers’ protégé Kevin Hopgood. This was followed by a move to Australia where he explored Pacific Rim Fine Dining, based at the Greenwood Hotel in Sydney. In 1998 he took up a position at London’s number one fusion restaurant, ‘Bali Sugar’ (member of the Sugar Club restaurants in the UK), learning to combine contemporary ingredients from around the world. From here he moved to the famous Soho House Media Club as Executive Sous Chef where he cooked for ‘the rich and famous’, including regular diners, film and pop stars Madonna, Kevin Spacey, Kylie Minogue and Oasis.
Staying in London, in January 2000 he took up his first position as Executive Chef, working for the Accor Hotel Group where he opened ‘The Loft’ – a modern, global signature restaurant. Here he remained until 2002 when the Accor Group offered him the opportunity to relocate to Singapore as Mission Executive Chef to open its signature concept restaurant in Asia, ‘The Square’. After this, he accepted a consulting contract with the Sofitel Hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, before moving to Seoul, Korea for the Accor Group once again where he developed a Modern French Bistro. Here he also launched ‘Shune’ a leading modern Japanese dining concept, working with top Japanese chefs from the famous Shunju group in Tokyo to present a menu of Traditional Japanese, and Modern Japanese ‘Nobu’ style dishes. His four and a half year stint in the Orient concluded in 2006 at the Sofitel Hotel in Manila, Philippines where, as Executive Chef, he launched ‘Spiral’, a restaurant incorporating Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Mediterranean sections – voted ‘Best Interactive Dining Experience’ in the Philippines.
Luke was appointed as executive chef of La Colombe in November 2006 and has since made his mark at this award-winning restaurant by adding exciting new Asian influences to the mix of classic and contemporary French Cuisine. Luke has elevated the dining experience, winning the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year award, being voted 12th out of the top 50 restaurants in the world by the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2010, achieving the highest three star rating in the 2009 and 2010 issues of the acclaimed Rossouw’s Restaurants guide and winning the 2009 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant of the Year award.
Luke’s culinary creations are for the discerning diner in search of imagination and superb technique. He starts with the thought that "A dish has to be understandable and have bold flavours. From that I build it and add textures and presentation. I’m always tweaking and refining to find a dish’s full potential. My mantra is ‘taste, taste, taste!' A meal at La Colombe is one of Cape Town’s greatest pleasures." With impeccable Service and an Award Winning Wine List, La Colombe is a truly unforgettable experience!