Mentor to young, talented chefs
ANTOINE RODRIGUEZ has been a chef for over 30 years.
Born in Bordeaux, France, and a graduate of the Lycee Technique D’Hotellerie & Tourisme in Bordeaux, he has travelled around the world working in various kitchens before arriving at our shores 14 years ago.
Since 2004, he has held the position of executive chef at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur.
On his culinary career, Rodriguez said: “It was a very, very long journey. I come from a family of foodies. My mum cooked a lot, my grandma cooked.
“I also stayed near a shop that did catering [when I was young]. I starting helping the owner and I think the love for cooking came from there.”
Rodriguez is not only continuing to indulge in his passion for cooking but is also happy to impart his vast amount of knowledge and skills to those willing to learn.
He has been a judge of the Nestle Professional Culinary Arts Awards for some six or seven years and also acts as a mentor to the winner.
This year’s competition, which was open to local culinary arts students, offered not only a RM3,000 cash prize to the winner but also, more importantly, a six-month internship under the tutelege of Rodriguez.
The eventual winner was Eng Sheng Pei from Taylor’s University.
As a mentor, Rodriguez