Soneva Kiri

The Chef and Director at Kong Hans Kælder Restaurant, located in the oldest building in Copenhagen. In Mark’s universe, food is not a gift sent down from heaven. In order to understand the taste and the composition of a dish, it is essential to respect its origin and understand the craftsmanship in its preparation. With a distinctive mix of classic French cuisine and new Nordic kitchen, Mark creates dishes that define palatability at its best.

Executive Chef at Restaurant Merlet in Schoorl, Netherlands, since 2015, Jonathan Zandbergen is considered one of the greatest Dutch culinary talents. With cooking methods that combine both tradition and innovation, he has won numerous prestigious awards, including the ‘Prix Culinary Le Taittinger’ in 2014, as well as being crowned Gault & Millau’s ‘Most Talented Chef’ in 2017. The Dutch public became better acquainted with Zandbergen through his TV appearances, most recently as a jury member in the RTL series, Topchef Academy and as a judge on Masterchef Holland in 2018. With over 20 years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and cooking competitions, Zandbergen has created his own unique style of Dutch cuisine, inspiring people from all over the world through his culinary streaming platform, CHEFFD. Chef Jonathan Zandbergen will be hosting a series of exclusive dining events at Soneva Kiri on February 18, 20 & 21, 2023.

Chef Kamilla Seidler will be hosting a series of exclusive dining events at Soneva Kiri on April 6, 7 & 8, 2023. In 2012, Danish chef Kamilla Seidler arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, after receiving an irresistible invitation from pioneering restaurateur Claus Meyer to join a dream project, GUSTU, part of his Melting Pot initiative to empower young Bolivian chefs and put Andean cuisine on the world map. Unofficially baptised as the “Dane of the Andes”, for her great culinary and social work on behalf of the nation, Seidler ended up taking all of Latin America by storm. Having developed an innovative, simple and elegant culinary style, Seidler was the first female chef invited to join the International Council of the Basque Culinary Center in 2014, and was named the Best Chef in South America that same year. She became a member of The Danish Gastronomy Academy in 2015, and was recognised as Latin America’s Best Female Chef for the two following consecutive years. In 2018, Seidler returned to Copenhagen to explore the social gastronomy movement, opening Restaurant Lola with partners Mette Strarup and Rune Toft in 2019. Having dedicated her life’s work to sharing a message of respect, equity, dignity and pride through food, inclusion and tolerance are fundamental building blocks of the restaurant’s DNA. Each person working at the restaurant brings their own personal experiences to the table, giving the menu an international focus combined with locally sourced Danish produce, connecting the many shared ingredients but different cooking traditions and methods from around the globe. She also runs Lola Impact, a Latin American-inspired food truck that employs young people facing difficulties entering employment.

Karan grew up in Mumbai and moved to England in 2005 to study law at the University of Cambridge. Even as a practicing solicitor, Karan’s passion for food and hospitality never faded and he spent time in professional kitchens in his spare time. In 2012, he left his legal career at a city law firm to pursue a career in hospitality, traveling across India and Sri Lanka to immerse himself in the food and culture of the countries. His restaurant Hoppers was founded in October 2015. The first Hoppers in Soho was inspired by the toddy-shops, home cooking and roadside stalls of Sri Lanka and South India, and served its namesake Hoppers alongside Dosas, Kothu, Short Eats, Rice and Roasts. The acclaim soon followed with reviews from London Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler and the late Sunday Times critic A.A. Gill who applauded Hoppers for its ‘seductive, come-hither menu’ and ‘spectacular, impressive, authentic, confident and swaggering kitchen.’ Over the years Karan has written travel features and recipes on Sri Lanka and southern India for major national and international publications including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveller, The ES Magazine, Bloomberg, The Financial Times; and appeared on Sunday Brunch, Great British Chefs, Sorted Food’s YouTube channel and various food festivals across the UK. Chef Karan will be at Soneva Kiri for intimate dinners with our guests on April 13, 14 & 15, 2023