Born in Singapore to a family “where the women cooked and cooked well,” Akmal Anuar’s love of food began at his parents’ hawker stalls.
He started his professional culinary career in 1999 at Les Amis, a French restaurant in Singapore, before moving to Honiara, Solomon Islands, to work for a tourist resort where, with no access to imports, he learned how to really work with local, seasonal produce.
Anuar returned to Singapore in 2005, eventually rising to lead the kitchen at the critically-acclaimed Iggy’s. He later moved to Dubai to join Le Royal Meridien as chef collaborator with Richard Sandoval Hospitality, before leaving to co-found 3 Fils.
In early 2020, Anuar left to start his hospitality consultancy White Rice Co, which has since worked on restaurant openings across the UAE and KSA. Today, he is co-founder and executive chef of Dubai’s Goldfish, a casual sushi and yakitori concept, and co-owner and chef at 11 Woodfire, which focuses on selecting the finest natural and seasonal ingredients for cooking over wood fire.