Michelin Star Chef likes to mix with WorldSkills best

Take one pinch of natural talent, add a tablespoon of undivided commitment and mix with extraordinary skill... and viola.. you have yourself Michelin star Chef, Joel Antunes.

In a career that spans decades, Joel's passion for good food and high quality service has earned him great acclaim in the hospitality industry, taking him from the humble beginnings of his grandmother's kitchen in the South of France to his most recent post as the newly appointed Executive Chef of The Oak Room in New York's legendary Plaza Hotel.

Aside from his natural instinct when it comes to gourmet food, Joel also has a gift for spotting great talent in the kitchen. Knowing the caliber of WorldSkills Champions, he's not only looking forward to passing on his some of his famed French skills, but he's also keen to learn from their international experience too.

If you're a WorldSkills Champion Chef, Pastry Cook, Baker or Restaurant Service extraordinaire don't miss your chance to work with top International Chefs like Mr Joel Antunes.

Joel Antunes - Biography

Born in 1961 in Volvic, France, Joel Antunes officially began his culinary training in 1975.

Joël has been chef at such prestigious restaurants as Ledoyen and Duquesnoy in Paris, the Hotel Negresco in Nice, worked under celebrated French pastry chef Yves Thuries and served as chef poissonier for the legendary Paul Bocuse in Lyons. Continuing his climb up the culinary ladder, he became sous chef at Troisgros in Roanne, France before relocating to Bangkok, Thailand to serve as chef cuisinier at the Oriental Hotel's Normandie Restaurant. After another short stint in France at Marc Meneau's Michelin three-star restaurant in the Hotel Picardy in 1990, Antunes became chef-partner at the critically acclaimed London establishment, Les Saveurs where his culinary prowess earned the restaurant a Michelin star in 1994 and recognition as "Restaurant of the Year" from British magazine Decanter.

When the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead began its search for a new chef for their restaurant, the Dining Room, in 1997, famed Chefs Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse whole-heartedly recommended Antunes for the job. He served as chef for four years, earning the restaurant both a Mobil Five-Star award as well as a AAA Five-Diamond award and making it the only restaurant in the Southeast to simultaneously hold both accolades. He was named 2005 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast. The culmination of Chef Antunes' more than 25 years of culinary experience occurred when he opened his own restaurant, Joël, in Atlanta, featuring French cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences that Antunes has perfected while working with some of the world's culinary legends.