Chef Louis Tikaram was raised on a 45-hectare farm in Mullumbimby on the north coast of NSW. At an early age, he began exploring his Fijian heritage in the kitchen beside his Fijian-Chinese grandmother, but his appreciation for his family’s culture and cuisine was fully developed while living in Fiji as a pre-teen.

Following high school, Louis moved to Sydney, where he served as an apprentice at Longrain under Martin Boetz, who would become Tikaram’s long-term mentor. He went on to work at Bentley Restaurant + Bar with Brent Savage, whose menu was influenced by contemporary European trends. In 2008, Louis moved on to Tetsuya’s, which he said had a profound impact on his development as a chef.

“I learnt passion from Japanese chefs who taught me discipline and consistency,” he said. When Martin Boetz announced he was departing Longrain, the apprentice became the master when he handpicked Louis to take over as Executive Chef. With total creative authority, Louis refined his personal culinary style based on a simple, heartfelt philosophy.

He said, “I really believe in flavoursome, healthy food—the kind of food I love to eat. I’m not influenced by current trends, and I stay true to what I love to cook.”

It was at Longrain that Louis was named 2014 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year, which catapulted his name internationally and caught the eye of investors in Los Angeles, California. The opportunity to run the kitchen at E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood was an exciting prospect for Louis, who incorporated Southern California’s fresh produce into dishes inspired by his unique cultural heritage. He was drawn home in 2019 to open Stanley Cantonese Restaurant. When he is not working in the kitchen, Louis enjoys family time with his wife and two daughters, as well as running, cycling and surfing. A chef who maintains a profound respect for the sea and its creatures, Louis is a supporter of various ocean conservation advocacy groups.