Philip grew up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, to parents of Egyptian/Italian descent. Being surrounded by food all his life, his passion for the hospitality industry easily blossomed, leading to his colourful 23 years in the industry.

After completing his apprenticeship he moved to the UK and worked his way up the ranks at some of London’s most reputable establishments, such as The Metropolitan Hotel Hyde Park and The Savoy Hotel’s sister restaurant, Simpson’s on the Strand, where he was Executive Sous Chef and had a brigade of 43 Chefs. It was here that he cooked for members of parliament as well as numerous celebrities.

He then ventured to France where he worked in Toulouse and Marseille, learning the classics of fine French cuisine. He worked in little towns where he focused on adapting his knowledge to further his love for cooking and bringing people simple yet elegant food.

It was there that he began to combine this classical French cooking knowledge with the Singaporean palate.

After a few years he moved on to take charge of the kitchen at Restaurant 789 in Malaysia. There he obtained more knowledge in Asian cooking, which added to his interest in fusion cuisine. Now, every menu he creates has touches of classical French along with the local flavours.