Up-and-coming chef Stefan Liau of Hevel passes away at 33

Chef Stefan Liau, who owned contemporary European restaurant Hevel in Keong Saik Road has passed away unexpectedly. He was 33.

 
Liau helmed Hevel, which he opened in January this year with the PleasureCraft Group, a homegrown hospitality company. It also runs F&B establishments such as Marcy’s and Parliament Bar. 

In a statement by Hevel on its Instagram page, it states: “No words can express how heartbroken we are by the sudden passing of Chef Stefan Liau. Stefan was a kind mentor, a devoted husband, and a close friend who touched countless lives with his warmth, creativity, and genuine love for those around him.”

The statement adds that the restaurant will remain open through next month and until further notice. 

Liau honed his craft in fine dining restaurants such as Spoon by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong, and Terra, Cure, Rhubarb Le Restaurant and Preludio. Prior to striking out on his own at Hevel, he was the head chef at the Mandala Masters, the chef residency programme by private members club, Mandala Club. As head chef, he was instrumental in realising the vision of world-renowned chefs Gaggan Anand, Manish Mehrotra and Yoshihiro Narisawa through the club’s string of successful pop-up restaurants in Singapore.

Liau also took part in Cure’s Past & Present menu showcase, which marked the new Irish restaurant’s ninth anniversary in July. The event gathered current and past chefs of Cure, where Liau spent 1.5 years as a chef de partie. 

In an Instagram post, Andrew Walsh, chef-owner of Cure says: “(Stefan’s) passion, dedication and creativity was a major part of Cure’s success in the early days. His commitment was inspiring to others - first in and last out and always working on a new beautiful dish from a beautiful soul. It was no surprise he gathered much success at Hevel in such a short period as his talent truly deserved.”