Antoine Lours

15 years of gastronomy

an enthusiast chef and a wine connoisseur living in New York, with over 15 years of culinary experience gathered from different corners of the earth.

8 years in New York

While he maintained a thriving career in finance, this didn’t stop him from exploring delectable possibilities in each city he visited, and bringing them back home in his humble NYC kitchen to build his flair for cooking.

Born and raised in Paris, France, his profession took him to numerous, diverse countries around the world, giving him the opportunity to explore cuisines beyond his hometown.

22 years in Finance

The beauty

of nature’s ingredients
and tastes

From Europe to Asia and down to South America, he learned more about global gastronomy from places such as Japan, Spain, Morocco, and the Basque community among many others. Throughout his travels, he learned about the beauty of nature’s ingredients and tastes—both simple and elusive—from the woody aroma of the cinnamon spice to the Japanese concept of capturing the flavors of umami.

Aside from food, he also honed his taste buds to appreciate wine in various cultures, and how it marries with their distinct dishes. From rich and opulent smoothness to the relaxed, light and fruity tang of specialty wines, there was always a unique coupling distinct to a region. There was no better training ground for his culinary abilities than his personal encounters with local food enthusiasts from each place he trod, from hole-in-the-wall cooks and artisanal bakery owners to highly-esteemed chefs of restaurants and talk-of-the-town cafes.

the art of
French cooking

While his travels sparked his desire in mastering a multitude of recipes, the heart of his craft goes back to his roots—the art of French cooking. With a significant part of his youth spent mostly in the kitchen of his dear grand-mère, who came from Brittany, the coastal region of France, his passion for excellent food was greatly influenced by her. With his grandmother living relatively near the coast, it was natural that seafood dishes were a constant in her menus, but nevertheless, Chef Antoine learned about the finest produces of earth that are sought out across regions, such as the nutty taste of the humble truffle.

Antoine’s artistry of the cuisine evokes the warm comfort of home with every bite.

Although he eventually settled in the US to become a New York chef, his focus has always been perfecting traditional French recipes. His signature dishes now include a palatable selection of homemade foie gras, coquille Saint-Jacques, bœuf bourguignon, homard à l’américaine, and his highly-regarded lemon zest crêpes.

The mastery of preparation
& the blending of flavors.

For Chef Antoine, cooking is a fine craft that requires both the mastery of preparation and the blending of flavors, and he believes that each dish must be paired with a good glass of wine. The foundations of his impeccable ability today go back to his childhood, picking fresh ingredients from the local market to his unending desire to keep learning about his passion, while balancing a successful professional career to date.

Aside from being renowned for his talent in cooking and wine expertise, he knows potential when he sees one, especially in up-and-coming chefs in New York.