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Joseph Segentakis redefines Kingsbury’s rooftop dining experience with CÉ LA VI Colombo

At the tender age of 16, Joseph Sergentakis (Joey) has already embarked on his dream, serving as a professional Chef in Brooklyn – New York. Having mastered French cuisine, Joey developed a deep passion towards Asian gastronomy, which took him on a culinary adventure throughout Asia including Vietnam, Thailand, Shanghai, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. In Hong Kong, Joey garnered profound knowhow in Asian flavours under the mentorship of Chef Gray Kunz at Café Gray Deluxe. As the Chef de Cuisine, Joey’s alluring creations earned Café Gray Deluxe a prestigious Michelin Star, placing it amongst the top 10 restaurants in Hong Kong. Joey has also gained international exposure while serving in Switzerland and France alongside Michelin Star chefs.

Having joined CÉ LA VI as the Group Executive Chef, Joey has been instrumental in defining the brand as an embodiment of region’s finest ingredients, blended with artistic innovation and modern cooking techniques to bring out Asia’s quintessential flavours.

 Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to join the hospitality sector?

A: Hospitality runs in my family. My father was a chef and my grandfather was a butcher. Almost everyone in my family has ties with F&B sector. Naturally I started out at a young age, and my first job was in a restaurant. After completing high school I followed higher studies at a culinary school. That’s when I fell in love with the kitchen!

Q: How do you describe your international exposure? And what do you specialize in?

A: I have spent time in Europe and in Asia. My training was primarily in French cuisine until I moved to Hong Kong in 2009. There I began to expand my influence and culinary repertoire. I fell in love with the flavours and ingredients, and delved right into the cuisine here. So, my cuisine is Asian but you will discover that some of the cooking techniques have French and European influence.

Q: As the Group Executive Chef at CÉ LA VI, how do you view the brand? What makes it stand apart from the competition?

A: It’s an exciting position to hold and an exciting time for us at CÉ LA VI. We are moving into some of the most prestigious locations in the world. Our restaurants are very unique and offer the best views in the town. Our menus are meticulously curated to bring in internationally acclaimed dishes with a touch of local flavours. And we always make sure that the food is rich in flavour and the ambience is fun and delightful, be it in our lounge or the nightclub.

Q: Having personally curated the menu for CÉ LA VI Colombo, how do you plan to localize the globally renowned Singaporean haute cuisine to gratify the Sri Lankan taste buds?

A: It’s important to work with the local team as they know what is best. Wherever we go, it’s important that we take time to do a market research as well as getting to know about the best produce in the region. We have conducted a similar study in Colombo for about a year and now we are ready and excited to launch our first menu!

Q: Can you reveal some of the exciting dining options we can look forward to at the upcoming CÉ LA VI Colombo?

A: We have a beautiful sushi bar in which we are sourcing the best seafood we can get in Sri Lanka. We also have a Teppanyaki which you can reserve in advance. I can assure you that it will be the best Teppanyaki experience you will relish in town!

Having joined CÉ LA VI as the Group Executive Chef, Joey has been instrumental in defining the brand as an embodiment of region’s finest ingredients, blended with artistic innovation and modern cooking techniques to bring out Asia’s quintessential flavours.
 Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to join the hospitality sector?
A: Hospitality runs in my family. My father was a chef and my grandfather was a butcher. Almost everyone in my family has ties with F&B sector. Naturally I started out at a young age, and my first job was in a restaurant. After completing high school I followed higher studies at a culinary school. That’s when I fell in love with the kitchen!
Q: How do you describe your international exposure? And what do you specialize in?
A: I have spent time in Europe and in Asia. My training was primarily in French cuisine until I moved to Hong Kong in 2009. There I began to expand my influence and culinary repertoire. I fell in love with the flavours and ingredients, and delved right into the cuisine here. So, my cuisine is Asian but you will discover that some of the cooking techniques have French and European influence.
Q: As the Group Executive Chef at CÉ LA VI, how do you view the brand? What makes it stand apart from the competition?
A: It’s an exciting position to hold and an exciting time for us at CÉ LA VI. We are moving into some of the most prestigious locations in the world. Our restaurants are very unique and offer the best views in the town. Our menus are meticulously curated to bring in internationally acclaimed dishes with a touch of local flavours. And we always make sure that the food is rich in flavour and the ambience is fun and delightful, be it in our lounge or the nightclub.
Q: Having personally curated the menu for CÉ LA VI Colombo, how do you plan to localize the globally renowned Singaporean haute cuisine to gratify the Sri Lankan taste buds?
A: It’s important to work with the local team as they know what is best. Wherever we go, it’s important that we take time to do a market research as well as getting to know about the best produce in the region. We have conducted a similar study in Colombo for about a year and now we are ready and excited to launch our first menu!
Q: Can you reveal some of the exciting dining options we can look forward to at the upcoming CÉ LA VI Colombo?
A: We have a beautiful sushi bar in which we are sourcing the best seafood we can get in Sri Lanka. We also have a Teppanyaki which you can reserve in advance. I can assure you that it will be the best Teppanyaki experience you will relish in town!