Mark took an irregular path to becoming a chef. Initially a gold mine electrician, he discovered his passion cooking – when he helped out at a friend’s restaurant. At 25 he commenced an apprenticeship at the Macleay Street Bistro, where he landed the coveted Josephine Pignolet award for 1995 Best Young Chef in New South Wales. Mark then opened Peninsula Bistro in 1995 to wild applause.
To further his French expertise, Mark studied overseas during 1998–99 at L’Arpége in Paris under Pascal Barbot and Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saisons with Raymond Blanc. Upon return Mark opened Marque, serving predominantly French food with his ingenious twists and signature new-age techniques. Along with many personal awards, Marque featured for three years in Worlds 50 Best Restaurants and maintained three hats in the Good Food Guide for 10 years. In 2016 Mark opened Bistro by Mark Best on a Dream Cruises luxury ship and now has added two further ships, sailing out of Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Mark has published Marque a Culinary Journey and Best Kitchen Basics.
Position: Mark’s twitter and LinkedIn (@markbest/mark-best) list him as executive chef, restaurateur, on Netflix The Final Table, AEG Appliance ambassador, speaker, author, photographer, podcaster.
