Michelin-starred S'pore restaurant announces firing of chef after allegations of abuse

With immediate effect.

Fasiha Nazren | January 24, 2022, 07:24 PM

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On Jan. 17, Japanese restaurant Esora publicly announced in social media posts that it has terminated its relationship with chef Shigeru Koizumi.

Allegations of abuse

Esora, a restaurant under The Lo & Behold Group, said that the decision follows an internal investigation into "multiple accounts of mistreatment."

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"As a company, we are committed to providing a safe and positive work environment for all our staff and cannot accept any behaviour that jeopardises it," the statement said.

According to The Business Times, this is not the first time that Koizumi has been embroiled in allegations of abuse.

It was reportedly one of the factors for the closure of the Japanese fine dining restaurant in 2019.

Koizumi had been with Esora since its opening in Aug. 2018.

Previously, he worked at fine dining restaurants Nihonryori RyuGin and Odette.

Split views

The unusually public termination of the chef was commended by some Instagram users.

However, some opined that the termination could have been done privately.

Received Michelin Star in 2021

After its closure in 2019, Esora reopened its doors in 2021.

That same year, the restaurant was one of 12 new restaurants to receive a Michelin Star.

Esora will now be helmed by Takeshi Araki.

Araki has 10 years of experience, of which four years were spent at three Michelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin.

Chef de cuisine Noboru Shimigashi will also join him at Esora.

Shimigashi was previously from Odette, another restaurant under The Lo & Behold Group.

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Top image from @esora.restaurant/Instagram.