With a culinary career spanning ALMA, Michelin-starred kitchens in Brisbane, Shanghai’s Lujiazui, and Seoul’s Four Seasons, Marco Erba finds its next chapter in Kuala Lumpur’s Best Address—where The Brasserie has a new hand at its heart.
Following Chef Norazizi Taslim’s celebrated tenure at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, the hotel has appointed Marco Erba as its new Executive Chef, placing one of the industry’s most accomplished international chefs at the helm of KL’s most storied hotel culinary portfolio.
Chef Marco Erba’s career is a study in range. A graduate of ALMA, La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, widely regarded as Italy’s most rigorous culinary school, he began his journey at several Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels in Brisbane, Australia, before working his way across China, Qatar, and South Korea. Most recently, he served as Executive Chef at the Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai, where he led Acqua, the hotel’s signature Italian restaurant situated in the heart of Lujiazui’s financial district, with his belief that exceptional food begins with the integrity of its ingredients rather than the spectacle of its presentation. He was also honoured with the Chef of the Year title at the 2025 China Feast Restaurant Awards.
The nature of the culinary house Erba is inheriting is no simple matter. The Brasserie has been the beating heart of The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur since 2016, growing into its current distinction as one of Kuala Lumpur’s MICHELIN-Selected restaurants across consecutive years. Its interior pays quiet homage to Malaysia’s tin mining history and colonial past, right down to the pressed-tin ceilings overhead. The menu sits in the French Contemporary register, built on modern technique with Mediterranean and Asian influences, and under Azizi’s stewardship had developed a distinct personality around locally sourced Malaysian ingredients treated with the finesse of European culinary technique, an identity that has made The Brasserie one of the few fine dining addresses in the city feel at home.
The question Chef Marco now carries into his role is whether a chef whose training and instincts are so deeply Italian can make that same kind of local connection his own. His experience suggests he can: at Four Seasons Seoul, he spoke openly about his immediate instinct upon arriving in Korea being to visit traditional markets and cook local ingredients himself at home, approaching each new culinary geography with the curiosity of a student rather than the authority of an expert. That disposition, more than any specific technique, may be what the hotel was looking for.
At The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, Chef Marco will oversee the hotel’s entire culinary portfolio: The Brasserie, the hotel’s MICHELIN-Selected French restaurant; The Drawing Room, home to the celebrated St. Regis Afternoon Tea ritual; Crystal, the hotel’s grand event venue; and the Astor Bar, whose cocktail programme and bespoke rituals have long placed it among KL’s most distinguished drinking addresses. It is a portfolio that demands range—from the precision of a tasting menu to the theatre of a Sunday brunch—and Erba’s record across multi-concept luxury hotel dining suggests he is well suited to hold it.
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“It is an honour to join The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur renowned for its timeless traditions and exceptional hospitality,” said Chef Marco Erba. “I look forward to creating thoughtful dining experiences that celebrate exceptional ingredients, refined craftsmanship, and the art of bringing people together.“
General Manager Philipp Haupenthal added that the appointment reflects the hotel’s continued ambition: “His international expertise, creative vision, and passion for excellence make him a natural fit for our team. We are confident his leadership will further enrich our culinary offerings and continue to elevate The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur as a premier gastronomic destination.“
Chef Marco’s philosophy is one of collaboration over hierarchy, and craft over spectacle: exceptional dining, in his view, begins with empowered teams and meticulous attention to ingredients and technique. Whether that philosophy finds its fullest expression through the classical architecture of The Brasserie’s MICHELIN-Selected programme, and whether it extends into the other venues under his charge, will be something to watch as his legacy unfolds.
For now, the House of Astor has made its intentions clear. A new chapter at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur has begun.
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