Portrait of Emmanuel Kouri
i. Biography
Emmanuel Kouri is the chef of Les Jardins de Kerstéphanie in Sarzeau, France. The work suits a kitchen shaped by seafood and by place; Kouri has said that, during his career, especially at Antoine with Thibault Sombardier, he developed a taste for working with seafood products, and that he was looking for a business by the water or more inland, with charm. That preference reads less like branding than positioning: a chef choosing an address that can support the menu, the rhythm, and the setting around it.
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Coming Up
At Climats in Paris, 7e arrondissement, where Emmanuel Kouri worked as chef from 2019, the job would have meant the usual discipline of a serious dining room: service, repetition, and the daily task of turning instinct into a cleaner line. That role sits as a clear step in his career before Les Jardins de Kerstéphanie, and it gives context to the way his current kitchen is read — as a continuation of prior experience rather than a break from it. The move from Paris to Sarzeau points to a chef whose work changes with the room, the market, and the site.
Where They Are Now
At Les Jardins de Kerstéphanie, Emmanuel Kouri runs a kitchen that is not built around a fixed calling card. He has said, plainly, that he does not really have a signature dish, and does not forbid himself anything. The menu changes all the time, according to his inspirations. That keeps the work mobile: less about repeating an identifying plate than about letting the list of dishes shift with what is available, what is current, and what is on his mind. It is a practical way to keep a restaurant responsive rather than locked into one formula.
In Their Words “I do not really have a signature dish, and I do not forbid myself anything. The menu changes all the time, according to my inspirations.” “During my career, especially at Antoine with Thibault Sombardier, I developed a taste for working with seafood products. I was therefore looking for a business by the water or more inland, with charm.”
Honors
No awards are cited for Emmanuel Kouri.
FAQ
Asked of Emmanuel
What is Emmanuel Kouri's current role?
As of 2026, Emmanuel Kouri is Chef.
Where did Emmanuel Kouri work before?
Emmanuel Kouri's earlier career included Climats.
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Emmanuel Kouri in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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