i. Biography
The Climb
Wood-fire cooking demands control over heat, timing, and airflow, and that discipline begins in training. At Hotelschool Ter Duinen (Koksijde), Zino Jacobs built the technical base that still shows in his work: measured, structured, and attentive to process. The line from school to service is clear in Ember, where the kitchen relies on the same kind of precision, now applied to a contemporary fire-led identity.
Today
Local and seasonal products set the pace of the menu, so the kitchen moves with what is available rather than forcing ingredients into a fixed format. Vegetables are treated on the same level as meat and fish, which keeps the plate balanced and gives each component room to register. Waste avoidance sits alongside that approach, adding another layer of discipline to a kitchen already defined by restraint. At Ember in Mechelen, those choices put fire at the center, not as decoration but as the organizing principle.
Career - Chef and co-founder — Ember, Mechelen, Belgium Education: Hotelschool Ter Duinen (Koksijde)
Signature
Wood-fire grilling is the core technique in Zino Jacobs’ work. At Ember, flame is used to frame flavor rather than overwhelm it: smoke adds depth, heat gives contrast, and the ingredient keeps its own character through the process. That is where the style lands, in the balance between control and instinct.
Recognition
Wood-fire grilling is the specialty attached to Zino Jacobs’ name. That recognition comes through a technique that is direct, restrained, and defined by clarity rather than excess. In Mechelen, Ember gives that approach a clear setting, with the fire serving as both method and signature.
FAQ Where did Zino Jacobs train or study? Zino Jacobs trained at Hotelschool Ter Duinen (Koksijde). What is Zino Jacobs known for? Wood-fire grilling.
