Just over a year after opening his restaurant, and barely one year after getting married, the chef-owner of a restaurant along Keong Saik Road has passed away at the age of 33.
The news of Mr Stefan Liau’s sudden passing was broken by his restaurant, Hevel, on Saturday (7 Dec) over Instagram.
Source: @hevelrestaurant on Instagram
According to the post, Mr Liau was “a kind mentor, a devoted husband, and a close friend” who “touched countless lives with his warmth, creativity, and genuine love for those around him”.
Thus, “no words can express how heartbroken” they are by his death, it said, adding:
The Hevel family is focused on supporting each other, and most importantly Claresta and the Liau family as we grieve Stefan’s passing.
The restaurant expressed gratefulness for the love and support of fans, and said it would continue to operate through January next year and “until further notice”, adding:
His spirit will live on in every dish and every moment shared at our tables.
Source: Hevel on Facebook
His widow, Claresta, shared with Shin Min Daily News at his wake in Craig Road that the family received the devastating news on Friday (6 Dec) morning, calling it difficult to accept.
While they declined to disclose his cause of death, Claresta revealed that his funeral service would be held on Monday (9 Dec) before he is cremated.
She described her husband as an excellent and dedicated chef who began his career in F&B at the age of 16, carving out a name for himself in the competitive industry through sheer hard work.
The couple had only tied the knot in January this year, as seen in his most recent Instagram post dated 31 Jan that shared photos of the wedding.
Choking back tears, Claresta said that when she saw all her friends mourning her husband:
I suddenly realised that the last time everyone gathered together was at our wedding.
Mr Liau opened Hevel on 16 Nov last year, according to Tatler Asia.
The contemporary European restaurant had tasting menus designed by him for refined communal dining experiences.
Source: @hevelrestaurant on Instagram
It was his first time owning a restaurant after stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.
Claresta said they just celebrated Hevel’s one-year anniversary last month. Her husband had always wanted to bring affordable fine dining to more people and strove to discover and nurture talented young chefs.
Miguel, Hevel’s managing director, said Mr Liau said opening the restaurant was a “big gamble” for him as he gave up a stable job as head chef at an exclusive local club.
The team was caught off-guard by his sudden passing, he added, and Hevel’s future was now unclear.
The restaurant will be temporarily closed until 10 Dec and hopes to resume business on 11 Dec.
Also read: S’porean chef Tariq Helou dies aged 29, he was named most Googled chef in Asia
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Featured image adapted from @hevelrestaurant on Instagram and Instagram.
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