Born and raised in Brussels, Deconinck developed a passion for food in early childhood through cooking lessons with his grandmother, whose recipes he still references today. Later, he graduated with honors from the Culinary Arts and Hotel Management school at the campus of CERIA, and from 1996-2000, he was immersed in learning Escoffier’s cooking techniques and recipes while simultaneously working at L’Epicerie in Brussels under the award-winning Chef David Martin. An affinity for French cuisine grew immensely under Martin’s influence and propelled Deconinck to his next challenge of working for the famous Alsatian Chef, Jean-Yves Schillinger at Destinée in New York City. Deconinck was then personally referred to Chef Alain Ducasse for a position in his 3 Michelin stars restaurant in Paris, France at the Plaza Athénée. During his tenure there, he worked under Chef Jean-François Piège, a perfectionist who instilled respect for each ingredient and the knowledge to extract the best from them without betraying them.