I started my career as a lawyer, but food was always where my heart was. More than 20 years ago, I decided to follow that passion and build a new career in the culinary world. Today, I’m a chef specializing in modern Caribbean cuisine, cookbook author, food photographer and the creator of Island Vibes magazine, with Curaçao as my home and the Caribbean as my inspiration.
My cooking is all about giving Caribbean flavors and local ingredients the attention they deserve. I love taking traditional recipes and ingredients and looking at them with fresh eyes, using modern techniques and influences from the many places I’ve travelled, while always keeping their Caribbean soul.
In Curaçao, I host Caribbean Cooking Classes and Chef’s Tables and take part in a variety of culinary events. I also work as a restaurant consultant, helping local restaurants with menu development, concepts, recipes and presentation.
Over the years, my work has taken me well beyond my own kitchen. I’m regularly invited as a guest chef for culinary events on other Caribbean islands and internationally, and I’ve had the opportunity to share my passion for Caribbean cuisine on television as well, including the Caribbean Cookout Show, as a guest judge on Top Chef, and on several Dutch television programs.
Travel has always been an important part of my story. It’s what brought me to Curaçao almost 30 years ago, and it continues to inspire the way I cook today. Wherever I go, my starting point remains the same: celebrating the incredible flavors, ingredients and stories of the Caribbean and showing just how exciting modern Caribbean cuisine can be.
CULINARY EXPERIENCES
CARIBBEAN COOKING CLASS
Join me for a hands-on Caribbean Cooking Class in Curaçao and discover the vibrant flavors of the Caribbean. Together, we’ll prepare a selection of authentic Caribbean dishes from scratch, using local and seasonal ingredients such as plantain, tamarind, mango, papaya, coconut and, of course, a touch of Scotch bonnet – because in the Caribbean, we like to spice things up a little!
I’ll introduce you to typical Caribbean ingredients, spices, marinades and cooking techniques, share the stories behind the dishes and show you how to recreate these vibrant flavors at home. This is not a demonstration – you’ll roll up your sleeves and cook alongside me in my kitchen.
After all the chopping, stirring, tasting and cooking, we’ll sit down together at the long table to enjoy everything we’ve prepared, accompanied by a cold drink and good conversation.
Whether you’re visiting Curaçao or live on the island, my Caribbean Cooking Class is a fun, relaxed and definitely one of the most delicious ways to experience Curaçao!
CHEF’S TABLE
Take a seat right in my kitchen for an intimate Chef’s Table in Curaçao, where Caribbean flavors and local ingredients take center stage. With only a small group of guests around the table, you’ll have a front-row seat as I prepare a 4-course Caribbean fine-dining menu right in front of you.
I cook as much as possible with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, from locally caught fish and island-grown vegetables to tropical fruits, herbs and spices. The menu changes regularly, depending on what’s in season, what’s available and, quite simply, what I’m inspired to cook. So even if you’ve joined me before, there’s always something new to taste.
This isn’t a traditional restaurant experience. You’re sitting right where the cooking happens, watching each course come together, asking questions, tasting new flavors and sharing the evening with a small group of fellow food lovers. Each course is paired with a carefully selected wine to complete the experience.
If you love good food and want to experience a different side of Caribbean cuisine, my Chef’s Table is one of those culinary experiences in Curaçao you really shouldn’t miss.
BOOKS
My Curaçao – A Culinary Road Trip is my personal journey through the island I love – beyond the beaches, sun and sea, and into the flavors, people and places that make it so special.
I’ll take you across the island to meet the farmers who grow our local ingredients, the fishermen who bring in the catch of the day, and the people and places that have inspired my cooking over the years. We’ll visit farms, hidden corners of the island and some of the beautiful locations where I’ve cooked and hosted culinary events – all brought to life through beautiful photography, most of it shot by me.
Along the way, I share the recipes, ingredients and flavors that define my modern Caribbean cuisine, so you can bring a little bit of Curaçao into your own kitchen.
In 2025, My Curaçao – A Culinary Road Trip was named Best Caribbean Cookbook in the World at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards – something I’m incredibly proud of.
More than a cookbook, this is my Curaçao: colorful, flavorful and full of people and places worth discovering!
Island Vibes – The Joy of Caribbean Cooking is all about the food, colors and laid-back lifestyle of the Caribbean. In this book, I explore the incredible diversity of Caribbean cuisine and show how much you can do with our ingredients, flavors and traditions.
The recipes are colorful, fresh and full of flavor, combining Caribbean classics with my own modern twist.
From relaxed lunches and long summer evenings with friends to family dinners and lazy days at the beach, Island Vibes is about cooking good food, sharing it with the people you love and enjoying life around the table. Filled with vibrant recipes and beautiful photography, this book brings a little Caribbean sunshine into your kitchen – wherever in the world you may be.
Modern Caribbean Flavors, published in 2015, was my very first cookbook and the beginning of my journey as a cookbook author. It was one of the early cookbooks to take a fresh, contemporary look at Caribbean cuisine, combining traditional island flavors and ingredients with a more modern approach.
The book is also a glimpse into my life in Curaçao at the time: barbecues on the beach, long dinners with friends in the garden, visits to local growers and an abundance of tropical fruits, colors and flavors.
Looking back, Modern Caribbean Flavors really laid the foundation for the way I still cook today: celebrating Caribbean ingredients, giving traditional recipes a fresh twist and sharing the joy of island life through food.
Modern Caribbean Flavors is now sold out and will not be reprinted.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME
“ Helmi Smeulders takes the Caribbean kitchen to a higher level.”
Jonnie & Thérèse Boer – 3- star Michelin restaurant De Librije
“The day we spent with Helmi was the best day of our two weeks in Curacao. Helmi welcomed us into her beautifully spacious, bright kitchen with great warmth and hospitality. And best of all, we cooked. Really cooked. Abundant recipes and memories to take home to colder climes.”
Lauren on TripAdvisor about the Caribbean cooking class
“Chef Helmi Smeulders is the Curaçao queen of the Caribbean fusion kitchen”
Antilliaans Dagblad
A must go for foodies! What a great experience! Every time we go Helmi Smeulders surprises us with her creative take on modern Caribbean food. She cooks with local ingredients in an innovative way. The food is perfectly paired with the greatest wines. This is your chance to meet the locals and enjoy delicious food.”
Kristel on TripAdvisor about the Chef’s Table
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY & STYLING
I love bringing food to life through my camera. As a chef, food stylist and photographer, I combine my culinary knowledge with my love for color, composition and beautiful food. I’ve photographed and styled the food for all three of my cookbooks and seven editions of Island Vibes magazine, and my work has been published in international magazines, newspapers and other publications.
From my studio in Curaçao or on location, I work with restaurants, cookbook publishers, brands and marketing agencies. I also regularly shoot for local restaurants, creating fresh food and lifestyle content for their websites and social media.
Looking for new images for your restaurant, brand or publication? I’m available for food photography and content shoots in Curaçao and abroad. Let’s create something delicious!
