Regional Finalists 2024-25

I want to present my Cantonese cuisine background. I have four years experience at various traditional Chinese restaurants. Dim sum and traditional Chinese food are central to my identity. I aim to showcase Chinese cooking and beautiful local dried seadfood by reconstructing classic dishes into fine dining plates. Lastly, I want to convey that culinary boundaries are blurring as techniques are shared globally. We can learn from other cuisines to achieve higher culinary excellence.

My favorite childhood dish is Assam Laksa. To me, the beauty of this dish is the combination of flaky fish melding together with the herbaceous, acidic, spicy, sweet umami broth with nuggets of larger sized fish meat. My version of Assam Laksa utilizes homemade traditional rempah enhanced with fish garum & fish-bone stock & laksa leaf oil with a mosaic made of Kingfish and Farce using the fish trimmings served with Ginger Flower Sorbet and Fish Skin-Yuba Tuile topped w Native Herbs and Salsa.

"Miso-marinated" Omi beef and "heshiko," aged fish, have a history of hundreds of years in my hometown. I added the traditional French "hollandaise sauce" and "cherries condiment" to create a new dish. The cherries harmonize the traditional cuisine of both countries. However, if climate change continues, cherries will no longer be available in the future. This shows that while historic dishes can evolve, there is a future where foods may no longer exist.

Inspired by the Caribbean, this dish reflects my journey as a chef and the communities that shaped me. It honors humble ingredients transformed through skill, patience, and tradition. The flavors are bold yet comforting, telling a story of family gatherings, cultural pride, and the belief that food is one of the most powerful ways to preserve history and create connection.

This dish is an homage to my personal culinary journey. Being of Chinese Filipino decent, this dish is a culmination of the influence other countries have had on Filipino cuisine. I want to use this opportunity to showcase a beautiful bird sourced locally from Ontario,while flaunting a contemporary version of a classic dish replacing the pork. I’d like to think of myself like this Sinigang dish, a pinnacle of different influences and techniques I've learned from the different Chefs in my career.

This is the purest form of expression of my journey. This dish will take you through the beginning of my career all the way to the present. It takes inspiration from my grandmother’s impactful love for cooking transmitted to me as a young girl, to the reflection of my culinary career. My development as a chef and the learning of cultures, were turning points of finding my own identity and what has devoted me to this chapter.

The Char is a fish which lives directly in our alpine lakes in Ladis. So the main ingredient stands for my home town. The char is served in 2 different styles. Once as "Cordon Bleu" and once stained. With the dish i would like to show, that it´s possible to connect typical ingredients and tastes from my home town with tastes and ingredients from all over the world. So the whole world on "one plate".

With this dish I would like to express that we all have to look back sometimes when we were young and our families were cooking for us.
This dish I devote both my Grandmothers. One of them came from the Northern part of Germany that stands for the Sea part of the dish and the other Grandma came from the West part of Germany and she had a big homegrown garden. I gather two types of living and put my identity as a chef on top thus it became my Signature Dish.

With this dish I want to show my love for the italian country, people, language and its cousine. And of course all the delicious ingredients. So I took the ingredients of my favorite dish "pasta e patate" and made a variant as main plate, another variante as a satellite plate and last but not least the original "pasta e patate". Classics will never be old.

France and my hometown, South Korea are both surrounded by the sea and is a temperate climate where produce, livestock, and seafood abound. My dish celebrates these ingredients and highlight the 4 elements that maintain the delicate balance of life: soil, sea, sky, and fungi. I believe that this philosophy will open my eyes to view humble ingredients in a different light. To keep exploring earth’s offerings by experimenting unique flavor combinations and new ingredients.

I have always been fascinated by what grows around me and the techniques different cultures have developed to bring out the best of their terroir. This dish celebrates that curiosity through trout from lac léman and carrots and herbs from our farm. Drawing on techniques learned through my travels across Asia and Europe, and from my grandmother, I use every part of the produce—from peels to carcasses—to reduce waste and create a cuisine that is sustainable, delicate, and harmonious.

This dish tells my story, expressing my passion for mushrooms with a skewer of mushrooms, laced with their broth and miso. The other central element is the mushroom broth, present in almost every preparation. As a homage to France, I chose: onion soup with toasted bread for a no-waste policy. The casoncelli, representing my roots, are stuffed with broth scraps, juniper-smoked ricotta and Parmesan. The final broth, when drank, cleanses the palate.

I'm Osvaldo, and today I'm presenting a dish that pays tribute to trout, one of the most prized ingredients of the Aragonese Pyrenees. Through a cuisine rooted in respect, sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, I make the most of every element with care and purpose. My goal is to preserve the fish’s natural character while creating harmony across the dish, reflecting a thoughtful and responsible approach to cooking.

I am a chef who returned to his origins, and the one I want to become proves that flavor, wellbeing and respect for the sea are a single path. I believe food is how we care for one another — for the people we feed and the sea that feeds us. My Basque grandparents fished in Chile, there I found comunity and learned that to cook is to give care. This dish carries that belief: a humble mackerel caught by hook, cooked with modern-tradition technique, nutrients that heal, nothing wasted.

My dream as a chef is nothing more than to be able to take my island to the highest level of gastronomy, being happy along the way. I have expressed it in this dish, using figs, lactose and corn, which is what the pigeon feeds on during its life, making 100% use of it and accompanying it with the three most typical plants of the island, which are fennel, rosemary and salicornia. With this dish I want to show that with a few simple ingredients and your own roots you can achieve a dish of great quality.

I really like being able to eat soup, in a cold version, even in summer or hot days.
The earthy elements are balanced by the different acidities present in the dish; the accompanying drink has the role of recalling the classic Borsch broth while introducing a contrast linked to the ph of the drink itself which makes tasting the dish more fun in the mouth.

I believe as human being that we are very sick. Imagination and language is what did separated humans from animal.
Today peoples are not conscious of who we really are and the consequence is that we create confusion, trends and bad ego is the protagonist in this planet. Today we try to fix this planet by using one word, sustainability.
who really know the significant of that word and who first went to see inside of the most scary place of this world? I think it is better to start from us...

My dish begins with an anthropological reflection. We live in an age that accelerates and standardizes. Food often follows the same path, losing memory and connection to place. This dish does not look at the past with nostalgia, but interprets an almost vanished ecosystem—carp, rice fields, and farm animals—as a lens for the present and my interpretation of rural cuisine today. In a world that rushes, I choose to slow down.Time is essential to understanding a territory and the knowledge it hold.

The connection we have with our people and the land, our hands are channels with earth. Great dishes can be made using everyday products from our Mexican foods, we must use all of our natural resources without exploiting them.
Heritage, I am not from Oaxaca by birth but my family is, that is my heritage, here I show the value I give to the land of Oaxaca.

The dish I have created has two main purposes. First of all, it conveys my identity. Throughout my years living in different Latin American countries I have created a deep immersion in several cultures and cuisines. This dish contains preparations and ingredients of my home country, but has great influence of the cultures I have gratefully come to call my own. Lastly I decided to represent the stingray. A beautiful and rich protein of humble origins that deserves a spotlight in high gastronomy.

In my childhood, my grandparents used to have Sunday family lunches and the dish I remember the most is the tongue in sauce, served with onion and coconut sauce. In my village we always accompanied the main course with bananas, even soups. That's why my interpretation was inspired by these Sundays with the family. I believe in local products and tradition, raising the level of the products of my village with modern techniques without losing the traditional flavour.

For me, the meat of the turbot fish is tender and not fishy, and it often appears on every household's dining table. The common cooking methods include steaming, braising, pan-frying, and more. Although it is a very common fish, I want to try to create a unique experience based on my own understanding. Furthermore, it seems that the concept of "numbing and spicy" is not widely known internationally. I hope to introduce the concept and let more people understand the charm of Chinese cuisine and the unique flavors it offers

The dish I present is Peony Yan Cai, a classic Henan specialty once served at state banquets. Following the traditional recipe, I have enhanced it with premium sea cucumber while preserving its original essence. As a young chef from Yunnan mentored by a Henan chef, I see this dish as a tribute to tradition, mentorship and craftsmanship. It reflects my belief in respecting culinary heritage while thoughtfully adapting it for today's diners, bridging northern and southern Chinese cuisine.

I once read an interview stating that food waste is a fatal flaw in fine dining restaurants. Many ingredients, from purchase to plating, end up being only 50%-70% of their original quantity, with an average of 30% of ingredients being wasted. However, sustainable development is a social responsibility and obligation that we, as the new generation of young chefs, must undertake. At this moment, I utilize various cooking techniques to fully utilize ingredients and minimize waste, aiming to convey my thoughts on sustainable development as a young chef.

This dish reflects both me as a chef and as a person. The lamb comes from my cousin’s farm in Dalarna, where I helped as a child, giving the dish a strong personal connection. The lingonberries were handpicked by me in the forests of Dalarna. My philosophy is to support small Swedish producers who prioritize sustainability, animal welfare. And also highlight the Swedish ingredients. I also believe in using every part of an ingredient, ensuring minimal waste and maximum respect for the produce.

With this dish, I wanted to shine a light on modern Irish cooking, a combination of traditions and modern techniques. The Irish culinary heritage is firmly rooted in sustainable produce, an aspect I wanted to highlight when writing this recipe. Farming has always been at the heart of the Irish way of living, so it seemed befitting to base my dish on an animal that encompasses heritage and sustainability. Although perhaps a forgotten practice, dairy beef has always been part of our staple.

Emmanuel Pillon chef of the Louis XV said : « Nothing is lost, everything is transformed. » In my dishes I would like to transmet this kind of spirit. We can use all the left over, all the skin and make a really good dishes. I choose to cook vegan become since 8 months I grow in this environnement and I found a really équilibre of technic and flavor. This kitchen let me really grow and open many doors for fermentations and taste.

Growing up in New Zealand shaped my respect for seafood and the ocean. Inspired by the cultural significance of pāua and the values of stewardship that underpin New Zealand's coastal identity, this dish celebrates lobster and abalone in their fullest expression. Through classical technique and whole-animal utilisation, from sauce Américaine made from the shells to the pāua liver xo. I want to honour both the ingredient and the place that shaped me.

Australia’s landscape carries one of the world’s oldest and richest histories of ingredients, place, and people. Drawing from this land is both a privilege and a responsibility. This dish reflects my determination to champion the beauty of lesser-known native botanicals and elevate them globally as luxury produce. The vessel to help me achieve this is connected to the coastline of my regional West Aust roots, shaped by a coastline of pristine shellfish

Through this dish, I aim to showcase the harmonious blend of traditional Thai flavors with modern culinary techniques. It represents my journey and growth as a chef, guided by experienced mentors. The dish maintains the authentic taste and essence of Thai cuisine while incorporating innovative elements, reflecting a fusion of heritage and contemporary artistry. It tells a story of respect for tradition, creativity, and my passion for bringing a fresh perspective to classic recipes.

I see the future of gastronomy as a balance between innovation and heritage. In a world driven by speed, technology, and AI tools, I believe chefs have a responsibility to preserve the knowledge, techniques, and values that shaped our culinary identity. Through visible roots, beef broth, and slowly cooked beef shank, this dish reflects my commitment to respecting ingredients, minimizing waste, and valuing time as an essential ingredient. As a chef, I want to build a future where tradition is not

I believe true cuisine should preserve emotion, memory and identity. In Silesia, where I was born, Sunday meals brought generations together around one table. Rabbit, once raised beside my family home and served only on special Sundays, became a symbol of my earliest memories: my grandmother’s kitchen, my grandfather’s smokehouse, and the wild mushrooms I now forage with my wife. Through contemporary technique, this dish preserves warmth, belonging and the feeling of home for future generations.

I Choose this plate because I grew up in a small town next to the sea and the area is rich in fish. I remember that every week I saw my grandmother cook this type of fish with the most of ingredients are the same and I put my signature with my techniques to present you my childhood memories

My dish is a take on the classic Spanish Suquet, it being the first dish I learnt to prepare. I grew up in India, a country defined by it’s food, but, as a chef, I have always tried not to be defined by my background. Working with traditional Spanish cuisine is inspiring me to believe that food should represent a chef rather than being confined to the expectations of what a cuisine should be. I have chosen to elevate a traditional dish, with elements inspired by my heritage.

I want to showcase everything I have learnt as a chef so far. I think doing a classical dish like this is unique and modern. It really shows how different styles and cuisines have evolved. This really expresses how far food has come and how far i have come as a chef.

Through a desire to seek out and understand culture outside of my own, I have been able discover so much about myself and the food I want to create. I am inspired by the flavours/methods of the world, and I want to use what I have discovered by cooking delicious food without boundaries. Ode to Sam Yee is an homage to my partner who has shared her culture with me. This dish combines Chinese flavours with my classically trained French cooking methods. This is about creating new traditions.

Through this dish, I express my journey from a small town in India to Europe and New York. Banana blossom reflects my roots and childhood, sunchoke represents discovery and growth, and chanterelles embody my connection to nature through foraging. Together, they tell a story of heritage, curiosity, and my belief that exceptional plant-based cuisine can be both deeply personal and globally relevant.

The pairings of squid & date and oyster tofu & bone expresses a yearning for a unified Korea. My father's family was forced from their home north of the 38th parallel to escape invading communist forces during the war. They arrived in the southern port city of Busan as strangers in their own land. This dish aims to harmonize the flavors of our ancestral home in the north of Korea with the textures and ingredients of the south in efforts to to tell our family's story and chart our migration.

I have always been inspired by the way my family in Greece and Italy embrace food, especially coastal fare. In my professional career I have learned so much more about traditional French and Japanese technique, and through this dish, I have found an all encompassing way to convey my passion for food.

My cuisine champions a respectful approach to ingredients and local producers. I seek to make the most of every part of the animal to reduce waste and pass on genuine culinary knowledge. Through this dish centered on pigeon, mushrooms and potato, I want diners to experience the flavors of a Belgian autumn and enjoy a vibrant tasting journey designed to showcase each preparation and tell a story over the course of the meal – all with sincerity and a spirit of sharing.

As a child, poultry with crayfish was a dish that left a deep impression on me. Today, I reinterpreted it in my own way. My grandfather from Vendée raised his own poultry, while my Breton grandfather took me fishing. I grew up between these two worlds – land and sea – and this is the duality I want to express on the plate.

Breton lobster replaces the crayfish: the same spirit, drawn from my roots. My cooking is defined by bold, honest flavours, influences I embrace openly, and a desire to connect with people in a simple, direct way.

This dish represents the Italian immigration in Belgium in the 20th century, for working in the coal mines. My family is from this history. The carbonnade is Belgium, the raviolis is Italy, and the vegetable charcoal the raison of this immigration. I want to cook the pigeon “des Collines”, because it’s an exceptional product but also, it reduces the carbon foothprint instead of using beef.