Regional Finalists 2022-23

I deconstructed Korean traditional dish 'Sinsello'.I tried to improve the limitations of traditional cooking methods by introducing modern techniques based on my experience working in different countries. I made this dish by composing it with the three elements of Korean traditional meal soup, rice, and banchan, side dishes. In addition, in consideration of sustainability, all ingredients are used for cooking so that no ingredients are thrown away after cooking is finished, ‘0 waste cooking’.

Through the San Pelegrino competition, I would like to make new Korean dish that is interesting and delicious to people in a fun way with familiar ingredients.

Furthermore, I would like to develop a recipe that can reduce food waste that affects environmental pollution.

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.

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.

This dish is my brainchild of what my soul would look like on a plate, the mousse of the Meat Beliram is a connection to my roots in Punjab and also how I made the move to Canada by packing just my knives and my clothes. The eel is one of the first ingredients I fell in love with. The morels are the abundant wilderness of Canada and the sauce and kachori lend the child in me with flavor's which I grew up as a child, never wanting to be a chef but later loving every bit of it.

I am originally from China, my cooking philosophy is using French, Italian, and Japanese technique to showcase Chinese favor, modern Chinese food. In Chinese Sichuan cuisine, we will use rabbit as one of the main proteins. One of the most popular dishes in Sichuan cuisine is stir fry rabbit with Sichuan pepper and peanuts. I am using French technique to wrap rabbit meat, Chinese sausage, foie gras to make rabbit ballotine.

My dish should represent the northern Waldviertel and the history of my family. The idea for my signature dish was born in my head from childhood flavours. But I also want to use it to show sustainability and make a statement that you can still cook an interesting style of cuisine using classic techniques.

This dish is entirely inspired by general and global necessity for #change. Where everyone has to give at least a minimum effort to participate in saving the planet earth. We all know that sustainability and reduced waste is the solution to this current crisis, so I created a dish to be my homage to this food revolution.
Although, I am kind of, opposed to people`s tendency to call dishes vegan burgers, vegan steak etc.
But, I gave a shot to preparing something that looks and tastes like a steak.

With this dish, I present my homeland on a plate and showcase my Bavarian/Franconian roots with typical components from pub cuisine. My motto is to make pub cuisine special and fresh in its simplicity. Classic Bavarian cuisine is known for its heaviness and richness. However, I want to show that it can also be dynamic, light and appealing without losing its traditional charm.

‘Quanto sei bella Roma’ is a tribute to my hometown, Rome. The title comes from a famous song about this city that for me is the most beautiful in the world. I left Rome about 10 years ago to grow personally and professionally, but my heart will always belong to it and I am happy to represent it with a dish in such an important competition. It is a traditional recipe that my grandmother used to prepare for me (Coda alla vaccinara) and which I propose in my own way, gastronomically speaking.

My dish resembles how climate change has affected the planet, both land and sea in the Mediterranean Regions. It’s a pescatarian dish, a combination of the French culture where I live now and the culture of Cyprus where I come from. We, as the new generation of chefs must enlighten ourselves and teach people wisely through our cooking how climate change has affected us, the nature and all the species of the planet and how to start respecting nature and her resources.

A plate full of memories of my trip to Bretagne in the summer. I found a wild fennel herb in the nature of Bretagne, I bought organic vegetables and herbs from local producers. I fished in the sea of Bretagne, (natural fish and natural common cockle and seaweeds that actually experienced fishing)
The main ingredient,Turbot, is baked, The Flounder Fin, bone-based sauce, and Turbot skin chips, all of which can be cooked and enjoyed with different sauces and garnishes.

The dish is a representation of my origins, I don't have a Spanish culinary tradition because my mother was born in Venezuela, and my father in Germany, although my grandparents and I are Andalusian.
I express in this gastronomic representation what I consider to be my causalities, the origin of my parents has had a direct effect on my concept of gastronomic culture.
There are three culinary elaborations with the same value: an Iberian consommé, a hallaca of cuttlefish and a red mullet cooked in a flame...

Sustainability is a word lost in intentions. We believe that to be really sustainable we can’t only focus on our restaurant, instead we also focus in our community, our Artisans and in our region. With Sustainable Construction, Regenerative Farming and Resource Management we aren’t only regenerating this land but also this community that was long lost and forgotten. We commune all of this in an innovative way to create a unique dish where we represent all of our work.

The dish idea combines Spain and Italy's linguistic and cultural ties, rich in shared elements I value. I'll merge Spanish stewed tongue with Italian cold tongue, reflecting my veggie passion. Ingredients like salsify, watercress, wild plants, and roots will be preserved, enhancing the dish and fostering a connection with nature.

This dish represents me and everything I wanted to believe in. I was born in Milan, moved to Ancona, mother Bolognese, father Milanese and Sicilian grandparents This could only lead to my personal split. This leads me to a singular deepening of every part of me, held together at the same time by feelings, passions and personal beliefs. So is my Signature Dish: the ingredients are enhanced individually but even more when combined thanks to the untied sauce.

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.

The idea of ​​this dish is to make you live an experience, the feeling of being in Sicily, involving sight, taste and smell, using typical preparations and products, such as Mauro seaweed. A message that I would like to convey with this dish is to make people understand the importance of their territory, look for products that are used less and less today, enhance and promote them. In recent years, the Mauro seaweed has become increasingly difficult to find, due to sea pollution.

The dish I have thought of is a reversion of the Christmas dish that is always eaten in my house and all over Venezuela, as it represents my first experiences with the palate. I decided to fuse Venezuelan and Argentinean gastronomy, due to my migration to Argentina when I was young, I also included Asian flavours and products from Mendoza, as they reflect all the experience I have had in the last years of my life. This dish mixes my origins, the history of my life and my passions.

The chinampas is an efficient and sustainable agricultural system, it is an articulated set of artificial floating islands that were built since pre-Hispanic times. Through this dish, which has been inspired by this ecosystem, using only ingredients that are grown or can be found in this place, applying techniques and preparations of Mexican gastronomy, I seek to highlight the importance of chinampas, the organic products that are grown there and also recognize the hard work of the producer.

The hen is the base of one of our emblematic typical dishes: the sancocho, a soup that is eaten at any time and on any occasion, it is cooked in firewood causing the soup to have smoky notes. It was with this idea that this dish was born, as I was curious about how to use the little parts of it, such as the neck, how the food ferments inside the gizzard and how through the use of one hundred per cent of the ingredients.

I want to memorize my first trip to Guangxi. A mountainous region with rich cultural resources.Bamboo there is a important materiel.I went to several villages deep in mountains.The weather makes moss grows everywhere.People there are poor and still using self-made charcoals for cooking and stay warm, so the smell of smoke hung in the air.But what touched me is the kindness of them.
This is a vegetarian dish ,the flavor of my dish based on a famous noodle in Guangxi, name is Old Friend noodle, and I use some fermented ingredients which are also common in Guangxi cuisine.
 

This dish is inspired by my journey across China, from Kashgar to Hami in Xinjiang China, where I gathered inspiration from what I saw, heard, and experienced. It incorporates a variety of Xinjiang ingredients and cooking techniques, expressing my love for the region. I used the spice rub from Xinjiang's traditional whole roasted lamb to slow-cook the Xinjiang Altay lamb eye meat over charcoal, resulting in a flavorful dish.

China is a country with vast territory and abundant resources, and each region has its own special ingredients. This dish uses the loin of Tan sheep originally from Ningxia, which like to lick salt in the Gobi Desert.

Pickled with Sichuan pepper and spices for oil seal, with yunnan spring and summer wild bacteria made of wild cheese, fermented corn is more delicious, sweet and delicious, showing the style of Chinese wilderness.

The whole dish is like a tan sheep from the Gobi Desert, placed in the Yunnan mountains rich in wild bacteria. Corn plays the role of pastoral scarecrow, paired with western dishes and mints and herbs associated with Yunnan's native eatery habits.
 

We are a modern Spanish restaurant and this dish is my interpretation of the gamba al ajillo.

Traditionally, the prawns are often fried, but that is at the expense of the prawns. I think it's important that everything of a product is used. No unnecessary waste. In our version we use the whole shrimp.

This dish has everything I like. Crustaceans are my favorite product. Acids from the lemon and crispy from the kaitafi.

This dish is inspired by our workplaces garden. Our own grown vegetables and salads combined with chefs knowledge creates Synergy. I would like to use this to entice you choose vegetarian options more often, I believe it’s beneficial for our health and also our environment.I I believe if we consume less meat it would be meaningful change for environment. Chosing locally produced food we decrease transport waist and reduce carbon footprint. Use local produce were possible. Less is more.

Nordic Sea is a dish that focuses on sustainable ingredients. This dish reflects my culinary journey and who I am as a chef today. Combining fishing and cooking is fantastic. Something I often did as a child. Many fish species are now threatened by overfishing and pollution. I focus on cod, blue mussels and seaweed. I use MSC-certified cod from the North Sea. Farmed blue mussels that contribute to a better sea environment and seaweed counteract the negative effects of climate change.

Through this dish, I wanted to link my 2 countries of affection which are France, my country of origin, and Australia, the country that welcomes me.
For this, there was no question of importing products from Europe, nowadays I believe that it is up to our generation to limit the environmental impact through our cuisine.
So I looked for products grown and appreciated in each of the two countries, I then selected them individually from local producers, every single product comes from Queensland.

I was born and raised in Sichuan, China. With my professional training from Le Cordon Bleu in Australia, I found Australia can be a bridge of combination of two completely different flavours and cultures. I have considered South Australia as my second home, and I love the wide range of fresh ingredients and indigenous products. I want to bring the authentic Sichuanese flavour to South Australia and create my own food style inspired by modern western cuisine in the short future.

I am pleased to present a new dish that highlights some of the extraordinary ingredient we are fortunate to have in Australia, ingredients that many people may not even be aware of. This culinary creation features various cuts of lamb, each prepared using distinct techniques that enhance their unique flavours and textures. My inspiration for this dish stems from my childhood growing up on my grandfathers farm in rural Queensland.

My dish celebrates the tradition and sustainability of the Vipava Valley. Jota made from Turnip Tropinka, served in aluminum dishes, carries the flavors and memories of the harvest. The humble Turnip Tropinka symbolizes simplicity and homeliness. Accompanying it is the skin sausage Krotegin, bread made from grape seed flour, and smoked grape seed oil. The dish blends traditional and modern techniques. Each bite evokes memories of family, vineyards, and values, connecting the past with the future

The dish is an ode to my hometown Acre, a mixed city of Jews & Arabs, located by the Sea. I Combine haute cooking techniques and local ingredients with classic Jewish recipes, creating a fusion that reflects my hope for peace in our region. I’m using blue crab as the main ingredient, an invasive local species. Diluting it, helps to the restoration of the local maritime ecosystem. It’s presented in the dish in 4 ways, expressing zero waste and Nose to Tail principles with local ingredients.

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

This dish signifies my journey , it starts off with my heritage and roots - this being the base flavours of masala, Granadilla and Smokey Braai flavours ( Braai: South African cooking method ) , these flavours represent where my journey began. At the same time showcasing my beliefs of respecting the ingredients and using them with integrity and love , expressing my beliefs through food . My journey was not an easy one , but I made sure it was colourful, vibrate and bold.

Having spent so much time designing courses through local and expensive ingredients, I decided to go back to what I grew up eating. Born in South Africa and raised in the UK, a staple of our family meals was South African and this dish is inspired by the spice of the curry. The soft custard and fruits provide textures and softness through out.

It is my homage to one of the most iconic animals of a place which I now call home, the Scottish Highlands. I want to express my identity as a chef in this competition by using local and sustainable ingredients, showing respect for the animal by using everything I could. I wanted to showcase the techniques I have learnt in my short time in this industry, with butchery, pastry work and sauce making at the heart of the dish.

Food conscience and sustainability are more prevalent in our lives than ever before.
It is time to take action and look for more sustainable solutions.
My dish is a representation of sustainable ingredients, rich in nutrients, with a low water and carbon footprint, that may improve ocean water quality, rebuild coastal ecosystems, alleviate hunger and contribute to environmental revival at a low cost through ethical farming on a global scale.

My intention was to use every piece of an often-overlooked ingredient, prepare it in a variety of ways, and build depth with fermented products. Leek hearts were steamed and marinated, more fibrous leaves were braised for pasta filling, inner leaves were made into a mousseline with leftover quail egg whites, the leek tops were made into an oil, a few leaves were fried to make leek hay, and the remaining scraps were made into an ash to color the pasta dough. Paired with miso, amazake, and shoyu

With the current climate crisis that we are faced I would use this opportunity to further educate the greater population on the roles that farmers and fishermen play in our global economy as well as teach about land management and our auricularly impact. Often this population is misrepresented by factory farming and I think my personal connection (growing up on farms and fishing boats) will give me a unique opportunity to put the farmers on the main stage versus the cook.

With this dish I actually want to transfer all my passion and love to the detail. From the first step to the last arrangement of the flower. How many thoughts have gone into this dish. How to use everything from an animal. How I can best transmit my emotions to the guest. The filigree and delicacy of the dish. But in the end it's the taste that counts, that's my priority. I also want to be able to stand behind it 100 percent and I want to tell myself, that I can't do it better at the moment.

My dish embodies simplicity, honesty, and refinement with three core ingredients: mackerel, dulse, and shiitake. Inspired by my parents' bakery, where simplicity was prized, I aimed to create a refined meal with minimalism at its core. Sustainability was crucial; I sourced locally from Belgium, minimizing the food supply chain and using all by-products to reduce waste. This dish reflects both my culinary ethos and dedication to sustainable practices.

When someone asks me, what my favorite thing to cook is, I always have to think. In my career I've worked at all stations in the kitchen and therefore I really like to do all kinds of food. I also wanted my dish to be challenge for me and also to be able to show most of my skills. That's why I created this dish. I can show different cooking methods of the parts of the pigeon, and my skills with doughs and vegetables. The whole dish was inspired by thinking about a pigeon in the forest.