"[The essence of ingredients that are not wasted]

Born in Gwangju, I often enjoyed duck dishes with my grandmother as a child. Those meals taught me to appreciate ingredients and the importance of using them without waste.

For this main dish, I have utilized every part of the duck—from the breast and leg meat to a rich broth made from the bones. Through this dish, I hope to express my respect for the ingredient and the values that have shaped my passion for cooking."

This dish originated from my love for the two countries where I spent the longest time learning to cook. The San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, which I attended four years ago, gave me a broader vision. Having cooked in Korea, I relocated to Singapore for new experiences, and this dish captures the harmony between my two culinary homelands. I prepared it using hairtail fish, baechu cabbage, and mu radish, aiming to contribute to sustainability by utilizing every part 100% with no waste.

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.

"Humans and nature are not separate; they create value together. Across Asia, time becomes value through drying, fermentation, aging, and brewing. In Japan, UMAMI captures a part of this wisdom.

By reinterpreting Ikameshi—where sea squid meets land rice—I express this time culture in a five-hour competition. Through the cycle of sea, land, and sky, the dish honors the lives sustaining it, from squid to bees, hoping it continues.

To me, UMAMI is when nature, time, and human wisdom converge."

Through this dish, I express Japan’s Satoyama culture, a way of life rooted in the coexistence of people and nature. Festivals, prayers for abundant harvests, care for the environments that provide food, and cooperation within rural communities are values deeply embedded in Japanese society. As a chef, I believe cuisine must begin with an awareness of the ecosystems that sustain our ingredients. Satoyama is a philosophy I wish to share with the world and a model for the future of cooking.

"‘Geumtae(sea perch)’ is a fish that reminds me of the fish market near my grandmother's house in Busan, Korea. This market, named 'Jagalchi,' is a place that demonstrated the wonderful magic of seasonal seafood caught by fishermen being transformed into delicious dishes through the medium of cooking. Furthermore, I believe that cooking with locally sourced ingredients contributes significantly to supporting small businesses and preserving the heritage of traditional local cuisine.

My mother’s dawn-steamed rice and her traditional pantry shaped my childhood culinary pride. Growing up as a chef, I found her humble kitchen held a profound system of knowledge: the soul of fish sauce, rice culture, and flavor balance. This lobster, sticky rice, and phở dish contemporary retells those memories. It’s about deeply understanding our core values and wrapping the Vietnamese soul in a modern structure. I dream of our cuisine stepping out globally with an irreplaceable identity.

When I began cooking about 15 years ago, my mother was ill. I prepared a meal for her, and she shed tears for the first time. In that moment I realized food I make can bring happiness and emotion, and I decided to become a chef. I believe food has great power. Cooking can be tedious, but imagining someone enjoying my dish turns it into joy. A sincere meal comforts tired days and becomes a lasting memory.I cook each plate with heart,hoping it brings happiness and warmth,and makes the world warmer

I chose to create this dish because it represents one of my favorite childhood flavors. My goal was to preserve the authentic soul of Thai cuisine while presenting it in a more refined and contemporary way. Inspired by my experience in Italian fine dining, I incorporated selected Italian ingredients and techniques to create a balance between tradition and innovation.

I would like to express familiar flavors through this dish — flavors I used to enjoy during my childhood. As time passed, I could no longer find this dish or experience it in the same way again, but I still clearly remember its taste and the feelings connected to it. Through this dish, I want to recreate those memories and pay tribute to one of my favorite childhood meals.