Greater China Regional Final Arrives November 21

UPDATE: Discover the Greater China Regional winners of the 4th edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef.

The last of the 12 Regional Finals of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2019-2020 will be held in none other than Shanghai, on November  21, 2019. This important cook-off for the Greater China Region includes young chefs from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, 10 of which will be preparing their Signature Dishes live in front of a local jury panel. The winner of this Regional Final, selected by the jury, will go forth to compete at the Grand Finale in 2020, Milan.

The 10 Greater China Competitors and Mentors

There are 10 semi-finalists for this region, each accompanied by a mentor of their choice who will provide guidance and support during the competition. Each of the talents have passed a careful selection process by the team at ALMA, in accordance with the Golden Rules of the competition.

Huang Pin Hsiang, mentor: Chen Zih Yang (Taiwan)
Neven Wang, mentor: Marco Xodo (China)
Ingrid Gonçalves, mentor: Andrés Rivera (HongKong)
Philip (Cheng-Wei) Lu, mentor: Paul Lee (Taiwan)
Pin-Jui Su, mentor: Zou Sih-Ji (Taiwan)
Zhen Quan Ou, mentor: Yun Zhiu Pu 浦云舟 (China) 
Ho Lam Shek, mentor: Lai Chun Wan (HongKong)
Xin Peng Liu, mentor: Andre Chiang (China)
Tan Qiu, mentor: Clinton Zhu 朱一帆 (China)
Victor Zhicheng Wang, mentor: Blake Thornley (China)

The Local Jury Panel for the Greater China Region

Five acclaimed chefs, which includes three honourable female chefs, make up the local jury panel this year for the Region, each chosen due to their belief in support for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef’s mission of nurturing the next generation of chefs and the future of gastronomy.

Dong Zhenxiang (China)
The Beijing-born chef, DaDong has numerous Michelin-starred restaurants in Beijing and China. He is famous for his roast Peking duck, and recently opened his first New York Peking Duck restaurant in Times Square. Over a career that spans more than three decades, he has travelled far and wide to perfect his idea of Chinese cuisine, which he calls 'DaDong YiJing cuisine'.

Jacqueline Qiu (China)
Jacqueline Qiu is well known as a trailblazer on Shanghai’s vibrant food scene. She has a wealth of experience working in top hotels and restaurants, including five years at Jean Georges at the Park Hyatt, and most recently at the Andaz Xintiandi Shanghai, where she became the only female executive chef at an international five-star hotel in Shanghai. From humble beginnings at culinary school, to owning four restaurants, Qiu has risen through the ranks in a world dominated by male chefs, and continues to inspire young female chefs in China and beyond today.

Lanshu Chen (Taiwan)
Lanshu Chen is the chef behind the award-winning Le Moût restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan, which she decided to close in 2018. Chen has garnered many accolades and awards, among those, she was named "Woman of the Year" in 2016 by Relais & Châteaux and is considered one of the top female chefs in Asia. Le Moût, was ranked 28th on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.

Umberto Bombana (Hong Kong)
Hailed as 'The King of White Truffles', Italian chef Umberto Bombana of 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA heads up the only three Michelin starred Italian restaurant outside of Italy, ranking #13 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2016. Originally from Bergamo in Northern Italy Bombana was awarded Worldwide Ambassador of the White Truffle in 2006. Based on the success of his innovative carefully sourced Italian food his restaurant empire now includes 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA Shanghai, Opera Bombana in Beijing and most recently 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA at Galaxy Macau.

Vicky Lau (Hong Kong)
Vicky Lau is the owner-chef of the French-Chinese restaurant TATE Dining Room in Hong Kong. In 2015, Chef Lau was named Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef and the restaurant has also been consecutively awarded 1 Michelin star since 2013. 

This year’s S.Pellegrino Young Chef initiative has been re-shaped to reflect the brand’s belief in the transformative power of gastronomy. That’s why from this edition S.Pellegrino Young Chef will include three additional awards, both at the Regional Finals level and the Grand Finale, intended to give voice to different personal beliefs: Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy, Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility .

The Finalist chosen from this Regional Final and Finalists of the three awards will be announced on www.SanpellegrinoYoungChef.com as and when they take place. 

Find out more about S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2019-2020 and via our social media channels on Facebook and Instagram, and by following #Sanpellegrino and #SPYoungChef.