Regional Finalists 2024-25

Growing up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, my food education began with family trips to the nearby Da Pai Dang @Taman Midah where we bonded over many traditional dishes from various hawkers. My dish aims to sensibly capture the authentic flavours of my favorite street food and bring harmony to them on a plate through my own reinterpretation using my favourite ingredient that I like to cook with, Pigeon, as the star alongside local ingredients whilst practising sustainable zero waste cooking

My dish is a celebration of the vibrant culinary traditions of Indonesia, infused with the gastronomic influences I’ve embraced since moving to Hong Kong. At its core is Nasi Tumpeng, a ceremonial Javanese dish that is the centerpiece of any family gatherings.

As a nod to my Indonesian heritage, I will present my interpretation of the iconic Sumatran dish Sate Padang featuring a deeply flavorful grilled Hong Kong duck, connecting the flavors of my past and present.

My grandmother is from North Korea. She came down to South Korea during the Korean War. She was a housewife, but also my chef. She cooked a lot of North Korean food. Among them, my favorite was Pheasant dishes. It's a main signature dish that unravels these foods in my own way. My grandmother's cooking for me was a memory and happiness for me. With those memories, I give people happy memories and dishes and my dream is to become a chef. If She was alive, I would like to cook this for her.

The Shepherd offers his healthiest lambs, either for feasts or as a sacrificial meal every year by monotheists alike, in suit of Abraham's sacrifice to god. It is tradition to use a healthy lamb that is at least a year old. I wanted to honour this abiding tradition by encompassing the subtle yet rich flavours of the animal, complimented with locally foraged seasonal vegetables. This is an exploration of a harmonious dance of textures, temperatures, and flavours.

In the kitchen, we throw away the unloved and unsaleable offal of lamb. Stunned by this vision of non-valuation, I wanted to honor it. I drew inspiration from the wild northern Canadian landscape that became my home 9 years ago, and from the terroir of my native southwest France, which brings back warm memories. With my dish, I want to enhance the value of this country-style cuisine, with a modern twist that's both technically raw and delicate, to give offal back its nobility.

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.

I wish to inspire people to reconnect with their neighborhood. Regionality is not just practiced, it is lived! We need to encourage kids to engage in gastronomy. Let's show the next generation the joy of serving guests dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients, fostering connections with friends in the local farming community. Hopefully, kids today, through my cooking, will discover that, as my grandma always says: 'Where there's a will, there's a way.' Let's create paths worth taking.

With my dish I would like to express my passion for dance. Swan Lake is a Russian ballet set to the music of Tchaikovsky. I want to combine Russian cuisine with Russian ballet. At the same time, I want to infuse the mostly male-dominated Michelin-starred cuisine with femininity and lightness. Contrasts such as the light and dark of the white swans and the black swan compete with each other, both visually and in terms of taste.

Tikka Masala - a dish that started my culinary journey. It captivated me as a chef's apprentice with its layers of flavor, the first dish I mastered and the one that won my wife's heart, as the first dish I cooked for her. For this competition, I present it in two ways: whole, to enjoy it fully with all flavours present. But alongside it, a deconstructed version with all elements still present and polished, presented to highlight its individual mastery.

I have to say that this dish means a lot to me, as part of my family works in livestock farming. As on most farms, they grow their own vegetables in a family garden, respecting the rhythm of the seasons. And the season of the chard coincides with the arrival of the fir buds, with their distinctive fragrance, which I have come to enjoy on my walks through the forests of the Pyrenees. It was to express my emotions in taste that I chose to naturally combine these two products.

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.

My name is Klervi. It's a Celtic name from Brittany, Bretagne region of France from my mother. She gave me the taste of the gastronomic products with the fish, the seaweeds and the buckwheat. I found this passion again few years later when I met my Mentor from Japan. We found out that the products from Bretagne and Japan are quite the same. The Colombo, is a memory from my childhood in Guadeloupe, french island in the Caribbean. The sea is the link between this 3 regions and my traveling diary.

On our plate, we unite the gastronomic tradition of Mallorca and Menorca, highlighting local products with a sustainable approach. We believe that every chef should work with what they have at home, respecting the environment. Our passion for Mediterranean cuisine drives us to create unique culinary experiences, combining tradition and innovation.

With this dish I seek to change the focus generated by some products and turn it into something more personal. Using parts of not so common products and plating them in tableware designed and handcrafted by myself.

With this proposal, what I am trying to do is make the most of a product of such quality as hake. Hake is one of the most consumed foods in Spain by the most humble families. In this dish I use all parts of the hake to avoid throwing waste in the trash. The garnishes are also made with cheap products simulating how poor families would make them. The dish has three preparations using a different part of the hake in each of them.

Growing up in the province of Bergamo with my grandmothers, who were born and raised during the war, they always had the philosophy ‘ the butcher throws nothing away of an animal’. A thought that made me reflect on how many different ways there are to make full use of all that a raw material can offer us. This is why I chose to use a rabbit in its entirety and develop the dish starting with the use of a few kilos of carrots, thus managing to have no waste.

My "Ossi di seppia" draws inspiration from Montale's work, where bones, wandering among the waves and seemingly worthless, symbolize a miserable yet significant existential condition. Like the small things in daily life, they conceal intrinsic value and beauty. By using every part of the cuttlefish, even those considered scraps, I aim to showcase their importance and convey the significance of circular cooking to reduce waste and valorise each ingredient.

With this dish, I would like to express the concept that the replacement of animal protein with vegetable protein, allows the dish to have an equal taste, thus reducing the environmental impact, being also environmentally friendly. I hope, in this way, to succeed in approaching all food intolerances and pathologies that do not always allow the guest to feel free and involved in the free and varied choice of multiple dishes.

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.

Emerging Forest was born through memories I have of my childhood with my grandparents and the teachings they gave me about the products that nature gives us and which many of these we have forgotten, as well as many gastronomic techniques. That is why I decided to use rabbit, a protein that has been forgotten in our gastronomy. That is why I decided to diversify this protein by giving it many uses and using it 100%, creating awareness for the new generation.

Chile, a narrow strip with more than six thousand kilometres of coastline, is in the south of the world. Every dish reflects the uniqueness of a country where water is essential, from the mountains to the sea. The biodiversity is influenced by the Humboldt Current. My dish, ‘Cordillera, Valle y Pacífico’, combines goat cheese from Cajón del Maipo, chascudo, mote and conger eel with mushrooms. Inspired by my childhood and the tradition of my grandparents, I dedicate this dish to Victor and Ana.

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.

Inspired by the first book of traditional Chinese medicine, "Huangdi Neijing," which states that food is food when eaten on an empty stomach, but medicine when consumed by patients, I have chosen medicinal herbs such as Poria cocos, japonica rice, Gastrodia elata, and Phyllanthus emblica as the main ingredients, complemented by traditional handcrafted tea. This has led to the creation of a pure vegetarian dish, embodying the concept of food and medicine sharing the same origin.

This dish represents my fond memories and deep affection for the Jiangnan region.The fresh bamboo shoots on the mountains in spring, lotus leaves covers the ponds in summer, golden fields in autumn, and the aroma of cured meats in every courtyard in winter. These are my cherished memories, and I want to share this warmth and beauty through my food.

The idea behind the dish is to connect the Bulgarian and Nordic cuisine through common ingredients and procedures. The lamb is common for Bulgaria in Easter and this is written deep into the culture. The piece is either cooked on open fire or braised for long hours, and this is why I use both techniques to represent the original way of cooking lamb, from back in the days. The garnishes representing modern way salad, done by my grandmother, as well as flavorful, creamy fricassee served back home.

Denmark is the number one country of producing meat averaging 334 kg per person per year. However, as Denmark increasingly focuses on green energy and combating climate change, reducing the consumption of mass-produced meat becomes essential to lower the CO2 index. Through my dish I want to contribute to this change and adapt to a more sustainable future.

This dish represents how we can use different parts of one protein source and combine this with Estonian wine. I am also using lingonberry and moss from Estonia, it is hand picked from the forest near where i work every day.

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.

The story of the dish tells my story with the cuisine. I use a culinary technique from each chef I have worked with, while adding my personal touch that I associate with the products of my native country. Which gives a textured dish, full of color with this full-bodied, powerful, fragrant juice which gives character to the dish. This dish testifies to my love for my profession, the ups, and downs, the sacrifices I have had to make for the sole purpose of living my passion.

My goal with this dish is to demonstrate my culinary heritage, trying to showcase corn as the main ingredient. Corn is much more than a simple food in Latin America and trying to exalt it from my cuisine is the best way to enhance my background. On the other hand I want to show the great potential Australia has in terms of ingredients. So, with this dish I have decided to make one of the traditional Colombian dishes mixed it up with Australian ingredients.

Influence of different cuisines from where I learned becoming French and Spanish my biggest influence, without leaving aside the importance of ingredients, traditions, and heritage of my country, Ecuador, taking care of local producers and craftsman, always taking full advantage and respect for the product with a touch of modernity, creating an experience of textures and sensations in each perfect bite.

This dish stems from the global need to change the fine dining concept. I believe that the process of dining in a restaurant should be more educational, interestin and enjoyable for guests, with the help of other arts such as theatrical. With this dish, I will conjure up a performance about Sava Savanović, the first Serbian vampire, and country i came from, with the fact that in dish food will play the main role, where each segment of the dish will tell its own part of the story in this play.

My dish is a tribute to the culinary traditions of eastern Poland. I sourced the sturgeon and caviar from the renowned Antonius brand in a neighboring village. The inspiration for the Masurian floral lace in my recipe comes from my grandmother, a talented embroiderer. My dish also features ferments, deeply rooted in Polish tradition. Accompanying beverage is enjoyed in my home on hot days. I aim to showcase the best of Polish cuisine: good products, respect for tradition, and an open-mindedness.

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.

“Bringing the beauty of this world to the plate” is the message I would like to convey with this ‘pop art’ style dish.My most memorable encounter with the courgette is that of seeding on a courgette farm. This exercise peaked my interest in where produce comes from, how it’s grown and how to best represent that in a dish.The courgette is simple; yet when used correctly, it can add beauty and freshness to a dish.

The chosen fish for this dish is halibut, a firm fish with an oily texture. I have made a special sauce called fish caramel made from halibut bones with a good amount of sauce and nice creamy cauliflower puree with vanilla, blended until smooth. The lemon gel next to it gives a nice acidity for freshness in the dish. Along side we have New Zealand mussels grilled with butter halibut cheeks tartare with kohlrobi and fried kohlrobi leaves. Simple and tasty to enjoy!

Through this dish, I aim to express a harmony of flavors and cultures, celebrating the versatility and richness of plant-based ingredients. The blend of beet root with lactofermented strawberries and blueberries highlights the art of fermentation, an age-old preservation technique. The spices, wine, and agave syrup reflect a fusion of global culinary traditions. Accompanied by the refreshing tomato water and the vibrant foam made of fermented fruits, An example of my culinary identity.

This dish pays homage to the fishermen and farmers of my hometown, Kerala. Full use of the ingredients grown, farmed, and fished in the region has shaped the cuisine into one that is humble and driven by the people who have been there for generations and for much of this time it hasn’t been showcased in a modern setting. Now in Chicago, I have begun to understand how hospitality and artistic expression can bring a cuisine like this to new audiences and evoke a connection to a foreign cuisine.

Growing up in Chile, I’ve always appreciated the sea. With over 6,000 kilometers of coastline, Chile introduced me to the power of fresh fish and seaweed. Working in fine-dining restaurants in Paris and New York, I’ve learned that the fish industry also leaves an abundance of food waste. With this dish, I am using almost every element of my favorite fish: the Shima-aji. I’d like to inspire people to begin a new relationship with food to appreciate all that a fish has to offer.

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.

This dish represents a combination of my view, love and upbringing with food. being thought french cuisine and working with locale produce, loving the purity of japanse food and having roots in indonesia. I strive for balance in flavours and combining the east with the west in unexpected ways. I like to think outside the box with produce without losing the story behind the dish.

“Encouragement” is the theme of my dish, where ingredients, methods and cooking processes reflect the people, who at first glance might seem to be the simplest ones, those hidden behind the scenes. As in life itself, sometimes those elements need a little push to get them on stage, making them realize that they too can reach its fullest explendore.