My dish- Echoes of the Kalahari expresses who I am today-a chef grounded in Southern Africa- and who I aim to become: one who cooks with awareness, responsibility, and respect. A Deep respect for a landscape where survival depends on balance. The connection between the San tribe, their knowledge of indigenous healing plants and game is a system of coexistence built on mutual reliance. My philosophy is honouring ingredients not as resources to extract, but as elements within a living system.

Growing up, lamb was, and still is, an expensive commodity. In my home lamb always went hand in hand with a special occasion. The preparation of the lamb dish was always tasked to my grandmother who would always take great care and would never dare leave anything to go to waste. This dish is a tribute to her and how she inspired me to pursue cooking professionally and the special memories we shared, showcasing the skills and techniques I have acquired while being a chef locally, and abroad.
 

Duck and chouchou were often served at my parents' dinner table, thanks to our vegetable garden and our farmyard. In this recipe, made with home-grown produce, I present a simple and generous simple, generous cuisine where vegetables and meat, in a rather classic interpretation have equal importance on the plate. Working with a product in its entirety using a variety of techniques is part of my culinary identity, while at the same time highlighting the local flavours of the Hauts de La Réunion region.

I believe the future of cuisine lies in preserving cultural identity through innovation. Levantine Wellington reimagines Lebanon’s iconic kibbeh in a contemporary form while preserving its essence. The smoked hummus and oxtail jus add depth and refinement, creating a bridge between heritage and modernity. Through this dish, I celebrate the resilience, creativity, and evolving story of Lebanese cuisine.

I wanted to showcase the authentic Egyptian cuisine, using contemporary twists and techniques to re-imagine traditional components like bessara, dukkah and taro. “It’s simply Egypt on a plate”. Memories of bessara served when meat was scarce, slow cooked lamb as a celebratory feast with families gathering around a floor tray and his grandmother’s taro inspired this dish, which presents taro in sheets and sous vide lamb with textures of dukkah.

The Middle East epitomizes cultural fusion and rich histories, evident in its vibrant bazaars and diverse culinary heritage. Families and friends unite around tables adorned with delectable dishes, sharing laughter and tales. Amidst deserts and seas, hospitality and tolerance prevail, weaving a tapestry of unity amidst diversity.

The overlooked ingredients of the Northeast taught me how to listen to things unspoken for. Pork belly, that surrenders only to warm patience. Fermented bamboo shoots, that transforms into cold but comforting evolution. Kansa, that carried this land's healing long before I arrived. I did not find these ingredients. They found me. I am learning to disappear behind them, to let them speak what I cannot. This vision is my future. Hence, I present to you, "Dihing" ;- forest after rain.

Without dreams we reach nothing,
Without love we feel nothing
In order to reach your dream,
you need determination, discipline, self-effort
and self-confidence to make your dreams come
I believe that Culinary work is art and love.

This dish comes from a memory from my chilhood:''anatra all'arancia'' (orange duck) from my grandmother, she's the one that made me fall in love with cooking. very important dish for me, i tried to use all the skills that i learnt during my years in the kitchen, but always trying to bring forward all the flavors that reminds me of my country and most importantly who gave me the inspiration for it. With this dish i want to express what you can achieve with cooking: create an emotion.

This dish takes me back to Sundays at my granny’s house in Soweto. A coal stove warmed the kitchen as she prepared lesheleshele, a sorghum porridge for breakfast. After church, we’d stop for chicken feet and heads from a roadside braai, a simple kasi snack before rushing home to the smell of lunch. Those Sundays taught me that food is love, family and identity. This dish honours my grandmother and the streets that raised me, it’s a taste of Soweto.

The power of flavor in simplicity with my love for fusion. Throughout my journey as a chef, I have never really appreciated my own skill because as a chef, you always feel like you can do better. I rather found comfort in how people reacted to my dishes when they ate them and so therefore with this dish, I embrace the produce the earth gives us, I want each and every little component to be felt with every bite for what it is! With this dish I embrace my skills and I appreciate the simplicity.

Coming from the Northern Cape, the braai is often seen as the place for a man. From a young age I was by my father's side, learning how to master the fire. Later, I would always host the braai, ready to cook the meat while frowning male faces were ready to save me from the 'burden' of yielding the grid. This dish represents how my love for the braai has only grown, celebrating women's ability to tame the flames, along with my passion of showcasing my heritage and enjoyment of local ingredients.

Inspired by the core memoir of my culinary journey, surrounded by amazing people from around the world in Middle East, which is a melting pot of culture region, where the aromas, flavors, and tradition come together, create a dynamic culinary scene as it is now. I carry the essence of my roots, to honor where i come from and staying true what i come here for. From my signature dish, i want to educate my guest how important to practicing sustainability. Because, small things can make different...

The dish itself express completely south eastern turkish cuisine where the people eats lamb, mix spices and local carbs such as barley, chickpea etc. . this dish explain the culture and the life style of people in the region. Handmade clay pot by the Anatolians and raised ships by the shepherds feeded naturally. In this this you will find all the richness of region given by the nature to us. The cooking method absolutely how people use to do many years ago. Slow cooking technique in clay pot.

This dish expresses my journey as a chef shaped by humble beginnings, where my earliest memories were on a rooftop in Egypt with my grandmother, feeding and preparing duck for our family table. It is a tribute to those shared meals, rooted in Egypt’s ancient Nile Valley culinary traditions and agricultural culture. Through duck, freekeh, and molokhiya, I reinterpret our heritage with refined technique, honoring where I come from and who I am becoming.

I wanted to create a dish that can live on a high class fine dining menu, made with “cheap”, attainable, everyday ingredients that I grew up eating at least once a week. It is so important to remember that knowledge, skill and technique counts for so much, a roast potato, a soft boiled egg and an average plate of pasta have so much potential if you know how to work with them.

Through The Fifth Quarter, I want to express a philosophy of care, transformation and respect. Inspired by Tamil food traditions around Madurai, where brain, bones and broth nourished families and workers, this dish reimagines overlooked ingredients with intention. The name comes from the “fifth quarter” — the parts beyond prized cuts that complete the animal. It reflects the chef I aspire to become: one who values sustainability, memory and nourishment over excess.

During my visit to Egypt, I was welcomed into my friend's family celebration of Eid. Grateful for their hospitality, I offered to cook the dinner to discover their tradition of sacrificing a lamb for the festival. I felt a deep respect for their customs. My dish is inspired by that experience, so I wanted to do a dish where I use the whole animal. Each ingredient, spice, and technique is a tribute to the love and generosity they showed me during that unforgettable time in Egypt.