Regional Finalists 2022-23

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.

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’.

"‘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.

This dish is an ode to a traditional Québécois meal: the rotisserie chicken. Traditionally, the chicken is served with gravy, a side of creamy or traditional vinegary coleslaw, french fries, and a pain brioche.

A fragment of Quebec’s culinary culture, the history of the rotisserie chicken is also that of French Canadians. But it is also the story of my father, Abdelaziz, who was exposed to ceaseless systemic racism in the labour market and driven, by the ensuing precarity, to deliver the infamous “chef’s special” through long nights. I chose this dish in honour of the Québécois culture, but by choosing the silky chicken, a breed of hen whose black skin and beauty seldom make it a choice for cooking, I want to raise questions around speciesism and racism through my cooking.

I prepare this dish through a mixture of traditions bringing the Québécois recipe together with my Moroccan background to create a unique expression of this rotisserie meal. By selecting as many regional products as possible, I also give thanks to this welcoming land that is Québec and the riches it has to offer. These include some foods that were long used by the Indigenous People of this unceded Atikamekw territory (Nitaskinan) but forgotten in our modern cuisine. These complex and distinctive flavors here find their expression in the traditional Québécois dish.

Vegan food, through methodology and expertise, belongs on the world stage. Vegetables can be a complete substitute for any animal product. Vegan forward diets reduce factory farming practices, and when we eat meat, we should source local and ethically raised products.
Fallon recognized the harsh realities of raising cattle. She realized cultivating mushrooms was the way of the future. These are generational farmers who shifted their focus for the environment, their courage deserves recognition.

Growing up in Busan and now cooking in Vancouver, I am inspired by two coastal cultures connected by the sea. Through oysters, sablefish, geoduck, and especially kim (seaweed), I express the relationship between Korean heritage and the Pacific Northwest. Seaweed is the thread that ties this dish together, reflecting both tradition and innovation. Using French and West Coast techniques, I want to tell the story of my journey between these two shores.

Seasonality and regionality play a fundamental role for me when creating my dishes.
Going through the world with open eyes, seeing what nature has to offer, helps me tremendously when creating new dishes.
I want to know where my products come from and how I can use the conditions of my environment for my dishes. Products should find their way onto a plate when they are available on the market in the best quality it can offer. The goal should always be to use the full potential of all products.

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.

The dish is intended to convey an honest image of the region, the botanical garden near to the restaurant reimagining the pleasure of traditional ingredients through a variety of preparation methods.
The ingredients can be found in the immediate vicinity. The dish shows the diversity of flora and fauna. To ensure sustainability roots, leaves and innards are used following the approach of ‘nose-to-tail’. It’s intended to promote the sustainable enjoyment of ingredients and create honest enjoyment.

This dish for me represents Irish culture married with classical french techniques,as an Irish chef in France it's something that's very important to me.I break down the elements of the whiskey making process into individual steps, and that utilise those steps to inspire a key ingredient on the plate, all to accompany Irish Beef Tongue."Whiskey loosening the tongue" is an Irish phrase for when we drink whiskey it helps open conversation, I'm playing on that phrase as I braise the beef in whiskey.

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.

Through the artichoke, my signature ingredient, I tell the story of my journey between the discipline I learned at Guy Savoy in Paris and the Mexican influences I discovered at Daniel Boulud in New York. This dish supports a fragile agricultural sector through a responsible, low-waste approach. It reflects the chef I aspire to become: creative, globally minded, respectful of producers, ingredients and the environment, while keeping humanity at the heart of gastronomy.

My dream as a chef is nothing more than to be able to take my island to the highest level of gastronomy, being happy along the way. I have expressed it in this dish, using figs, lactose and corn, which is what the pigeon feeds on during its life, making 100% use of it and accompanying it with the three most typical plants of the island, which are fennel, rosemary and salicornia. With this dish I want to show that with a few simple ingredients and your own roots you can achieve a dish of great quality.

From head to toe. That's what came to my mind when I decided that my dish should be mainly pork. Pork is a product that shows us that everything can be used and that nothing should be wasted. At the same time, most pork-based preparations require long cooking times and the patience that goes with it. For me, making the most of time and time are the indisputable pillars of any kitchen, and that is where this dish I am presenting has come from.

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.

The concept of territory is an important thing when I think about creating a dish. I owe a lot to Tuscany, so I chose the Casentino trout. We are talking about a unique specimen bred in Stia, in the province of Arezzo, where "Puccini Trout Farming" allowed me to experience first-hand one of the most interesting products found so far. A fish that struck me so much that I really wanted to pay homage to it in all its facets, using every part of it in the name of sustainability and reducing waste.

Through a reciprocal Surf & Turf, grey mullet, a humble fish, is enhanced by leche de tigre and a crunchy polenta crust, paired with the rustic intensity of cacciatora sauce. In the side dish bold carpaccio meets the savory freshness of mullet bottarga sauce. The plating setup is crafted in 3D from recycled materials. Moving from the sea to the lake, the entire concept aims to raise awareness about sea pollution through the powerful medium of cuisine at my disposal and describes my own identity.

This dish revolves around the use of the main part of the ingredients and those of “ scrap “ , nothing is thrown away, rather at the end of each preparation what’s left is used as a base for another recipe. This is to raise consciousness of the Chef on food waste and consequently on the human resources used for the production of raw ingredients.

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.

This dish represents the diversity from Brazil, using ingredients that match each other and create a comfort space, just like a forest. In the plate is served culture, tradition, and influences from my Italian family. Putting my heart and belifs into a plate.

This is an expression of love, honour, affection, subtlety, wisdom, passion and, of course, legacy.
The dish reminds me of my childhood, when at harvest time, mum and dad used to take me and my siblings to harvest the corn cob, remove the amero (corn husk), shuck it and grind it to make envueltos. These wraps had curd in them and we used to accompany them with sweaty fish called catfish and our beautiful Colombian sauce, hogao (sofrito).

The inspiration for this dish came from my hometown: Ningbo, Zhejiang. There is a dish in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province called Stir-Fried Rice Cake and White Crab. The white rice cake on the plate is the original slice of rice cake with ginger oil brushed on it. Under the white rice cake are crab meat, chive, tarragon, crab paste egg meringue, and white crab bisque. The snack in the upper left corner is another dish inspired by hometown: bean curd skin-wrapped yellow croaker. I replaced the yellow croaker with crab legs and sprinkled the tomato puree powder from the Bisque making process. This dish is from my hometown, but it is presented in a way that is not traditional. I believe this presentation method can be accepted by more people.

I have been training in the culinary arts since I was 14 and that set me on my career path. It allowed me to gain a thorough understanding of Western gastronomy and culinary techniques. But I have never veered too far from what is familiar to me; Chinese cuisine is etched in my memory and I am mesmerized by it. Coupled with foreign elements, it has sparked whimsical surprises in my style of Chinese cuisine.
 

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.

I am a chef driven by curiosity, and respect for ingredients. Today, I shape my identity through Nordic flavors and technical performance. In the future, I aim to become a chef who unites craftsmanship and sustainable, creates experiences that move people, and contributes to pushing gastronomy forward.

There are fewer fish in Lillebælt (the sea outside my restaurant) and this is partly due to the environmental problems we have created for ourselves.
Fortunately, we still have lobsters in the sea and we have an elderly fisherman who brings us the best lobsters. So this dish is my way of showing and helping to remember what Lillebælt means to us. The goal is to get everyone to respect the environment and the world's oceans again, otherwise we will destroy some of the most amazing things we have.

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.

Through this dish, I aim to express the elegance and complexity of Australian gourmet cuisine. The combination of duck, plums, and Australian black truffles showcases the country's rich agricultural diversity and culinary potential. The dish pays homage to my grandfather's farm and Australia's ability to produce high-quality, luxury ingredients and its growing reputation in the global gourmet scene.

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.

This dish expresses my journey of identity shaped through memory and emotion. Growing up in North India, seafood felt unfamiliar until my father brought southern flavours into our home. What once felt strange slowly became comfort, connection, and belonging. Through this dish, I honour those early moments and how they evolved into who I am today, expressed through flavour, technique, and a deep emotional link to family and home.

My dish is my interpretation to the classic Borscht. I took my mother’s recipe and disassembled it and combined it with the local ingredients and flavor’s. The dish itself served on plates that passed in my family in inheritance.
My goal was to make a dish that combines two cultures, memories from my childhood and also has minimum waste. I tried to use all the parts of all the ingredients.

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.

By presenting this dish i would like to convince people that we chefs are not only people that stand for many hours in front of the frying pan. We can all agree that we identify ourselves as artists. Plates for us are like a canvas for a painter. We create and express ourselves on it. Just like Leonardo da Vinci did and others. It’s not only our work but a big passion for life that we want to share with people in the restaurants like artists share their creations in galleries. WE ARE ARTISTS!

The inspiration comes from my experience in Tokyo and the memory of my childhood. I’d like to present a wonderful marriage between the ingredients from mountain and ocean, and I believe humble ingredients could also be the star. I love both French cuisine and Chinese cuisine and I believe all different cuisines have something in common. So I'd like to present some Chinese poaching technique, and the way we make chicken broth. It would be a French contemporary with a Chinese twist.

I want to focus on traditional Rajasthani hunter-style cooking by showcasing grains, vegetables of the region. It reflects the time when kings used to go out hunting for weeks, they would carry minimal spices and grain and they would cook the hunted animal in the pit. My dish is surrounded by that idea but with my execution.

Raised in Herefordshire, a largely overlooked area producing some of the UK's finest raw ingredients, I have a proudly British identity focussed on celebrating local farmers. I'm working with wild boar from the Forest of Dean due to its local and invasive nature. The dish then boasts the bounty of produce and flavours available from Herefordshire's farmers. Food should be exciting yet approachable, but also sustainable, low-waste and deeply connected to local communities and landscapes.

Summer in Oregon showcases the region's bounty and the resilience of its people. Inspired by my grandfather's farm, I emphasize patience, resilience, and stewardship through food. Enduring eight months of rain, the community eagerly awaits summer's vibrant arrival. Fresh produce and seafood highlight our connection to the land. My dish blends floral and coastal flavors, sourced locally and ethically, to celebrate and promote environmental preservation. This dish is a snapshot of Oregon's sprit.

I want to express the courage to work with nonconformity, taking a classic plate form my country with products that we barely use and remade it with new techniques and thoughts but keeping the amazing flavor of the main components so you can transport yourself to Catalunya.
The message is to bring back the forgotten classics and the story behind them.

This dish is a story and reflection of my life as a chef;
Typically Banchan (Korean side dish) is a variety of small dishes accompanying a main dish generally reflecting the area they come from. Each Banchan will reflect a a moment in my life through places that I have travelled as well beliefs found along the way whilst maintain my rules and ethics of clean and fair food that’s locally sourced in a sustainable way.
The Six Core Values of my Food
Fire, Clean, Delicious, Refined, Innovative, Tec

The first message this dish gets across is a bit of a surprise to most people who taste it as even a simple lettuce plant, if well prepared, can become the tastiest dish on the menu. historically it has no specification, but another important message this dish gets across is definitely that of using all parts of a product, from a to z, from the cooking liquid that becomes a vinaigrette to the daikon waste that becomes kimchi.

“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.

I am a chef inspired by memory, roots and the stories behind every ingredient. The flavors of this dish shaped my childhood and remind me of my grandmother, who taught me that food is a language of love. The turkey represents migration: native to Latin America, it crossed borders and found a place in other cultures without losing its essence. Whether classic or modern, there is only one kind of cuisine: good cuisine. Looking to the future, I want cuisine to be seen as a language that brings people together.