This month, 10 young chefs from across Australia and New Zealand will go head-to-head in the Pacific regional finals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, a global quest to showcase the next generation of culinary stars under the age of 30.
The winner will go on to represent our region at the Grand Final in Milan in front of an esteemed judging panel, in a high-pressure, two-day cook-off that makes Masterchef look positively meditative by comparison.
This year’s talented crop of chefs includes Kimberly Tang whose signature dish, My Mother’s Tze Char, celebrates her Singaporean roots and Colombian-born Juan Taborda, currently junior sous chef at Quay, who elevates corn with his dish, Maizero.
Another finalist, Dylan Smith went from rural Queenland to Restaurant Relae in Copenhagen to refine his craft while Kogwoussougo Ouedraogo, born in Burkina Faso, tells her story through a creation called Harmony of Vegetables in Texture.
Judge and previous Pacific Region winner, Jake Kellie of Arkhé says this year’s finalists are particularly strong. “They have already shown great dedication to their craft.”
His words of advice: “You can create a dish that looks amazing, but if it doesn’t taste fantastic, you have a real issue,” he says. “To stand out in the field, keep it simple; take the great techniques that you’ve learned over your career and implement them in your style. Find the best possible produce you can, pair flavours to the best of your ability, and be true to who you are,” he adds. “Never try to be something that you’re not.”
2024 Pacific Region S.Pellegrino Young Chefs
- Kimberly Tang – My Mother’s Tze Chair
- Juan Taborda – Maizero
- Dylan Smith – Natives of Saddle Lamb
- KyongHo Choi – Bacon and Cabbage or Pork and Kimchi
- Joshua Ross – Wild Venison, Artichoke and Smoked Deer Milk Puree
- Santiago Sansone – Sweet Memories
- James Soltau – Grandfather’s Farm
- Siriporn Boonsin – Assiette from the Sea
- Vinayak Shah – Hapuka with Fenugreek and Alliums
- Kogwoussougo Ouedraogo – Harmony of Vegetables in Texture
sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
