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Following an intense round of culinary competitions around the world, we are pleased to announce the names of the 21 global finalists selected to compete in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Grand Finale 2018.
Congratulations to the 21 talented young chefs that have made it this far in the competition earning their place in the prestigious final!
This competition's 21 finalists have been shortlisted through a rigorous selection process of over 2000 young chef applications from 243 countries and a further competitive cooking round where 210 semi-finalists battled head to head in 21 regions worldwide.
The young chef finalists are now busy preparing for the next exciting phase of their culinary journey alongside their chef mentors. The coming months will be dedicated to working together perfecting their signature dishes and honing their presentation skills in preparation for the final challenge in Milan on 11 and 12 May 2018.
At the Grand Finale their grit, determination and skill will be put to the ultimate test. The 21 finalists will face off in front of a Grand Jury of the seven of the worlds best chefs as well as an audience packed with friends, family, media, peers and world-class chefs.
While their personal challenges and signature dishes may differ, these young chefs all share one common ambition, to be crowned S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018, and walk in the footsteps of the previous winners, Mark Moriarty and Mitch Lienhard.
See the 21 young chef finalists pictured below (left), their signature dishes (middle) and their mentors (right).
Africa-Middle East
Young Chef: Vusumuzi Ndlovu - sous chef - Marabi Jazz Club - Johannesburg, South AfricaSignature Dish: Isicupho (aged duck crown)Mentor: Marthinus Ferreira (meet him here)
Benelux
Young Chef: Frédéric Chastro - chef - Sōma restaurant - Antwerp, BelgiumSignature Dish: Belgian rabbit roll, offal and brain, with organic endives and a rich sauce based on dark beerMentor: Peter Goossens (meet him here)
Canada
Young Chef: Benjamin Mauroy-Langlais - chef de partie - Automne in Montréal, QuebecSignature Dish: Smoked eel, celeriac (Spring in Kamouraska)Mentor: Riccardo Bertolino (meet him here)
Central America-Caribbean
Young Chef finalist: Oscar Segundo - chef - Ajumú restaurant in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MexicoSignature Diss: Barbacoa y cenizas (barbecued rabbit)Mentor: Mikel Alonso (meet him here)
China
Young Chef: Chanwai Poon - sous chef - Aurora Restaurant, Disney Resort Shanghai, Shanghai, ChinaSignature Dish: Childhood (pan seared red mullet with texture of beetroot and shellfish sauce)Mentor: Jacqueline Qiu (meet her here)
East Europe
Young Chef Finalist: Marcin Popielarz - chef - White Rabbit - Gdansk, PolandSignature Dish: Halibut smoked in river hay with cucumber and dillMentor: Wojciech Modest Amaro (meet him here)
France
Young Chef Finalist: Antonio Buono - chef - Mirazur, Menton, FranceSignature Dish Mediterranean scorpion fish, black rouille, rhubarb, wild celery and mountain flowers Mentor: Frédéric Anton (meet him here)
Germany and Austria
Young Chef Finalist: Falko Weiss - chef - Restaurant A la Minute - Trier, GermanySignature Dish: City, Land, River (stewed pork belly with crisp, celeriac puree, crawfish and tea time fond)Mentor: Karlheinz Hauser (meet him here)
Italy
Young Chef Finalist: Edoardo Fumagalli - chef -La Locanda del Notaio, Pellio Intelvi, Italy Signature Dish: Carabiniere shrimp, frosted sweetbreads, crispy algae and aromatic saladMentor: Anthony Genovese (meet him here)
Japan
Young Chef Finalist: Yasuhiro Fujio - sous chef - La Cime, Osaka, JapanSignature Dish: Across the Sea (featuring Japanese ‘Ayu’ fish)Mentor: Luca Fantin (meet him here)
Mediterranean Countries
Young Chef Finalist: Constadina Voulgari Kontesopoulou - chef - Pelagos Sea Side, Ierapetra, Greece Signature Dish: Ellinon Gefsis (featuring sous vide partridge)Mentor: Nikos Roussos (meet him here)
Northeast Asia
Young Chef Finalist: Zih-Yang Chen - chef, - VG The Seafood Bar, Taipei, TaiwanSignature Dish: The Taste of Taiwan (duck breast with sweet potato, adlay, scallions, and Taiwanese local ingredients)Mentor: Umberto Bombana (meet him here)
Pacific
Young Chef Finalist: John Rivera - chef de partie - Restaurant Amaru, Armdale, AustraliaSignature Dish: Sinigang Mentor: Scott Pickett (meet him here)
Russia-CIS
Young Chef Finalist: Ruslan Evstigneev - chef - Pushkin, Kazan, RussiaSignature Dish: Horse, kumiss, and barley. Nomad approach for a dinner.Mentor: Andrey Shmakov (meet him here)
Scandinavia-Baltics
Young Chef Finalist: Anton Husa - Chef - Upper House Dining, Göteborg, SwedenSignature Dish: Leek-coated cod, caramelised celeriac, stuffed onions and smoked dill emulsion, , served with a roasted cod and leek foam, dried liken and watercressMentor: Henri Alén (meet him here)
South America
Young Chef Finalist: Elizabeth Puquio Landeo - chef de partie - Ambrosía restaurant, ChileSignature Dish: Coastal FishMentor: Rafael Osterling (meet him here)
Southeast Asia
Young Chef Finalist: Jake Kellie - sous chef- Burnt Ends restaurant, SingaporeSignature Dish: Aged PigeonMentor: Richard Ekkebus (meet him here)
Spain and Portugal
Young Chef Finalist: David Andrés - sous chef - ABaC Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain Signature Dish: Making the most out of bluefin tunaMentor: Oriol Castro (meet him here)
Switzerland
Young Chef Finalist: David Wälti - sous chef - Eisblume, Worb, SwitzerlandSignature Dish: Head to tail from Swiss mountain salmon trout with vegetablesMentor: André Jaeger
UK and Ireland
Young Chef Finalist: Killian Crowley - chef de partie - Aniar restaurant, Galway, IrelandSignature Dish: Turbot, kohlrabi, sea purslaneMentor: Alyn Williams
USA
Young Chef Finalist: John Taube IV - sous chef - The NoMad Hotel, NY, USSignature Dish: Squab and a beetMentor: Gavin Kaysen (meet him here)
