S.Pellegrino young chef competition finds Asia's culinary future 'in good hands'

On Monday, young chefs had five hours to cook 10 portions of a dish that “best represents themselves" at the Asia regionals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition’s sixth edition.

The panel of judges at S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition's Asia regionals try the contestants' dishes at the International Culinary Institute in Hong Kong on Monday. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

HONG KONG — What does it mean to be a young chef in the 21st century?

The culinary world today is bombarded with fleeting trends. TV shows can make chefs instant stars. Customers are more demanding, and the internet gives everyone a voice and an opinion, whether it's fair or not.

“What is important now? What truly matters? The simple question has become so much more challenging to answer for chefs now starting out," Richie Lin of Mume in Taiwan told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Singapore's William Yee of Labyrinth won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award with his pigeon dish, inspired by dai pai dong, otherwise known as Malaysian street food stalls.[S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

Lin, along with six more of Asia’s top veteran chefs — Vicky Cheng of Wing, Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room and David Lai of Neighborhood in Hong Kong, as well as Tam Debhakam of Baan Tepa in Thailand; Johanne Siy of Lolla in Singapore; and Alessandro Guardiani of Muni Alain Ducasse in Japan — convened at the International Culinary Institute in Hong Kong on Monday for the Asia regionals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition’s sixth edition. They judged dishes made by 10 selected chefs between the ages 18 and 30 from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, the Maldives and Indonesia.

Veteran chef and judge of the event Vicky Lau from Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong, left, celebrates with Ardy Ferguson from Hong Kong's Michelin-starred restaurant Belon, who was crowned the day's winner at The Murray Hong Kong on Monday. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

The judges said the dishes, brimming with innovation and heritage, represented the exciting future of Asian cuisine that had been previously downplayed and underestimated. But, the competition takes place at a time when the job of a chef is becoming much more complex. Simultaneously, it is tougher to recruit young chefs to the kitchen — even at Asia's top restaurants. Some had hot takes on the issue, candidly saying that not all have the patience or the work ethic for the job. These obstacles, however, were all the more reason to hold competitions for young chefs and celebrate them, according to the judges.

“It forces you to think about what it is you are doing and why you are doing it,” said Siy.

Simone Scarparo from Luna by Clara in Bangkok, Thailand, who won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsbility Award on Monday, cooked his main fish fillet with unused beeswax from bee farms. He also strived to use every part of the fish to minimize waste, including its bones, which he pulverized and incorporated into the dish’s sauce. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

On Monday, young chefs had five hours to cook 10 portions of a dish that “best represents themselves." Ardy Ferguson from Hong Kong's Michelin-starred restaurant Belon was crowned the day's winner. He will represent Asia and compete against 14 other regional representatives in the grand final slated to take place in Milan, Italy, next year.

An Indonesian-Canadian chef, Ferguson presented a heavily cultural plate, cooking a ceremonial Javanese rice dish called nasi tumpeng and the iconic Sumatran satay dish sate padang, made with grilled Hong Kong duck, to connect his past with the present.

“It hasn’t been so long since Asian chefs really started to highlight the beauty of their cuisines,” said Siy. “Back when I was a young chef, it used to be downplayed.”

An Indonesian-Canadian chef, Ferguson presented a heavily cultural plate, cooking a ceremonial Javanese rice dish called nasi tumpeng and the iconic Sumatran satay dish sate padang, made with grilled Hong Kong duck, to connect his past with the present. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

Lau agreed that young Asian chefs bring unique characteristics to their dishes through their Asian heritage.

“Asians, in particular, are much more comfortable now expressing their culture on the dishes. It is amazing to see such a rich play of culture and identity on a single plate.”

Korean contestant Kim Jae-ho from Andaz Seoul Gangnam plated a traditional North Korean dish of rice-stuffed pheasant inspired by his grandmother, who was from North Korea. Singapore's William Yee of Labyrinth won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award with his pigeon dish, inspired by dai pai dong, otherwise known as Malaysian street food stalls.

Korean contestant Kim Jae-ho from Andaz Seoul Gangnam plated a traditional North Korean dish of rice-stuffed pheasant inspired by his grandmother, who was from North Korea.[S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

Innovation and sustainability were also highlighted during the competition.

Simone Scarparo from Luna by Clara in Bangkok, Thailand, cooked his main fish fillet with unused beeswax from bee farms. He also strived to use every part of the fish to minimize waste, including its bones, which he pulverized and incorporated into the dish’s sauce. He won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsbility Award.

Aswin Kumar Karanat Subramanian from Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives was awarded the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his mud crab and curry dish, which celebrated his Keralan culture. For sustainability, the crab's claw was used as part of the dish and also as an eating utensil in lieu of a fork.

Aswin Kumar Karanat Subramanian from Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives was awarded the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his mud crab and curry dish, which celebrated his Keralan culture. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

Such creativity and expression of identity are especially rare and impressive today when most up-and-coming chefs are cooking similar things, said Lin.

“I think the environment today makes it harder for young chefs to stay focused and to stay true to yourself,” he said. “Nowadays, you can easily see what everyone is doing everywhere, whether it be through hit cooking shows or social media. So, you see a lot of young chefs who are similar in what they do. Finding originality and building your own identity on the plate becomes harder and harder.”

"I think it is hard to be a chef now because you are required to wear many hats,” said Siy, adding that the job is more than just cooking but also establishing your own brand. “You have to know how to present yourself and be cognizant of the trends around you.”

However, young chefs are not the only ones struggling to find their way in the industry; chef-owners are also having difficulty hiring the right cooks.

“It is a lot harder to find staff these days, and I’d say it is the number one problem we have in the kitchen,” Lau said.

Young chefs and their mentors pose for the camera after the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition's awards ceremony at The Murray Hong Kong on Monday. [S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY]

“Staffing is a global issue in the restaurant industry,” Siy also said. “Many don't have the patience to do things that take years to master. This job requires experience. Practicing it over and over again until you truly understand the inherent quality of ingredients. There is no substitute for experience.”

“There has never been a better time to be a chef than today, but before you can become a chef, you need to be a cook,” said Cheng. "And everybody wants to be a chef but not a cook. But good things take time."

But Lau said competitions like the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition can display the profession's charms and show other young chefs that their time and effort can be worth it as well. “The competition reminds people how exciting and amazing it is to express yourself and connect with people through food.”

And after extensive tastings and judging, the atmosphere at the evening's awards ceremony was optimistic, as Lau said into the microphone: “We’ve seen the future, and we are in good hands."

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]