It’s all in the dish

Jim, chef de cuisine at PRU at Trisara, has earned himself a place in the semi-finals yet again with his signature dish Cauliflower. Meanwhile, Ployumporn, chef de partie at La Scala Italian restaurant, has secured her spot as the only female chef in the regional final with her signature dish Beauty and the Beast.
These two talented young chefs have been selected from thousands of applications submitted by young chefs from more than 90 different countries. S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 received 30 per cent more applications than the previous edition, with more young chefs than ever before eager to be in with a chance to meet culinary talents from across the globe, share ideas, come into contact with different culinary cultures, and accelerate their careers.
“I made it into the semi-finals in 2016, and now I am determined to relive this experience and work alongside Southeast Asia’s best rising chefs again this year,” said Jim.
“Being the only female semi-finalist in the Southeast Asia region, I am proud to represent Thailand and excited to be meeting people from different countries,” added Ployumporn.
Each young chef’s application and signature dish was evaluated by experts at the World’s Leading International Educational and Training Centre for Italian Cuisine or Alma, which in charge of the local finalist selection. The experts from Alma evaluated the applications in adherence to the five rules –ingredients, skill, genius, beauty and message.
“It is the third time now that we have the responsibility to select the young chefs for the local finals, but we continue to be amazed by how much flair and passion for fine food these young talents possess,” said Andrea Sinigaglia, Alma’s general manager. “Having to select only 10 semi-finalists for each region when you are presented with so many interesting applications is not easy. It is also our responsibility to accompany all candidates in a way that renders the competition realistic and highly educational. S.Pellegrino Young Chef is not only a chance to emerge, but also a moment of international encounter, exchange and sharing.” 
From now to December 2017, the semi-finalists of each region will compete in local challenges. Each region will have a jury composed of leading independent chefs, who will judge the semi-finalists’ signature dishes and select the best one, based on the five rules. 
The Southeast Asia local challenge will be held in Singapore on October 23 with the star-studded jury panel of Asia’s best chefs, among them Richard Ekkebus of Amber Restaurant at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, which has been awarded two Michelin stars by the Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau for the ninth year and is ranked the third best restaurant in Asia by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017, as well as Mingoo Kang of Mingles in Korea, which ranked 15th Best Restaurant in Asia and the Best Restaurant in Korea by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017.
By the end of December, the 21 young chefs from around the globe will be announced as the official finalists and will move on to the Grand Finale, to be held next June . Each finalist will be assigned a “Mentor Chef” (a member of their regional jury), who will provide them guidance on how to improve their signature dishes and support them in their preparation for the international finals. 
Exclusive content related to the project will be published regularly on www.Sanpellegrino.com and www.FineDiningLovers.com, the online magazine for food enthusiasts endorsed by S Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.