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S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy has announced that the Asia regional final of its 2026-27 competition will take place on Oct 20 at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary Arts School in Bangkok.
Ten finalists representing restaurants in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will present their signature dishes for a chance to represent Asia at the Grand Finale in Milan in 2027.
From Oct 18-20, the finalists and their mentors will join returning academy chefs, including William Yee, Ardy Ferguson and Louis Han, for a programme celebrating culinary talent.
The Asia regional jury comprises chefs Garima Arora of Gaa and Chudaree “Tam” Debhakam of Baan Tepa in Bangkok; LG Han of Labyrinth and Sun Kim of Meta Restaurant in Singapore; Ryogo Tahara of Logy in Taipei; Sam Tran of Gia in Hanoi; and Luigi Troiano of Noi in Hong Kong.
The panel brings several familiar Academy figures back to support the next generation. Chefs Arora and Tam have judged previous Asia Regional Finals, while Han mentored Xu Yu Chan and William Yee in previous editions, and Kim mentored Kevin Wong, Asia’s regional winner in the 2019-21 edition.
The welcome dinner at Clara on Oct 18 will be hosted by chef Christian Martena, who will mentor Kittitee Kamonnawin. Chef Gerard Villaret of Elements, inspired by Ciel Bleu, is mentor to Patnarin Posiri.
Three chefs from previous editions will cook at the cocktail reception and gala dinner at Dusit Thani Bangkok Oct 20, bringing their own academy journeys to the table. Yee will be the featured guest chef at the cocktail reception. The 2024-25 Asia regional winner of the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award returns to cook as his former mentor, LG Han, joins this year’s jury.
At the gala dinner, chef Ferguson, global winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, will cook alongside chef Louis Han of Nae:um in Singapore. Chef Louis Han competed in 2017 before returning as mentor to Ian Goh, who won the 2022 Asia Regional Final and the global Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award in 2023.
The awards announced will be :
• S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award — selected by the regional jury, with the winner progressing to cook at the Grand Finale 2027.
• S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award — selected by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
• Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award — voted for by the competition mentors.
• Fine Dining Lovers Award — voted for by the Fine Dining Lovers Insiders.
