S.Pellegrino has announced the ten semifinalists from each of the twenty regions across the world – of which four Kiwi chefs have been selected – for S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016.
Orphans Kitchen Chef/Co-founder, Tom Hishon, Roots restaurant Sous Chef, Christopher Walker, The Grove restaurant Sous Chef, Josh Barlow, and Apero Food & Wine Chef, Leslie Hottiaux, have been announced as Pacific semifinalists in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016competition.
Four Kiwi semifinalists in the Pacific top 10 is significant, and serves as further proof of New Zealand punching above its weight. “To be chosen out of thousands of applicants is something really special,” says Sous Chef Josh Barlow.
Having never entered a competition ever before, Apero Food & Wine Chef, Leslie Hottiaux is looking forward to the challenge the competition poses, saying, “I’m so pleased to be selected as a semifinalist. I’ve never entered any competitions before and having just opened the restaurant last year, I thought I would enter to prove to myself that I could do it.”
Orphans Kitchen Chef and Co-founder, Tom Hishon has been selected as a semifinalist in the competition for the second year running, whilst Christchurch’s Roots Restaurant has been in the limelight before, winning Cuisine’s restaurant of the year in 2015. Sous chef Christopher Walker says he is “excited to share what we do at Roots and the way we cook with the world.”
The Pacific’s 10 semifinalists are:
Tom Hishon, Orphans Kitchen, Chef and Co-founder – signature dish: Aotearoa Black Foot
Christopher Walker, Roots, Sous Chef – signature dish: Wild venison and its surroundings
Josh Barlow, The Grove, Sous Chef – signature dish: Venison with Hay cooked Jerualem Artichokes, Wild Mushrooms, Crispy Kale, Venison “Haggis” Burnt cream and Smoked Beetroot sauce
Leslie Hottiaux, Apero Food & Wine, Chef – signature dish: Potato Gnocchi, Mushrooms, Pine nuts & Truffle
Joshua Gregory, Exp. Restaurant, Sous Chef – signature dish: Beef cooked over hardwood with coastal plants and prawn head sauce
Olivia Meli, Montrachet, Chef – signature dish: A Carrot, Down to Earth
Ved Navghare, Tonka Restaurant, Sous Chef – signature dish: Tea smoked Duck korma, vanilla spice beetroot, garlic chutney
Zackary Furst, Ides Melbourne, Sous Chef =- signature dish: Lamb, roasted aubergine, shaved pine mushroom, pear and mustard puree kohlrabi dressed with lamb fat vinaigrette sauce and charred pear
Garreth Robbs, Bistro Molines, Chef – signature dish: Schezwan and Maple Glazed Duck, Orange Emulsion, Sweet Potato and Mascapone Puree, Broccolini
Jeremy Metivier, Cottage Point Inn, Sous Chef – signature dish: Snapper carpaccio with cucumber, tarragon & horseradish
For the Pacific region, phase III of the project will take place at Crown in Melbourne at the end of July, where the 10 semifinalists’ signature dishes will be judged by the regional jury based on the five Golden Rules: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty, and message.
Come end of August, the twenty best local young chefs from each region of the world will be announced as the international official finalists. They will also be assigned a Mentor Chef, who will advise each of them on how to improve their signature dishes and prepare for the global finals.
The twenty finalists will compete in the Grand Finale on October 13 in Milan, which will include two demanding days of cooking in front of the Seven Sages jury, composed by David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack, which will determine the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016.
