Asia’s best young chef winner, Singaporean Ian Goh, on showcasing his Hainanese heritage and the importance of confidence in the kitchen
- Ian Goh, of one-Michelin-star Nae:um in Singapore, won this year’s S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, Asian edition with a lamb dish highlighting his roots
- Mentored by chef Louis Han, Goh says mental training was key to his culinary success, and now looks forward to competing in the world finals next year in Milan
In 2019, Kevin Wong won the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Asian regional competition in Tokyo.
The young Malaysian chef went on to clinch third place at the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy global finals last year in Milan.
This year, the 29-year-old became the chef-owner of new restaurant Seroja, which opened in Singapore shopping centre Duo Galleria in October.
“The S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition gives a platform for young chefs to shine,” Wong says. “The judges are some of the best in the world, and clinching the top spots lends credibility to the chefs. It gives them an opportunity to stand out among the sea of bright young chefs.”
The S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award for Asia was held by Wong for three years, before going this year to Singaporean Ian Goh.
