Meet the SPYCA Competition local juries and discover their ones to watch

LG Han

I have had the pleasure of working alongside many great chefs, and Zee Chan and William Yee from my team at Restaurant Labyrinth are two who stand out. They are young chefs who have played a pivotal role in shaping our current menu with me. Their technical skills alongside their creativity have brought different perspectives and fresh ideas to our kitchen. Having worked closely with them, I have seen their growth and the thought they put into every aspect of their cooking, from the ingredients they choose to the techniques they explore. I believe they represent the next generation of Singaporean chefs who will continue to push our food culture forward while developing their own voices. 

Luigi Troiano

Marco Xodo at Ninetta [in Hong Kong] has a real understanding of how to strip away the formality of fine dining without losing the rigour behind it – a deliberate return to the trattoria as the true heart of Italian cooking, where the table is always full and the food is meant to be shared. It doesn't feel contrived – there's a natural warmth and generosity to the work, rooted in memories of his grandmother's kitchen in Calabria and the simple tomato pasta she made from her garden. I love Ninetta and Marco's food because he puts so much effort into sourcing high-quality products from Italy, and everything is super seasonal. 

Ryogo Tahara

Having worked at Mingles in Seoul, followed by La Cime and Florilège in Japan, chef Seongbin Jeon [Vinho, Seoul] has developed a culinary perspective influenced by different cultures and philosophies. What I find particularly interesting about his cooking is how he draws on these experiences without losing his connection to Korean culinary traditions. Rather than simply combining techniques from different cuisines, he interprets Korean ingredients and familiar flavours through his own experiences and understanding. His approach reflects a thoughtful balance between tradition and contemporary expression. I see him as part of a new generation of Korean chefs who are not simply following the direction of modern fine dining, but contributing to how it continues to evolve.

Sam Tran

Vietnam’s culinary scene continues to evolve, with a new generation of chefs bringing their own perspectives to the table. Chef Trâm [Nguyễn, of Hoả Quán in Ho Chi Minh City] is one of the young talents I believe is worth watching. Through her bold approach to flavour, her instinct for balancing heat and spice, and her determination to grow in the kitchen, she is gradually shaping a culinary identity that feels distinctly her own. She is drawn to bold, distinct flavours from across Asia, especially the spicy, numbing kick of Sichuan chillies and peppercorns from China, the rich, savoury taste of fermented Thai seasonings, fish sauce from Vietnam and many others from Southeast Asian cuisines. In many ways, I see a younger version of myself in Tram, someone driven by passion, willing to put in the work, and committed to building something meaningful through cooking. 

Pacific

Alanna Sapwell

I think the things that are truly special rarely emerge from a trend. They’re usually the result of years of thought, refinement and consideration – something that has been carefully crafted over time and is deeply connected to its sense of place. Tom [Campbell] at Thelma [in the Adelaide Hills] is a great example of this. There’s a real understanding of how to showcase the region through genuine relationships with small-scale farmers and winemakers, all of which feeds naturally into the ethos of Thelma. It doesn’t feel contrived – there’s a natural creativity and curiosity to the work. For me, Thelma is a wonderful example of what can happen when a venue is inclusive, humble and genuinely invested in its community. 

Analiese Gregory

Bianca Johnston is a Tasmanian chef whom I first met when she competed in the Appetite for Excellence awards that I was judging; she also happened to be cooking at my favourite pub in Hobart at the time. Passionate about produce, sustainability and the provenance of her ingredients, we later spent some time cooking together all around Australia at events I was doing in my freelance chef days. Bianca had attention to detail, a love for vegetables, an ability to push on and an honesty in her execution of dishes. And this was before she moved to Europe to work at Le Doyenné for a few years under James Henry. She is now back in Hobart, re-establishing her roots.

Clinton Mciver

My good friend and colleague Steve Harry’s restaurants Suze and the newly opened Nina [both in Melbourne] are reflections of his incredible energy, creativity and generosity as a chef. Steve has a rare ability to create restaurants that feel deeply personal while remaining exciting and relevant, and he brings an infectious enthusiasm to everything he does. What I particularly admire is the way he invests in the young chefs around him. He is generous with his knowledge, encourages them to find their own voice and creates an environment where people can genuinely grow. I think Steve is exactly the kind of chef who deserves greater visibility, not only for the food he creates, but for the influence he is already having on the next generation of Australian chefs.

Dan Hong

Khanh Nguyen is one of the most talented young chefs in the country at the moment. He runs two restaurants [in Sydney]: King Clarence and the recently opened Ashe. Khanh combines meticulous technique with mostly Southeast Asian flavours to create very unique, thought-provoking flavour bombs. I may be a little biased as he used to be one of my sous chefs at Mr Wong back in the day, but he has grown into an immense talent that cannot be ignored.

James Cole Bowen

One chef I’m always excited to see what’s next from is Brian Cole. Having come through some of Perth’s top kitchens, Brian has built a strong foundation and developed into a natural leader with a clear voice of his own. This year, he stepped out on his own with a series of sold-out pop-ups, bringing together his West African heritage, the flavours and memories of his childhood, and the finesse and discipline of his fine-dining training. What excites me most is that Brian isn’t chasing trends. He’s creating food that is deeply personal, exciting to eat and genuinely connected to his culinary heritage.

Karen Martini

I first came across Diana Desensi, Head Chef of Delmonte in Carlton, when she was working with Matt Wilkinson, cooking vibrant Italian food with real spirit and an obvious love for what she was doing. I got to know her much better when she joined me at Saint George in St Kilda as Head Chef, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see how she has developed since then. Diana has always had an exceptional work ethic and an instinctive understanding of seasonal produce and Italian cookery. What has grown with experience is a quiet, unflappable confidence and real maturity as a leader. What impresses me most is the generosity she now brings to leading and developing younger cooks. Seeing talented women back themselves, grow into leadership and then lift others along the way is exactly what our industry needs. 

Ross Lusted

As I travel and dine out, my greatest observation of a change in our industry has been the shift towards experience-driven and single-focus dining. This is no more evident than at Sydney’s Ante, where co-owners Matt Young and chef Jemma Whiteman have created an immersive experience. Matt has travelled throughout Japan to search for their sake, and Emma serves beautiful small dishes that straddle Japan and Europe, enjoyed with the sound of vinyl filling the room. Although Emma has worked with some of the best in the business, she is at the start of creating her own narrative, her own story, and I think the best is yet to come.