S.Pellegrino crowns Asian Young Chef

San Pellegrino has named South Korean chef, Park Jinyong, as the regional winner for Northeast Asia in its Young Chef 2015 awards.

Park won the award after an entire day of cooking challenges against other competitors in Hong Kong earlier this week.

All entrants were judged under the eyes of renowned chefs Alvin Leung, Richard Ekkebus and Yim Jungsik. Park stood out on the strength of his dish, “Samgyetang”, a traditional Korean chicken soup which he had “reinterpreted” with Western cooking techniques.

Ekkebus commented: “The S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition showcased 10 of the best emerging talents from Northeast Asia. These young, dynamic and ambitious chefs showcased some great dishes, but Park Jinyong’s excellent presentation and ingredient combinations really impressed us all.”

Jungsik, a two Michelin-starred chef and creator of the “New Korean” school of cooking, added: “These young chefs studied and prepared for this competition, and it really came through in each of their dishes. They are passionate and their willingness to learn will help them to improve and adapt going forward.”

Park will now represent Northeast Asia in Milan this June when he competes in the finals against 19 other regional finalists. The winner will be named “San Pellegrino Young Chef 2015”.