PUBLISHED ONJanuary 28, 2025 5:10 AMBySyarifah NadhirahNorway-based Singaporean chef Mathew Leong clinched sixth place out of 24 contestants at the 2025 Bocuse d'Or held in Lyon, France.
The result was announced on Jan 27 and Mathew was the top Asian contestant, finishing five places ahead of Japan. It's also Singapore's best showing at the prestigious cooking competition often regarded as the Olympics of gastronomy since William Wai's bronze in 1989.
France won gold while silver and bronze went to Denmark and Sweden.
Though he set a personal best since his 12th position in 2021, the 30-year-old expressed his disappointment.
"I'm sad because I made a promise to my family and wife that I would stand on the podium," he told The Straits Times. "But I just need to sleep the night off. Tomorrow is a new life, and we roll again."
Team Singapore coach and co-chair Julien Royer felt Mathew should feel proud of his achievement.
"It's amazing. It's a big, big jump (from 12th)."
Bocuse d'Or Singapore Academy president Bruno Menard added: "We should be pleased with what we got here. It's been a while since Singapore has placed so high. We should be proud to have talent like that in Singapore."
Currently the executive chef at three-Michelin-starred Norwegian restaurant Re-naa, Mathew's platter of roe deer, foie gras, green mango and flower dumplings was inspired by Singapore's vibrant blooms and the wild elegance of Nordic nature.
His plate entry, Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage, featured a rice-coated stone bass stuffed with lobster, celeriac silken tofu with lobster oil and kampot pepper, a celery and green apple medley with yuzu gel, as well as an Asiatic-spiced lobster sabayon with tomato "caviar" - all inspired by Asia's markets.
According to The Straits Times, these two dishes and the routine to execute them were the result of nearly three years of hard work. Mathew went through 19-hour training sessions seven days a week after he paused work in November.
"In order to stand among the top 10, you need to be dedicated. You need to push yourself as much as possible. You need a team around you that believes in you. And my team has done everything for me," he said.
Want a taste of his cooking but can't make it to Norway? Mathew will be back in Singapore next month to hold an exclusive pop-up at Dusk @ Mount Faber Peak.
From Feb 19 to 23, he will be serving a five-course set menu that marries Nordic and Asian flavours. Priced at $188 per person, reservations can be made on the restaurant's website.
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syarifahsn@asiaone.com
