Singaporean chef Mathew Leong is Asia No.1 and world No. 6 in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or

Singaporean chef Mathew Leong was ranked No.6 in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or, deemed as the Olympics of the culinary world. France clinched gold, followed by Denmark and Sweden who won silver and bronze respectively.

Singapore was the highest ranked Asian country in the competition’s grand finals, which saw 24 countries fielding their top chefs. This is the best showing from the Republic since chef William Wai clinched a bronze in the 1989 edition.

Leong, 30, currently the executive chef of Norway’s three Michelin-starred Re-naa, also made an impressive jump from his 12th placing in the 2021 edition, where he was Singapore’s youngest ever representative. This time, he edged out traditional culinary powerhouses such as Japan (No.11), who had won the Asia Pacific round in September 2024, the United States (No. 7) and Italy (No. 9).

Bocuse d’Or was started by French chef Paul Bocuse in 1987 to broaden the public’s appreciation of the finesse, dedication and hard work that goes behind creating fine cuisine. The rigorous biennial competition includes national and regional rounds in Europe, America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

This year’s grand finals were held on Jan 26 and Jan 27 during Sirha Lyon, a food service and hospitality conference, at Euroexpo in Lyon, France.

Leong and his Norwegian commis chef Synva Knapstad Gjerde have been training full time for the competition since last July. On the first day, they had to prepare a themed plate and platter to a jury of 24 chefs, one each from the countries represented, within five hours and 30 minutes.

For the plate, candidates had to incorporate three ingredients — celery, stone bass and lobster — as well as products from their home country. They also had to prepare a hot lobster-based sabayon (a sauce made with egg yolks, sugar and wine) without a siphon and serve it four hours and 40 minutes into the challenge.

With 50 minutes left after the first challenge, the duo worked on the Theme on a Platter, which required ingredients like venison, foie gras and tea. The final platter Blossoms of Tropical & Forest was an elegant homage to Singapore flavours and the richness of the Nordic forests with roe deer, foie gras, and a green mango mixed with candied pomelo, Madras curry and calamansi. Completing the platter were “flower dumplings” with onion compote, kaffir lime and foie gras, which were served in a Japanese smoked tea consommé alongside a yuzu-infused Marco Polo sauce.

The grand finals were broadcast live from Lyon to a worldwide audience. On-site was a strong supporter contingent from Singapore, including Leong’s family. In a press statement, Leong shared: “This experience has been incredibly rewarding and I gave my all to present the best of Singapore on the global stage.”