Indonesian-Canadian chef wins regional S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition with his nasi tumpeng (FN-SML-80)
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On Monday (Oct 28), 10 talented chefs under 30 from Maldives, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea were given five hours to cook and 15 minutes to present their dishes to the jury of seven acclaimed chefs in the region.
The winners were announced the same evening at The Murray Hotel with all the chef contestants mingling over new friendships and comradery formed in the last 48 hours.
Indonesian-Canadian chef Ardy Ferguson, 29, from Hong Kong’s Belon restaurant clinched the winning spot, beating nine other young chefs and impressed the jury with his nasi tumpeng dish – a celebratory traditional Javanese cone-shaped rice dish served with vegetables and meat, in this case grilled Hong Kong duck.
In preparation of the grand finals in Milan in 2025, Ferguson will be mentored by former global jury Hong Kong chef Vicky Lau.
A nod to his Indonesian roots, the electrical engineering student had a later start in his culinary career.
“I grew up in Jakarta and my mother cooked every single day and I didn’t appreciate it until I moved away from home for university in Canada. Nasi tumpeng is a celebratory dish for large family gatherings, and this competition for me is a celebration of young talent and all the chefs coming together. The poultry here in Hong Kong is unlike any other and I wanted to respect and represent the culture where I have been living for the past three years, while still making a tribute to the culture I grew up in.”
