Winners Announced For The 7th Washoku World Challenge Competition

03.March.2020 | FOOD

The final round for the 7th Washoku World Challenge Competition was held in Tokyo on February 20 and 21, which saw WANG Wei Ping of China, and chef at SUN with AQUA JAPANESE DINING SUNTORY, as the winner.

 

The two-day event brought together five chefs from Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Donostia-San Sebastian, and New York come together to compete and show their skills create dishes based on the competition’s main theme of “Umami” and this year’s theme of “Texture and Mouthfeel.”

The judges said: “This 7th edition demonstrates that the finalists’ technical level keeps improving every year. Creating Japanese dishes that incorporate the characteristics and unique ideas of other countries’ culinary cultures, while respecting the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine built on the concept of umami, expands the potential of Japanese cuisine. The creations of each one of the finalists embodied this notion.”

Middle Contender: WANG Wei Ping, 1st Place Winner

WANG Wei Ping’s Dish

On the first day, the chefs used the same ingredients to create a “nimonowan.” On the second day, they forged their own original dishes using five or more ingredients which they arranged on a Japanese “hangetsubon” tray.

 

When reacting to his victory, Wang Wei Ping said: “I thank the owner and other members of my restaurant. After returning to Shanghai, I would like to continue conveying the excellence of Japanese cuisine, which is both healthy and tasty.”

 

Finalists

Hong Kong

First Place: WANG Wei Ping (China, SUN with AQUA JAPANESE DINING SUNTORY)

 

USA

Second Place: Yael PEET (USA, Fury’s) *The restaurant will be open this summer.

 

Singapore

Third Place: Loh Man HONG (Singapore, FAT COW)

 

Paris

Wojciech POPOW (Poland, Beaverbrook)

 

Judges

– Head Judge: Mr. Yoshihiro MURATA

(Chairman of Japanese Culinary Academy, Owner and chef of Kikunoi, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill ambassador)

– Deputy Head Judge: Mr. Masahiro NAKATA

(Director of Taiwa Gakuen Education Inc. President of Kyoto Culinary Art College)
– Judge: Mr. Hideaki MATSUO

(Owner of Japanese Cuisine KASHIWAYA, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill ambassador)
– Special Judge: Yoshio KOJIMA

(Comedian)

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