Cover Singaporean chef Mathew Leong competes in the Bocuse d’Or grand finals
Singaporean chef Mathew Leong competes in the Bocuse d’Or grand finals
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During the two-day Bocuse d’Or cook-off in Lyon, Leong and commis chef Synva Knapstad Gjerde crafted a series of dishes for the ‘Theme on a Plate’ challenge, showcasing mandatory ingredients such as venison, foie gras and tea
The grand finale of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or 2025 competition—often regarded as the Olympics of the culinary world—took place in Lyon, France on January 26 and 27. Singaporean chef Mathew Leong proudly represented his nation, securing sixth place amongst 24 teams from all over the world.
France took home the top spot, while Denmark and Sweden placed second and third respectively.
“The journey to Lyon has been one of immense preparation and growth,” shared Leong, who spent close to three years preparing and training for the final cook-off. Since last November, Leong and his team had been training for 16 to hours a day to prepare for the big day. The training sessions were held in Stavanger, Norway, in a kitchen furnished with state-of-the-art facilities and built to mirror the competition environment.
n case you missed it: Norwegian restaurant Re-naa, run by Singaporean chef Mathew Leong, earns three Michelin stars
Above Team Singapore, led by Mathew Leong
Team Singapore, led by Mathew Leong
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He was supported by chef-mentors including Bruno Menard, Julien Royer, Beppe de Vito, Christophe Lerouy and Jimmy Chok throughout this period.
Leong’s core support team was in Lyon to cheer him on, as he and commis chef Synva Knapstad Gjerde competed in the ‘Theme on a Plate’ challenge. With only five hours and 30 minutes given, they prepared two dishes featuring mandatory ingredients such as venison, foie gras and tea.
Above Team Singapore with chef-mentors
Team Singapore with chef-mentors
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In the “Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage”, Leong presented the flavours of the sea with the stone bass coated in crispy rice and yuzu-scented lobster. These came with green celery and green apple to inject some acidity into the dish, as well as Asiatic spiced lobster and sabayon and tomato ‘caviar’ for a hit of umami.
Read more: Chef Mathew Leong of Norway’s three-Michelin-starred Re-naa eats stress for breakfast
Above Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage
Above Blossoms of Tropical & Forest
Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage
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Paying homage to Singapore and Norway—his second home where he works as the executive chef of three-Michelin-starred Re-naa—is the “Blossoms of Tropical & Forest” made up of roe deer saddle, braised shoulder torte and flower ‘dumplings’ bathed in smoked tea consommé. To showcase the bright flavours of the Southeast Asian region, he spiced up the dish with the Singapore-spiced green mango and candied pomelo.
While Leong didn’t fully achieve his goal of being the first Singaporean chef to bring home the gold at Bocuse d’Or, he still made history by being the youngest Singaporean candidate—at the age of 26, to compete in the Bocuse d’Or 2021. He also bested his previous record (12th place out of 24) by making it into the top 10 when he competed in the finals for the second time this year.
Leong’s sixth-place finish also marks Singapore’s best performance since chef William Wai earned the bronze medal in 1989.
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Images: Bocuse d’Or 2025
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Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
