Yu Hung Cheng 2024 Winner

A new award, the Austral Young Chef of the Sea is awarded to a cook who demonstrates promise and talent with seafood, as well as deep engagement with sustainability. Yu Hung Cheng, who began cooking in 2017 and is now sous-chef at Madalena’s, is passionate about the precision that comes with handling and preparing fish, as well about combining nods to his Taiwanese heritage with a wider palate. In our cook-off, his dish of toothfish with ginger-shallot and gochujang stood out for its refinement and flavour. The prize, which includes a stint working with Josh Niland in Sydney, will only serve to nurture his talent.

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