Melbourne chef wins Pacific regional final for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef
Chef Jose Lorenzo Morales has won the Pacific regional final for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition.
Twenty-six-year-old Lorenzo Morales is commis chef at Restaurant Lume in Melbourne and won the final with his dish of roasted lechón pork belly, shrimp bogoong paste, pandan rice cracker, latik caramel, and tamarind powder.
“I want to restore our ancestors’ practices that reflect Filipino traditions, to inspire locals not to forget our history,” he said.
“I applied techniques that extend from the north to the south of the Philippines in a cohesive manner, not to express sophistication, but an appreciation for a cultural legacy that deserves an identity.”
The judging panel included Peter Gilmore, Christine Manfield, Dan Hunter, Danielle Alvarez and Jock Zonfrillo, who were impressed by Lorenzo Morales at the cook-off held at the Sydney Seafood School.
Lorenzo Morales will travel to Milan in 2020 to compete against 11 chefs from across the globe for the title of Young Chef 2020.
Lorenzo Morales will hone his skills for the next competition with the help of Lume executive chef John Rivera.
Other winners on the night included Abhijit Dey from SO Auckland, who took out the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award and Kezia Kristel from Icebergs receiving the S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility. Igni’s James Bond-Kennedy was awarded the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy title.
Sheridan Randall, 28th August 2019
