Australian finalists announced for Ōra King

Three chefs from Victoria have been named as the Australian finalists for the Ōra King 2019 awards.

Joachim Lim (MPD Steak Kitchen), Michael Demagistris (Polperro Winery) and chef Michael Cole were selected as the three Australian finalists, with the chefs basing their dishes around a nose-to-scale ethos.

Judges Jason Roberts and Ian Curley travelled to each of the six semi-finalists’ restaurants to taste their dishes and spend time with the chefs.

“We were incredibly impressed by the connections that each chef demonstrated with this year’s theme, sustain,” said Roberts.

“Not only did we see a growing awareness and mindfulness of the food ecosystem in this year’s entries, we also saw how having integrity and embracing community are integral to real sustainability.”

The three finalists will travel to New Zealand for a four-day trip, joining chefs from New Zealand, Japan and North America. The global winner will be announced on 15 October.

Sheridan Randall, 18^th September 2019