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'It's not about me. It's about the team, the country': S'porean becomes top Asian chef & 6th overall in prestigious chef competition
National pride.
30-year-old Singaporean chef Mathew Leong secured sixth place out of 24 competitors at the Bocuse d’Or Grand Final 2025, held in Lyon, France.
This tops his 12th-place finish at the Bocuse d’Or competition when he represented Singapore in 2021.
Singapore also achieved first place among the competing Asian countries at the Bocuse d’Or Grand Final 2025.
Photo courtesy of Bocuse d'Or Singapore.
For those who don't know, Leong is the executive chef of Re-naa, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Norway.
Disappointed yet full of gratitude
Despite achieving greater heights, Leong expressed that he was disappointed.
Speaking to Mothership, he said: "It can be better. I don't know how to explain the feeling. I was very disappointed, honestly, because I really want[ed] to do the team proud, the country proud [including] the sponsors and everybody [else] that supported me. And we [were] this close, you know... We were this close."
Nevertheless, he is grateful to have achieved his dream of "achieving the highest excellence" at Bocuse d'Or.
Leong also expressed gratitude to everyone who supported him through the journey.
"We have done what we [could], and the team has done a fantastic job. Like I said, it's not about me. It's about the team, the country, the sponsors... [Just] everything together that made this happen."
Leong and his team. Photo by Denise Tan.
So what's next for the chef?
"Sleep," Leong jokingly responded.
"I mean, you never know, life is challenging. We just have to take a step back now, go back to work in Re-naa and continue to work as hard as possible."
Showpieces from the competition
Leong and his Commis Chef Synva Knapstad Gjerde faced two challenges in the 2025 competition.
Photo courtesy of Bocuse d'Or Singapore.
The team presented two main creations: Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage (Theme on a Plate) and Blossoms of Tropical and Forest (Theme on a Platter).
Aurora of Flavours: A Sea-to-Garden Voyage
For the first challenge, Leong and Gjerde worked with three key ingredients: celery, stone bass, and lobster, while also incorporating elements from Singapore’s culinary tradition.
Their creation blended the flavours of land and sea, enhanced by an infusion of Asian ingredients.
Photo courtesy of Bocuse D'or Singapore.
The hot dish was presented to the judges after four hours and 40 minutes of preparation.
Blossoms of Tropical and Forest
The second challenge, Theme on a Platter, required contestants to use venison, foie gras and tea as key ingredients.
After completing the first challenge, Leong had just 50 minutes to finalise this dish, which fused Singapore's tropical vibrancy with Nordic wilderness.
Photo courtesy of Bocuse D'or Singapore.
The dish incorporated spices that reflected Singapore's multicultural culinary heritage.
About Bocuse d’Or
The Bocuse d’Or is a biennial culinary competition that takes place in Lyon, France.
It spans two days, with each team tasked to prepare two dishes in five hours and 35 minutes, using the same seasonal ingredient for both.
The competition takes place in a public "culinary theatre" where teams are observed by an audience and judged by renowned chefs worldwide.
Top images via Bocuse d’Or Singapore.
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