Golden Crown for Melbourne Chef in Prestigious Award
Sep 15, 2023
Gold medal glory has been achieved by young talented chef Jimmy Han, 22,
who has been revealed as the 2023 Golden Chef of the Year in Australia’s longest running
and most credible competition for young chefs.
Achieving triple gold medals in the fiercely contested 2023 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award
Chef Han, a Commercial Cookery student at William Angliss Institute, is thrilled to have
tasted success in the ultimate food industry culinary competition.
Not only was he the only chef to achieve triple golds for his menu creations, but in a first for
the competition, Chef Han also took out the Best Savoury and Best Dessert Awards.
Having come to Australia less than a year ago with nothing but huge ambition and
determination to be the best chef he can possibly be, Chef Han has proven that anything is
possible.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work as an apprentice at a two Michelin starred restaurant in
Taiwan. This made me realise I wanted to elevate my skills set as a chef. The dining culture
in Melbourne is so diverse, which I love. Going into the grand finals of Golden Chefs I felt
excited to take my cooking to the next level and I was confident in my approach. I can’t wait
to see where this journey will take me next in terms of my culinary career.”
The judges praised Chef Han for creating an unforgettable dining experience across his
menu, with impeccable flavour balance, faultless technique, and strong storytelling.
Delivering a rare standout triple gold winning menu, his menu reflected the changing
seasons and incorporated a sustainability thread in every dish.
Entrée – ‘Green in Spring’. Torched corn salad with nashi pear, baby spinach and Greek
Yoghurt.
Main - ‘Orange in Autumn’. Murray Cod with chorizo, fennel wakame salad, sweet potato
puree and tom yum butter sauce.
Dessert – ‘Winter in White’. Vanilla black pepper bavarois. Sable lemon gel, white chocolate
soil with shaved macadamia and raspberry jelly.
Head Judge and Nestlé Professional Commercial Development Chef, Elke Travers says, "It
takes a lot of courage for young chefs to step up and be critiqued at such a high level. All the
finalists this year have been truly impressive, but Jimmy's dish execution went above and
beyond. This win is definitely going to launch his career to new heights, and I can't wait to
see what he accomplishes in the future"
Chef Han has been awarded with a two-week European culinary experience, valued at
$10,000, to travel with the Australian Culinary Olympics Junior Team to the IKA Culinary
Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany next February. This unique trip will also include a bespoke
culinary work experience in Europe. In addition, Chef Han has received a custom set of
beautifully crafted KOI Knives to enhance his kitchen tool equipment.
Chef Han also landed two $2,500 tuition packages for delivering the Best Savoury Dish
Award and the Best Dessert Dish Award to further propel his culinary career.
This is definitely a chef to watch!
Chef Sarah Jones, a three-time competitor in Golden Chefs, was awarded the Most
Sustainable Approach Award for her absolute commitment to sourcing local produce and
chef Ashleigh Handsaker was awarded the Most Creative Use of a Nestlé Product Award for
being daring enough to integrate coffee beans into a broth as part of her entrée salad dish.
Each chef has landed themselves over $1,000 AUD in kitchen equipment thanks to event
sponsors SOLIDTEKNICS.
The chefs are judged by expert judges from the Australian Culinary Federation, NZChefs
and Nestlé Professional who assess professional practices, presentation and the all-
important taste factor, all to globally recognised standards.
As Australia’s longest running culinary competition for young chefs, the Nestlé Golden
Chef’s Hat Award is now in its 58th year, supporting top emerging culinary talent to challenge
themselves and kick start their careers.
Stay up to date on Facebook @goldenchefs and Instagram @golden_chefs
