Meet the Vancouver chef representing Canada in a global young cook competition
Five Sails Chef Tengis Battur just won the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2026-27 Canada Regional Final in Toronto, and with that, he will be going to Milan to represent Canada on the global stage.
Battur will be taking his dish, “Steppe” in the Spring, with him to the Grand Finale. The meal is based on his Mongolian background and the tradition of hospitality in the ger, and consists of khushuur served as a crispy lamb tenderloin dumpling with spring onion purĂ©e, chips, and scapes, along with suutie tsai paired with roasted bone broth milk tea with chive oil and borts (a.k.a. wind-dried lamb) and shortlog featuring charcoal-grilled lamb heart and tongue with ramp and nettle chimichurri and allium flowers.
The dish also has bantan — a charred onion stuffed with braised meat, caramelized onions, and soft noodles finished with garlic chips and sorrel — along with roasted lamb saddle with bone marrow soubise, wild cherry and lamb bone reduction, and slow-cooked lamb loin wrapped in burnt onion and wild spice farce.
“Steppe” in the Spring by Chef Tengis Battur
Battur spent two months developing the dish for his submission, followed by another four and a half months of practice before being selected as a finalist.
“For a long time, I didn’t know what I was passionate about. Then I found the kitchen. Until a few days ago, I had never won anything in my life. Now I’m heading to Milan, where I’ll train like I’ve never won and compete like I’ve never lost,” said Battur.
For over two years, Battur has worked with the 2025 Canadian Culinary Champion Chef Alex Kim at Five Sail, with Kim acting as his official mentor throughout the competition.
“Tengis went out of his way for every detail. He worked with butchers to get the lamb hearts and tongues, and asked his family in Mongolia for the tea, dried meat and cherries. His dad went out to pick wild cherries and a friend made custom plates for the competition,” said Kim.
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The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition is open to chefs aged 18 to 30 and was created to identify the best young chefs from around the world.
“It is a way for young talent to access the top tier of the chef community and make a positive impact in — and even beyond — the world of gastronomy,” wrote the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy.
Chefs interested in competing must first submit their signature dish recipe online. From there, a shortlist of candidates will be selected from each region (decided upon by a judging panel made up of independent members of ALMA, an authoritative international training centre for Italian cuisine) based on criteria like technical skills, creativity, and personal belief.
Then, the shortlisted participants will be assessed at the Regional Finals by a local jury of nationally and regionally renowned chefs on the basis of the aforementioned three criteria. The Canada Regional Final was judged by Daniel Hadida of Restaurant Pearl Morisette, Brian Kim of Antheia, and Quinton Bennet of O’Rourke Family Estate. The winner of the Regional Finals will then go on to the Grand Finale, where only one of the 15 finalists from around the globe will walk away as the winner.
In Milan, Battur will compete alongside the winners from 14 other regions for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award.
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