TOKYO, Japan, December 9, 2016---The Washoku World Challenge Executive Committee will select the winner of this year's Washoku World Challenge from among the ten finalists from around the world who will compete in the final cook-off on December 15.

23 dishes entered by the 20 candidates who passed the initial screening were recreated by local chefs according to the recipes and judged on elements such as their understanding of washoku techniques, taste, appearance, originality, and viability in their home countries. From those 20 candidates, ten chefs from nine countries and regions have been selected to compete in the final round. These ten will gather in Tokyo for the final round on Thursday, December 15. The award ceremony will be to follow soon after the final round.

Final Round & Award Ceremony

Final round venue: Hattori Nutrition College, 5-25-4 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Award ceremony venue: Asagiri banquet room, B2 floor, Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Schedule

At Hattori Nutrition College: 09:00 Briefing and group photo; 10:00 Cooking starts, 12:00 Jury decision,

At Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel: 16:30 Unveiling results, award ceremony

These are the contestants competing in the final round:

Name/Profile/Nationality/Dish

Bryan S. Emperor

48 years old, male Five Gold Inc.

Chef consultant

United States of America

King Salmon Ishiyaki with Winter Vegetables and Miso Butter

Cheong Cherng Long

31 years old, male Oribe Sushi Restaurant

Chef Assistant

Malaysia

Akamutsu no kenchin yaki

Joe Kimura

30 years old, male Oiran Madhus

Head Chef and Owner

Scotland (works in Denmark)

"Saba no misoni" with apple, ginger, and winter vegetable

Josh DeChellis

43 years old, male Il Buco Alimentari

Executive Chef

United States of America

Boiled Daikon with Winter Yellowtail

Meegama Gurunnaselage Don Malith Wejikoon

31 years old, male

Ikoi Tei/Hilton Colombo

Japanese Demi Chef de Partie

Sri Lanka

Break me and eat! Kimpira in potato

For Immediate Release

Neo Guo Qing

34 years old, male Fat Cow Restaurant

Sous-chef

Singapore

Kan Buri Tataki To Fuyu Irizake

Pircu Ionut

26 years old, male Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

Kitchen S. Head Chef

Romania

Sake Saikioyaki with Nasu Dengaku, Enoki mushrooms and Apple & mustard Vinaigrette

Shaun Presland

45 years old, male Kisume

Executive Chef

Australia

Kinpira Chicken with Balsamic Teriyaki

Songkran Comnew

35 years old, male Osaka Style Restaurant: Nananohana

Chef

Thailand

"Lotus root chrysanthemum flower bun" (in thick seaweed sauce)

Tsai Ming Gu

41 years old, male Senwa Cuisine

Executive Chef

Taiwan

(Works in China)

Japanese mini-eggplant and turban shell in spicy yuzu kosho cream

The Washoku World Challenge, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and planned by the Washoku World Challenge Executive Committee, is a Japanese cuisine competition that seeks to discover the best practitioners of washoku around the world and promote the global spread of this fine culinary culture.

In the final round, ten chefs from around the world will make the dish they entered in the competition as well as an assigned recipe, and will be judged on Washoku skills and degree of perfection. The theme for this year's final round will be Ichiju Issai ("one soup one side"), a core concept of Japanese cuisine.

The finalists'entries and other details can be viewed at the following URL:

URL: http://washoku-worldchallenge.jp/2016/

*Washoku World Challenge Executive Committee

Chairman

Yuzaburo Mogi

Honorary CEO & chairman of the board of Kikkoman

Final round judges

Kihachi Kumagai

Chief advisor to Ivy Company

Yukio Hattori

President and principal of Hattori Nutrition College

Masayoshi Kazato

Chairman of the World Sushi Skills Institute and president of Sakaezushi

Dominique Corby

Executive chef, Maison de MINAMI

Yoshihisa Akiyama

Executive chef, Mutsukari