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DNO - Vietnam has secured its first-ever silver medal at the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge 2026, marking a milestone moment for the country’s culinary industry and signaling the growing international recognition of Vietnamese cuisine.
The global final of the competition took place from May 16 to 19 in Newport, Wales, bringing together 15 elite teams selected through rigorous continental qualifying rounds organized by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs).
Representing Vietnam were chefs Trinh Tuan Dung and Le Dac Minh Quan from the Saigon Professional Chefs Guild (SPC), competing in the tournament’s highest category for professional chefs.
The Vietnamese team earned 81.875 points, placing eighth overall and receiving a silver medal under the Worldchefs scoring system.
According to competition rules, teams scoring between 80 and 89.99 points are awarded silver medals, while scores above 90 receive gold.
Italy topped this year’s competition, followed by Denmark and Singapore.
Although Vietnam did not finish among the top three, the achievement carries particular significance. In more than two decades of the competition’s history, no Vietnamese team had previously advanced this far into the global finals.
The challenge required each team to prepare a four-course menu, including an appetizer, two main courses and dessert, totaling 12 restaurant-standard servings within 7 hours under strict technical and presentation standards.
Global Chefs Challenge is considered one of the world’s most demanding culinary competitions, with hundreds of chefs testing their skills and bring their best work to the table, setting a standard for excellence within the industry.
Vietnam’s entry, titled “Essence of Vietnam”, stood out for blending premium international ingredients with distinctive Vietnamese flavors and culinary traditions.
Mandatory ingredients included Norwegian tiger prawns, halibut, veal offal, caviar and Valrhona chocolate. The Vietnamese chefs combined them with locally celebrated products such as ST25 rice, Dak Lak macadamia nuts, Ly Son garlic, Phu Quoc fish sauce and An Giang palm sugar.
Beyond ingredients, the team incorporated traditional Vietnamese cooking techniques into the menu, including steaming fresh rice sheets, rolling spring rolls and preparing “banh xeo”-style elements. The approach highlighted how Vietnamese cuisine can adapt to contemporary fine dining while maintaining a clear cultural identity.
In recent years, Vietnamese food has gained increasing global visibility, driven not only by popular street dishes such as “pho” and “banh mi” but also by a new generation of chefs seeking to elevate local ingredients and techniques onto the international culinary stage.
Industry observers say the silver medal reflects the growing technical sophistication of Vietnamese chefs as well as the country’s broader ambitions to position gastronomy as part of its cultural and tourism identity.