NEXT Thursday, 10 young chefs from South-east Asia will face one another in a cook-off to determine who gets to represent the region in the finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 competition - a global search for the world's best young chefs under 30.

Half of these semi-finalists come from Singapore, including 25-year-old Elaine Koh - a chef de partie (or station chef) at Jaan, one of Singapore's most prestigious restaurants, and no. 17 on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list. Within the two-hour time limit, she will have to prepare her signature dish - mackerel with sherry, beets and horseradish.

Along with the other nine competitors, Chef Koh will be judged by a panel made up of Bangkok-based Indian chef Gaggan Anand, and two Singapore-based chefs - Andre Chiang of Restaurant Andre and Ryan Clift of Tippling Club.