Celebrating the World's Best Chefs
At the top of this year’s awards are three exemplary chefs whose visionary contributions have redefined modern gastronomy:
1st ROW: Rasmus Munck – Alchemist, Danimarka 🇩🇰
Known for his avant-garde approach, Munk blends theatrical elements with gastronomic innovation at Alchemist, delivering an experience that has made him a global sensation.
2TH ROW: Albert Adrià - Enigma, Spain
At Enigma, Adrià, an icon of gastronomic experimentation, continues to push boundaries by combining storytelling with innovative techniques, consolidating his influence in the industry.
3TH ROW: Eric Wildgaard - Jordan, Denmark
Known for his commitment to sustainability and purity, Vildgaard’s works in Jordnær represent the artistry of local Scandinavian materials, making his work globally impressive.
Special Award Winners
As part of The Best Chef’s revolutionary new ranking system, the awards also celebrate chefs who have made outstanding contributions in specific areas:
- Best Game Changer: Albert Adrià, Enigma (Spain)
- Best Pastry Award: Rene Frank, Tail (Germany)
- Best New Performer Award: Mei Kogo, Sushi-Meino (Japan)
- Best Terroir Award: Jaime Rodriguez, Celele (Colombia)
- Best Science Award: Angel Leon, Aponiente (Spain)
- Best Food Art Award: Julian Royer, Odette (Singapore)
- Best NextGen Award: Michele Lazzarini, Contrada Bricconi, (Italy)
- Best Customer Experience Award: Vaughan Mabee, Amisfield (New Zealand)
- Best Creativity Award: Paco Mendez, Come Restaurant (Spain)
- Best of Dubai Award: Himanshu Saini, Tresind (UAE)
- Professionals' Choice Award: Ana Ros, Hisa Franko (Slovenia)
- Best Origins and Future Award: (1) Eva, Lilian, Emilie Rihani, Three by Eva (UAE) (2) Mohamad, Wassim, Omar Orfali, orfali bros (UAE)
Knife Recognition
In a historic move, The Best Chef Awards has introduced a three-stage Knife recognition system to provide a more comprehensive look at culinary excellence. Leaving traditional rankings behind, the system honors 6 gastronomy professionals across 521 continents, dividing chefs into three categories based on their influence and skills:
- Three Blades (Best): Celebrating the highest level of culinary mastery, achieving 80% or more of the maximum score Awards given to 91 chefs.
- Two Knives (Premium Quality): %Achieving 40 or more Getting to know 168 chefs, an award that represents their expertise worldwide.
- A Knife (Perfect): Achieving 20% or more Giving to 262 chiefs, an award that recognizes his/her significant contributions in this field.
A Showcase of Dubai's Finest Cuisine
The awards ceremony concluded with three days of exciting events including thought-provoking panel discussions, the Food Meets Science conference and exclusive gastronomy experiences. The 2024 ceremony attracted over 3.000 attendees, creating a vibrant platform for chefs, industry leaders and gastronomy enthusiasts from around the world to connect, collaborate and be inspired.
Dubai’s dynamic cuisine was highlighted with a bright vision at the Best Chef Awards 2024, with several Dubai-based chefs recognised in the Knife categories. The recognition reflected the city’s growing influence on the global gastronomy scene:
- Three Knives: Gregoire Berger ((Ossiano) and Himanshu Saini (Tresind)
- Two Knives: Mohamad Orfali (orfali bros) and Daniel Birk (Row on 45)
- A Knife: Rahul Rana (Avatara), Solemann Haddad (moonrise), and Tom Allen (Dinner by Heston)
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, under the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai, said: “Dubai’s successful staging of the Best Chef Awards 2024 has cemented the city’s status as the global gastronomy capital. The city not only celebrates global culinary talent, but also provides a platform to bring the industry together to share knowledge and explore innovation. We congratulate all the chefs recognised at this year’s awards ceremony and are proud to include Dubai-based culinary talent among them; they continue to contribute to our ambition to be the best city to visit, live and work in.”
Cristian Gadau, Co-Founder of The Best Chef, said: “Bringing The Best Chef Awards to Dubai is a historic moment for us and we couldn’t have asked for a better city to hold this celebration. Dubai’s ambition, spirit and commitment to excellence perfectly reflected the calibre of talent we witnessed at this year’s awards. My heartfelt congratulations to every chef honoured—your work is an inspiration to the culinary world. It’s a reminder of how extraordinary this industry is when so many talented individuals from around the world come together to share their passion and innovation.”
Joanna Slusarczyk, Co-Founder of The Best Chef, added: “This year, we had the privilege of honouring 550 extraordinary chefs, each a reflection of their skill, vision and dedication. The new Knife Recognition system has enabled chefs at every stage of their journey, paying due respect to their craft and contributions. From established masters to rising stars, it was incredibly moving to see the talent here in Dubai. We are honoured to be a part of this journey and look forward to these chefs continuing to shape the future of global gastronomy.”
The success of The Best Chef Awards in Dubai reinforces the city’s position as a leading culinary hub and demonstrates its commitment to supporting international talent and innovation. With the conclusion of this iconic ceremony, Dubai’s reputation as a global culinary city has been enhanced and it has left an indelible mark on the international culinary scene.
Source: HORECA TREND and The Best Chef Awards