Paris-based Singaporean actress and presenter Sharon Au showed up in Lyon, France, on Jan 26 to cheer on Singaporean Michelin-starred chef Mathew Leong at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or culinary competition, often regarded as the Olympics of gastronomy.
The competition takes place in the French city on Jan 26 and 27. Results will be announced after the second day of the competition in French time.
Au, 49, posted two reels of Leong at the competition on Instagram, with clips of the chef preparing venison for his dish.
Leong, 30, who is executive chef at three-Michelin-starred restaurant Re-Naa in Stavanger, Norway, has spent years gearing up for the competition.
He first took part in 2021 and managed a 12th-place finish – the best showing for Singapore since corporate chef William Wai secured a bronze in 1989.
Au met Leong while hosting Mediacorp variety series Find Me A Singaporean: The Pandemic Special (2022), which interviewed Singaporeans pursuing their dreams and interests while living abroad.
Au also posted a clip of the episode, which featured Leong talking about the intense training he went through for the competition. She said in the programme: “I want to join your team (in 2025), chef Mathew Leong.”
In her Instagram post, she wrote: “I am deeply moved by Mathew’s unwavering grit and indomitable spirit. No matter the outcome, you are, and always will be, my champion.”
Leong gave a shoutout to Au in an Instagram story, saying: “Thank you for travelling to Lyon to show your support.”
In an interview with The Straits Times, Leong revealed that in recent weeks, he has operated on a 7 to 2am schedule, with no days off, to prepare for the competition.
During the competition, he will cook two dishes in under 5½ hours for a tasting panel of 24 jurors, squaring off against 23 other world-class chefs.
He will present a crispy rice-coated stone bass and yuzu-scented lobster, as well as a roe deer saddle with a braised shoulder tourte, a French pie. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
