Tengis Battur wins Canada's spot in Young Chef final
The Vancouver chef beat nine other finalists in Toronto with a lamb dish rooted in Mongolian herding traditions, earning a trip to Milan's Grand Finale next spring.
Tengis Battur, a chef at Vancouver's Five Sails, has won Canada's regional final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, beating nine other finalists in Toronto with a lamb dish built on Mongolian herding traditions.
The final ran in Toronto in late October, part of the competition's 2026–27 cycle. Ten finalists cooked in front of a panel that included chefs Daniel Hadida, Brian Kim and Quinton Bennet, who judged each plate on technique, flavour and the clarity of its story.
Battur, who grew up in Mongolia, has worked at Five Sails for more than two years under mentor Alex Kim, Canada's 2025 Culinary Champion. "For a long time, I didn't know what I was passionate about," Battur said. "Then I found the kitchen."
Until a few days ago, I had never won anything in my life.
Tengis Battur's steppe menu
His winning dish, Steppe in the Spring, reworks the hospitality of the ger, the round felt tent used by Mongolia's nomadic herders. It opens with khushuur, a lamb-tenderloin dumpling, and borts, wind-dried lamb cured in open air rather than smoke or salt.
The main course pairs shortlog, lamb heart and tongue grilled over charcoal, with bantan, a charred onion stuffed and steamed until soft, and a roasted lamb saddle carved tableside. Battur spent two months developing the recipe, then another four and a half months rehearsing the sequence before Toronto.
He had entered the competition once before without reaching the final round. "Until a few days ago, I had never won anything in my life," he said after the result. Kim, who coached him through both attempts, put the difference down to preparation: "Tengis went out of his way for every detail."
The road to Milan
The win sends Battur to the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Grand Finale in Milan next spring, where he will compete against the winners of 14 other regions for chefs aged 18 to 30. Canadian entrants have taken collateral prizes at past finals but not yet the main title.
The competition runs its own regional calendar worldwide; Panama hosted the Latin America final earlier this year. Vancouver, where AnnaLena won the city's first two Michelin stars last month, sent four finalists to the national round this cycle, more than any other Canadian city.
Battur is back on the pass at Five Sails this week. The dish that won in Toronto is unlikely to reappear on a menu before Milan.
