Regina Troy Barrios

Young Filipino Chef Among 25 Worldwide Vying For One Of Fine Dining's Most Prestigious Scholarships

Article (news)

A Filipino chef is among the world&#x27;s most promising young culinary talents.Alyssa Rae Tan, 29, has been shortlisted for <a href="https://www.theworlds50best.com/stories/News/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-scholarship-2026-round-two.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026</a>, making her one of just 25 chefs worldwide to advance to the second round of the global program organized by the team behind <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theworlds50best/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The World&#x27;s 50 Best Restaurants</a>. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, Tan is the Philippines&#x27; only representative on this year&#x27;s shortlistThe scholarship, presented in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano, is open only to chefs with fewer than three years of professional kitchen experience. Rather than rewarding a single dish or cooking challenge, it seeks out promising young chefs and gives one winner the chance to train at some of the world&#x27;s most influential restaurants.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17848264446011.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026 recognizes tomorrow&#x27;s culinary leaders | Photo: The World&#x27;s 50 Best</div>Tan currently works at Sève Bar Apéro. On her official profile, she says she has recently become &quot;obsessed&quot; with making fresh pasta and dreams of sitting &quot;with nonnas by the streets of Italy&quot; making orecchiette all day. When she&#x27;s not in the kitchen, she says she&#x27;d rather be eating—or better yet, having a meal by the water.Making the shortlist is only the beginning. After an initial round of applications, candidates are challenged to create an original dish featuring Parmigiano Reggiano before advancing through interviews. From the current field of 25 chefs, only three will move on to the final round and travel to Lima, Peru, for The World&#x27;s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 awards ceremony, where the winner will be announced live.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17848264604812.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Alyssa Rae Tan is the Philippines&#x27; lone Top 25 scholarship contender | Photo: The World&#x27;s 50 Best </div>The prize goes far beyond international recognition. The winner will complete two fully funded stages at The Fat Duckin Bray, England—Heston Blumenthal&#x27;s pioneering restaurant and a former World&#x27;s Best Restaurant—and Salsify at The Roundhouse in Cape Town, South Africa, ranked No. 88 on The World&#x27;s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. The scholarship also provides a £2,000 (about US$2,700) living allowance for each internship.The scholarship returned in 2025 after a hiatus. Last year&#x27;s winner, Angélica Ortiz of Colombia, completed stages at El Celler de Can Roca, now part of the World&#x27;s 50 Best &quot;Best of the Best&quot; hall of fame, and SingleThread in California.This year&#x27;s Top 25 includes chefs from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Asian chefs make up only a small share of the shortlist, making Tan&#x27;s selection a notable achievement not only for the Philippines but for the region.Her selection also comes as Filipino cuisine continues to gain international recognition, with Filipino chefs and restaurants drawing increasing attention from global institutions, including the Michelin Guide and The World&#x27;s 50 Best Restaurants.Only three chefs will make it to the final round in Lima. Whether Tan advances or not, reaching the Top 25 already places a Filipino chef in one of the world&#x27;s most prestigious pipelines for emerging culinary talent.<h3>The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026 Top 25 </h3>After hundreds of applications from around the world, the following chefs advanced to the second round of the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026:<ul style="list-style-type:disc"><li>Abdulrahim Blay (UK)</li><li>Alyssa Rae Tan (Philippines)</li><li>Angel Arismendy Zorrilla Medrano (Dominican Republic)</li><li>Aretha Fayola Hardijanto (Indonesia)</li><li>Aurelian Margreiter (Austria)</li><li>Bettina Pámpano (Spain)</li><li>Braith Townsend (Australia)</li><li>Camila Brito (Ecuador)</li><li>Caylee McFarland (Canada)</li><li>Doris Lam (Hong Kong)</li><li>Edna Abigaba (Uganda)</li><li>Emily Gilbert (USA)</li><li>Greta Treviño (Mexico)</li><li>Hanif Naufal (Indonesia)</li><li>Hok Lam Si (Macau)</li><li>Jhonatan Alexander Rivera Lopez (Ecuador)</li><li>Jimena Abeledo Vilariño (Argentina)</li><li>Johnny Zhou (Canada)</li><li>Maryam Aghakishiyeva (Azerbaijan)</li><li>Pranshu Bhagat (India)</li><li>Raihan Mahsa Kurniawan (Indonesia)</li><li>Sithabile Yolisa Nhlangulela (South Africa)</li><li>Sofía Isabella Castilblanco (Colombia)</li><li>Yin Lam (Hong Kong)</li><li>Zachary Weber (USA)</li></ul><div> </div>From this group, three finalists will be selected to travel to Lima, Peru, for The World&#x27;s 50 Best Restaurants 2026awards ceremony, where the winner of the scholarship will be announced live on stage

A young Filipino chef has advanced to the Top 25 of the prestigious 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026, becoming the Philippines' only representative still in contention for a career-changing opportunity to train at two of the world's leading restaurants.

A young Filipino chef has advanced to the Top 25 of the prestigious 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026 , becoming the Philippines' only representative still in contention for a career-changing opportunity to train at two of the world's leading restaurants.

Filipino Chef Among 25 Worldwide Vying For One Of Fine Dining's Most Prestigious Scholarships

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Filipino Chef Among 25 Worldwide Vying For One Of Fine Dining's Most Prestigious Scholarships

Troy Barrios

Published July 24, 2026 01:15 AM PHT

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50 best restaurants scholarship

the world's 50 best restaurants

filipino chef

alyssa rae tan

seve bar apero

parmigiano reggiano

fine dining

young chefs

culinary scholarship

global culinary competition

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