Joanna Yuen

Nobu, 2/F, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Hong Kong-born Yuen joined the team at Nobu, InterContinental Hong Kong, in 2018, after serving as a pastry commis chef at The Ocean by Olivier Bellin and Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong—a far cry from her previous life working as an associate social strategist for a major advertising firm. A self-taught chef, she also founded her own designer wedding cake company, The Secret Within, which allowed her to flourish in the art of intricate pastry designs and visual storytelling. Yuen’s tireless work ethic and creative spark has continuously wowed our panelists, with sweet creations such as her molten cheese tart with grape sorbet, or a tofu cheesecake with honey jelly and umeshu. Her flair for flavour and architecturally impressive desserts have made her one of the most impressive pastry artists in the region.

RUNNER UP

The Rosewood’s executive pastry chef Holger Deh has spun his craft all around the world, from his native Germany to Spain, Malaysia and now Hong Kong. His Black Forest cake has now become legendary, and the delicate treats he creates for the hotel’s Butterfly Room and Butterfly Patisserie are whimsical, innovative, and continue to spark joy.