Ment'or (Scott Harris)

Ment'or Brings Top Young Chefs to Compete for Bocuse d'Or 2027

By Elaine & Scott Harris

Having cultivated an ongoing relationship with the Ment’or organization, we witnessed the arduous culinary preparation as young chefs across America competed for the opportunity to advance from Las Vegas to New Orleans and ultimately to the Bocuse d'Or in Lyon, France, for the final international competition. Once again, we were honored to attend the 2026 Young Chef and Commis competitions in Las Vegas at the UNLV College of Hospitality. For one long day, America’s most promising culinary students showcased their skills before some of the industry’s most respected chefs.

We spent the day with chef Thomas Keller, president of Ment’or. In a statement shared via press release, he said, “Great chefs are built through commitment, repetition and a willingness to evolve. These competitions provide a serious, professional environment where young cooks learn what is required to reach the very top of our profession. That experience stays with them for the rest of their careers.”

Seven Young Chef and five Commis candidates arrived, anticipating the 14-hour competition ahead. The Young Chefs, aged 28 or younger, selected an assistant to train and compete alongside them. The rules were stringent, with just 2 hours and 30 minutes to cook and plate a dish. For the Commis competition, cooks aged 21 and under had 90 minutes to demonstrate their technical skill and execution.

Each competitor developed an original dish centered on a signature protein from Snake River Farms, as selected by the jury: Young Chef (Kurobuta pork rack and pork cheeks) and Commis (teres major). Judges evaluated each team’s preparation, along with taste, presentation and kitchen organization.

An illustrious group of culinary leaders, including chefs Thomas Allan, Paul Bartolotta, Jérôme Bocuse, William Bradley, Gerard Craft, Steven Greene, Jeffery Hayashi, Gavin Kaysen, Thomas Keller, Timothy Hollingsworth, E.J. Lagasse, Alex Lee, Mawa McQueen, Kevin Meehan, Roland Passot, Mathew Peters, Melissa Rodriguez and Richard Rosendale, along with Dr. Tim Ryan and Robert Sulatycky, offered feedback as the candidates presented their labor-intensive dishes.

After a day of intense competition, the 2026 Young Chef title went to chef William Emery and his assistant, Paolo Escay, of Rose’s Restaurant Group’s Little Pearl in Washington, D.C. Philip Liu of Selby’s in Atherton, California, was named the winner of the Commis competition.

Afterward, we celebrated alongside some of the culinary world’s most respected figures and the day’s competitors. The event marks 18 years of Ment’or’s dedication to mentoring the next generation of chefs, reflecting a shared culture of excellence and culinary distinction with The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

William Emery and Paolo Escay, Young Chef winners (Ken Goodman)