39 chefs across 13 categories will compete live from 7–10 September at Depachika Food Hall, Palm Jumeirah Mall, for their category titles and the ultimate Pro Chef of the Year title
The finalists for The Pro Chef Showdowns 2026 have been announced, with 39 chefs set to compete across 13 culinary categories from 7–10 September.
Hosted by The Pro Chef Middle East at The Dish by Chef Sperxos at Depachika Food Hall, Palm Jumeirah Mall, the four-day live competition will see chefs put their creativity, technique, presentation and culinary expertise to the test.
Each chef will compete in their respective category for the category title, with the overall competition culminating in the coveted Pro Chef of the Year title.
Here are the finalists competing in each category:
Americas Cuisine Chef
- David Reyes – MAXZI The Good Food Shop
- Alexander Hammerl – Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
- Janishq Munge – El Moreno Taqueria
British Cuisine Chef
- Colin Dunne – Seagrill Bistro, Fairmont The Palm
- Champika Udayanga – The Dubliner’s, Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre
- Muhammad Ishfaq – Reform Social & Grill
French Cuisine Chef
- Sujon Rozario – carine, Dubai Golf/Emirates Golf Club
- Eric Gonzales – At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa
- Elias Saoud – La Maison Ani
Fusion Cuisine Chef
- Naveen Raja Rajasekaran – Garage Restaurant, W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
- Mirsat Yilmaz – Broadway, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
- Youness Bardoud – Zenon Dubai
Indian Cuisine Chef
- Arif Muhammad – Little Miss India, Fairmont The Palm
- Ashish Kumar – Kinara, JA Lake View Hotel, JA Resorts and Hotels
- Vishnu Teja – Maui Beach Restaurant/Zoya by Maui, Sofitel Dubai The Palm
Italian Cuisine Chef
- Omar El Ajmi – Trattoria, Sarood Hospitality
- Giandonato Tafuri – Roberto’s Muscat
- Diego Bellodi – Gloria Osteria
Japanese Cuisine Chef
- Jun Tomioka – REIF Japanese Kushiyaki, TERO, SIO Ramenhouse, KO.NA Pizza House, CRISP.
- Pushkar Karandikar – Bâoli, Sunset Hospitality Group
- Takashi Namekata or Hisao Ueda – TakaHisa
Meat Specialist
- Burak Pazarlioglu – The Guild, EatX
- Wilson Shim – HANU, Sunset Hospitality Group
- Hyunkoo Kim – Smoki Moto, Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah
Mediterranean Cuisine Chef
- Stephano Veerayen – Surf Club Dubai
- Tolgahan Devrim Baransel – Levantera, Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah
- Fabio Fasano – African Queen Dubai
Middle Eastern Cuisine Chef
- Boutros Makary – Anantara Mina Ras Al Khaimah Resort
- Ninad Salvi – Gerbou
- Saleh Jali – Mijana, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
Pan-Asian Cuisine Chef
- Breinner Sandoval – 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant
- Koyi Tanabe – Salvaje and Arrogante, Salvaje Group
- Wai Mon – CÉ LA VI
Pastry Chef
- Guillaume Destouches – Kempinski Central Avenue and Kempinski The Boulevard
- Ronnie Mercado Sicat – Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl
- Xira Andrea Marcus – Hotaru Holdings
Seafood Specialist Chef
- Marvic Josel De Guzman – SUSHISAMBA Dubai, Sunset Hospitality Group
- Lalitha Neelagamawaththe – Aprons & Hammers, Tactile Food Group
- Raulito Baquiran – Moana, Sofitel Dubai The Palm
The finalists will compete live across four days, with each chef given one hour to prepare their dish as they battle for their category title.
The Showdowns will take place from 7–10 September 2026 at The Dish by Chef Sperxos at Depachika Food Hall, Palm Jumeirah Mall.
The Pro Chef Showdowns form part of The Pro Chef & Hospitality Awards 2026, taking place on 26 November 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, JBR, where the winners will be celebrated alongside the region’s leading food, beverage and hospitality professionals.