36 Young Indonesians from Across the Archipelago Compete in Korean-Indonesian Fusion Creativity Challenge

The complexity of cultural fusion extends beyond art—it also includes the blending of flavors to create a unified taste that can be enjoyed by all layers of society. Through Korean-Indonesian gastronomy, culinary entrepreneurs are increasingly experimenting by merging Indonesian cuisine with Korean flavors. This unique culinary trend inspired Cheil Jedang to create a competition program involving young people from all corners of Indonesia to create fusion dishes combining elements from both Indonesian and Korean cuisines. The initiative, in collaboration with Sages Academy as a strategic partner, launched the bibigo | Sages Young Chef Competition 2025. The competition attracted 127 young participants aged 18 to 25 from various universities across Indonesia, who showcased their skills by submitting video entries featuring their Korean-Indonesian fusion dishes. The competition consisted of three stages. The first stage was the video selection, from which 36 participants were chosen to advance to the Top 18 round. In this round, participants were required to recreate the dishes they submitted via video, following the recipes they had provided earlier.

The second stage tested participants' creativity in preparing dishes using ingredients available at the Sages store, particularly in its baking and pastry kitchen. Contestants were tasked with designing dishes using both plant- and animal-based protein sources, as well as spices provided by the store. The third and final stage introduced a mystery box challenge. The box contained various Bibigo products such as mandu, gochujang sauce, ssamjang, and various types of kim (seaweed). Participants had to quickly devise a dish based on the mystery ingredients, putting their speed, innovation, and adaptability to the test. From this final stage, two top winners were selected to receive cash prizes and a 7-day study tour to Korea. Michael Ken, a participant from Surabaya, emerged as the first-place winner, followed by Luis Lauw, representing Politeknik Pariwisata Sahid Roxy from Jakarta, as the runner-up. Michael Ken’s winning dish, Prawn Curry with Sundubu Jjigae, earned him the title of Champion of the Bibigo Sages Young Chef Competition 2025.