Meet the candidates who have made it to round two of the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026, in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano.
In April, the 2026 edition of the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano launched, open to any chef with under three full years of experience in a professional kitchen.
After hundreds of applications, three finalists will travel to Lima to attend The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 award ceremony, where the eventual winner will be announced live on stage.
Last year's winner, Angélica Ortiz (pictured left in the image above) participated in stages at El Celler de Can Roca (named The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2013 and 2015 and now a member of the Best of the Best hall of fame) and SingleThread (No.80 on the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025).
This year's winner will then take part in two all-expenses-paid internships at world-leading restaurants: The Fat Duck in Bray, UK, (named The World's Best Restaurants 2005 and a member of the Best of the Best hall of fame) and Salsify at The Roundhouse in Cape Town, South Africa (No.88 on the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025). Additionally, they will receive $2,700 (£2,000) per stage.
Following a competitive first round, the candidates have been whittled down to just 25 hopefuls. Read on to get to know the candidates who made it through to round two. 
Name: Abdulrahim Blay
Age: 18
From: UK
Follow Abdulrahim on Instagram: @ablaycooks
The moment I fell in love with food: I was working in a charity soup kitchen and I realised I wanted to cook and become the best.
My biggest industry inspiration is: Grant Achatz because of his ability to redefine cooking even with the setbacks he faced. I'm constantly inspired by his ability to push despite limitations. His mindset resonates with me as I aim to continue to improve and innovate on the highest level. 
Name: Alyssa Rae Tan
Age: 29
From: The Philippines
Currently working at: Sève Bar Apéro
Follow Alyssa on Instagram: @alyngnena
Favourite thing to do when not in the kitchen: Eating! Or being near the water. Or better yet, having a meal by the water.
Favourite dish to cook: I have recently developed an obsession with fresh pasta. One of my dreams is to sit with nonnas by the streets of Italy and make orecchiette all day, every day. 
Name: Angel Arismendy Zorrilla Medrano
Age: 19
From: Dominican Republic
Currently working at: Ajualä by chef Saverio Stassi
Follow Angel on TikTok: @angelsfoodscience
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: Training calisthenics, reading about food science, and developing new culinary concepts that push the boundaries of traditional cuisine.
The moment I fell in love with food: When I realised a single dish could make people smile, remember a place or relive a memory. 
Name: Aretha Fayola Hardijanto
Age: 22
From: Indonesia
Currently working at: Self-employed
Follow Aretha on Instagram: @arethafyl
A surprising fact about me: I absolutely love ice cream, even though I was allergic to cold food as a child. I used to sneak ice cream whenever my mom wasn't home.
Favourite dish to make: A warm, fudgy brownie with a scoop of gelato. For me, it's the ultimate comfort dessert. 
Name: Aurelian Margreiter
Age: 20
From: Austria
Currently working at: Grüner Baum Kühnhofen
Follow Aurelian on Instagram: @aurelian.margreiter
Career highlight so far: I spent a week at Focus Atelier, where I had the opportunity to experience an exceptional level of fine dining, learn from a talented team and further develop my skills and understanding of modern cuisine.
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: I like hiking, foraging for mushrooms and berries, or simply enjoying the outdoors. For me, sports are the perfect balance to life in the kitchen. They help me clear my mind, recharge and often inspire new ideas and creativity. 
Name: Bettina Pámpano
Age: 21
From: Spain
Currently working at: Moma Experience, Badajoz
Follow Bettina on Instagram: @bettinapampano
The moment I fell in love with food: Restaurants and food have fascinated me since I was a small child. I still remember the awe that I felt the first time I saw a whole roasted fish be broken down and served tableside.
A surprising fact about me: Before I went to culinary school, I wanted to pursue a career in fine arts. 
Name: Braith Townsend
Age: 23
From: Australia
Currently working at: Vat 2
Follow Braith on Instagram: @braithtownsend
Favourite dish to cook: Ragù alla bolognese.
Career highlight so far: Being part of outside catering events that showcase my local area to hundreds of people and travelling to take part in food competitions and meeting like-minded people.
Name: Camila Brito
Age: 28
From: Ecuador
Currently working at: Self-employed
Follow Camila on Instagram: @camibritoe
A surprising fact about me: I originally trained and worked as a lawyer before pursuing my passion for cooking full time.
Career highlight so far: Winning a culinary competition that earned me the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong, where I was able to experience a new food culture. 
Name: Caylee McFarland
Age: 30
From: US
Currently working at: Lilo, Carlsbad
Follow Caylee on Instagram: @_cayleecakes
The moment I fell in love with food: When I was growing up, my mom would take my sister and me to restaurants for lunch every Sunday. They were hole-in-the-wall spots serving cuisines from all over the world. This experience really kick-started my love for food and the community that comes with it.
A surprising fact about me: I also work as a wedding photographer. 
Name: Doris Lam
Age: 29
From: Hong Kong
Currently working at: Self-employed
Follow Doris on Instagram: @lamgrams
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: Browsing the food literature section at the library and writing chapters for my culinary memoir.
A surprising fact about me: Cooking professionally was never on my bingo card. I spent my entire life building my journalism career until my interest in food couldn't be contained anymore. I took the plunge a few years ago and began working in kitchens in the UK, Italy and Hong Kong. 
Name: Edna Abigaba
Age: 24
From: Uganda
Currently working at: Icyayi Songa Lodge, Rwanda
Follow Edna on Instagram: @journalofagirlthatcooks
Career highlight so far: Working as a chef de partie in the saucier section of a fine-dining kitchen.
A surprising fact about me: I will always make time to read, especially fantasy novels. I enjoy how they help me imagine different worlds and think beyond everyday reality. 
Name: Emily Gilbert
Age: 20
From: New Zealand
Currently studying: Bachelor of Culinary Arts, Otago Polytechnic
Follow Emily on Instagram: @eat_em_up_366
Career highlight so far: Last year, I was on national news showcasing Mud, the potato milk-based ice cream that I invented and sold at a local ice cream shop.
A surprising fact about me: In my spare time, I am involved in community theatre in Dunedin. I act and stage manage productions. 
Name: Greta Treviño
Age: 29
From: Mexico
Currently working at: Roks, Faroe Islands
Follow Greta on Instagram: @gretalizel
Career highlight so far: Finding my voice across kitchens in Mexico, Indonesia and the Faroe Islands.
The moment I fell in love with cooking: At four years old, I fell in love with food in my home kitchen, cooking alongside the women who raised me. I was the kid who would rather be in the kitchen than in a classroom. 
Name: Hanif Naufal
Age: 28
From: Indonesia
Currently working at: Self-employed
Follow Hanif on Instagram: @nofoul
What made me fall in love with food: My father's work moved us through Wuhan, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. None of them were home. My mother's cooking was. I've been cooking my way back ever since.
A surprising fact about me: I studied aerospace engineering and even wrote a thesis on controlling cyborg insects with electrodes. Somewhere along the way I realised cooking is engineering and the best version of a dish is just optimisation. 
Name: Hok Lam Si
Age: 23
From: Macau
Currently working at: Asllanis Corner, Switzerland
Follow Hok Lam on Instagram: @ines_sl00
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: Travel and learn new things, including languages.
My biggest industry inspiration is: Chef Pam from Potong. I am also of mixed Chinese and Thai heritage and learning about Chef Pam's background and her subsequent initiatives such as establishing foundations and internship programmes for young women gives people like me more opportunities to engage with the culinary industry. Her story shows me that women can not only survive but truly thrive and shine in kitchens. 
Name: Jhonatan Alexander Rivera Lopez
Age: 26
From: Ecuador
Currently working at: Maralba, Almansa
Follow Jhonatan Alexander on Instagram: @jhon_riv15_
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: I consider myself a highly artistic person and I try to find beauty in everything – perhaps that's why I'm a chef. When I'm not in the kitchen, I love walking through cities to admire the architecture and visiting museums. I search for inspiration in shapes, the subtlety of lines, volumes and colours.
Favourite dish to cook: Beef heart. When I arrived at my first fine-dining kitchen, the chef had me cook beef heart. He explained that there is no such thing as a bad ingredient; you just have to know how to get the best from humble ingredients. I lost count of how many times I overcooked it until I finally nailed it. Today, it remains one of my absolute favourite ingredients to work with. 
Name: Jimena Abeledo Vilariño
Age: 25
From: Argentina
Currently working at: Kødbyens Fiskebar, Copenhagen
Follow Jimena on Instagram: @jimeinseason
A surprising fact about me: I used to be a medical doctor by profession, but the calling for the kitchen was too loud to ignore.
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: Pole dancing, ceramics, reading books and studying wine. 
Name: Johnny Zhou
Age: 27
From: Canada
Currently working at: Antheia, Ottawa
Follow Johnny on Instagram: @uohzynnhoj
The moment I fell in love with food: When I noticed I was waiting with giddy anticipation every year to eat my mother's nuòmǐ wánzi (regional festive steamed dish from Hunan province made of ground pork covered in glutinous rice) for Lunar New Year
A surprising fact about me: I played competitive badminton for 10 years. 
Name: Maryam Aghakishiyeva
Age: 18
From: Azerbaijan
Currently studying at: Woosong University
Follow Maryam on Instagram: @maryam._akv
Favourite dish to cook: An Azerbaijani dish called dolma. It's basically lamb-stuffed vine leaves. I have always loved making it, especially in my childhood because it meant quality time with my mother, as stuffing and rolling a whole pot of dolma takes two-three hours. We would bond over this dish, while she taught me the secrets Azerbaijani women have been using for decades to make dolma so delicious.
A surprising fact about me: Last year I fell in love with hiking. During my year in South Korea I summited Hallasan, the highest peak on Jeju Island (1,950m) and I am also planning to go to Shahdagh in Qusar, Azerbaijan this summer (4,243m). 
Name: Pranshu Bhagat
Age: 22
From: India
Currently working at: Yokocho, Kolkata
Follow Pranshu on Instagram: @pranshucooks
The moment I fell in love with cooking: The first time I made a perfect French omelette. I tried replicating one that I tried at a hotel breakfast buffet and the process of practicing until I finally got it right is what made me fall in love with cooking.
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: I love travelling and exploring new cities. I enjoy wandering through local markets, trying regional food, and observing how different cultures eat and cook. 
Name: Raihan Mahsa Kurniawan
Age: 26
From: Indonesia
Currently working at: Mari Merangkai Bunga Seroja, Bandung
Follow Raihan on Instagram: @astronotautodidak
A surprising fact about me: I don't come from a professional kitchen background. I studied photography in high school, then music composition, then visual communication design, before eventually landing in food. Turns out they're all connected by the same thread: composition. A D chord with an F# bass note works the same way salt does in hot chocolate.
The moment I fell in love with food: During the Covid pandemic, I started experimenting with sourdough and fresh pasta because they were pretty much the only ingredients I had easy access to. From there, I started incorporating local ingredients into Western dishes, like swapping guanciale for smoked lamb in carbonara, or using tamarind reduction instead of wine. That's when I truly realised I love home cooking more, especially Sundanese food. 
Name: Sithabile Yolisa Nhlangulela
Age: 21
From: South Africa
Currently working at: Intern at The Living Room at Summerhill Guest Estate, Durban
Follow Sithabile Yolisa on Instagram: @BecomingchefYolisa
A surprising fact about me: I love singing, but performing for large crowds makes me nervous. Nevertheless, I auditioned for the televised singing competition Idols South Africa just after high school anyway, which I think says something about how I approach things that scare me.
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: I love watching documentaries and films and reading Substacks. As chefs we care for people from all walks of life and I never want my ignorance of someone's world to be the reason I can't connect with them. Exposure is a big part of that for me. 
Name: Sofía Isabella Castilblanco
Age: 21
From: Nicaragua
Currently working at: La Estufa, Specialty Coffee and Bakery, Managua
Follow Sofía on Instagram: @sofieaaats
Career highlight so far: Getting to cook on live television as a teenager and later contributing a recipe to the United Nations' cookbook For People and Planet. As a Youth Ambassador, I also helped lead panel discussions on food sustainability.
Favourite thing to do outside the kitchen: Dancing. I trained in classical ballet for more than decade and it still endlessly inspires my approach to cooking and everyday life. 
Name: Yin Lam
Age: 21
From: Hong Kong
Currently working at: Gatsby's, Alberta
Follow Yin Lam on Instagram: @yininthekitchen
The moment I fell in love with food: It was during my first experience in a real kitchen, when I was fortunate enough to stage at Rosewood Hong Kong. Watching and experiencing the passion shared by everyone who worked there made me truly appreciate not just serving good food but hospitality as a whole.
A surprising fact about me: I never intended to be a chef. My original plan was to take a criminology course after high school since I hadn't found anything I was passionate about, but as it wasn't offered in an institute near me, I chose the next course that popped up, which happened to be culinary arts. This split-second decision led me to discover that cooking and working in restaurants is my passion.
Name: Zachary Weber
Age: 23
From: Canada
Currently working at: Sugo, Toronto and Olive and Fig, Toronto
Follow Zachary on Instagram: @zachw3br
The moment I fell in love with food: I think the love of food is both innate and contagious. I loved food since the day I was born, but my love of cooking came from being around people who loved cooking.
Favourite dish to cook: Any kind of soup.
The winner of the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2026, in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano, will be announced live from Lima during The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 award ceremony on 4 November.
