Filipina chef Johanne Siy is Singapore’s Female Chef of the Year

Filipina chef Johanne Siy was awarded Female Chef of the Year by Singapore’s World Gourmet Awards 2021 (WGA).

The World Gourmet Summit, an annual awards body that has recognized top names in Singapore’s hospitality and restaurant industry since 2001, awarded Siy the prestigious title for her “excellent culinary skills” throughout her fine dining career.

According to the WGA website, the award is given to a female head chef who is directly involved in daily kitchen operations and in the culinary arts. She is also evaluated for her levels of professionalism, creativity, consistency, leadership, and commitment to quality.

The Dagupan-born chef, who is based in Singapore, is the head chef of restaurant Lolla, located in Ann Siang Hill. Lolla serves “inspired yet simple small-plates combining the finest ingredients and seasonal produce with the influences of the Mediterranean.”

Siy’s culinary style combines modern European fine-dining with Mediterranean influences, having cooked in farms and kitchens in Scandinavia. She studied at the Culinary Institute of America and at Le Bernardin under renowned culinary figures, Chef Eric Ripert and Chef Daniel Boulud. Her current mentor is Chef Andre Chiang from Singapore’s Restaurant Andre, where she also worked at for four years.

Public voting for this year’s World Gourmet Awards nominees happened from February to March 2021, while the final judging finished in April. This year’s virtual presentation ceremony happened on May 18 and 19. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com