From 12 to 14 November 2026, nine teams from across the globe will compete in a prestigious international culinary contest at the FHC (Food & Hospitality China) fair in Shanghai. Luxembourg will be represented by four young chefs, all sharing a single goal: to win. We had the privilege of tasting the very meal they will present at the competition during a final test dinner held at the Bouneweger Lycée (BLL) restaurant. Here’s a closer look.
“We’re going there to win!”
A team of four young chefs will fly to Shanghai on 9 November to take part in the culinary competition held within the framework of the FHC gastronomy and hospitality fair. The team comprises Thomas Murer, former chef of his own restaurant An Der Villa and currently training to become a culinary teacher at the Bouneweger Lycée (BLL); Lucas Andrieux, sous-chef at Archibald de Prince; Victor Thill, second-in-command at Bei den Zwillingen in Junglinster; and kitchen assistant Lio Semedo, a second-year student at BLL. The team is supported by the culinary association Vatel Luxembourg.
When asked about their mindset as the competition approaches, their answer is unanimous: “We’re going there to win!” The four chefs, who didn’t even know each other five months ago, have grown into a close-knit team over the course of their training.
“Team spirit and camaraderie developed almost instantly. They quickly identified one another’s strengths and built the menu around them,” explains Carlo Sauber, BLL teacher and Luxembourgish judge at international culinary competitions, who guided the team in preparing the menu. The Luxembourgish chef Ben Weber also supported the team during their preparation and will serve as a representative on the jury at the event.
Five months of preparation
“We’re very proud to represent Luxembourg internationally,” begins head chef Thomas Murer, a competition enthusiast known for his standout appearance on Top Chef France. “This contest is full of challenges – both the ingredients and the themes are imposed, and time is a real constraint,” he points out.
For Victor Thill, this is his first team competition, and he particularly appreciated the collaborative preparation and shared excitement. “It’s also really interesting to travel abroad to represent our country and show what Luxembourg can do in gastronomy,” he says enthusiastically.
The division of tasks during the four-hour challenge fell into place naturally, as everyone knew their strengths. “Everyone contributed their ideas and their touch – nothing was imposed,” explains Thomas, who will be in charge of the dessert, while Victor focuses on the proteins and Lucas on the garnish and vegetables.
“You have to tell a story on the plate, so it was important that the concept came from the team to ensure a coherent result,” adds Carlo Sauber.
Trout, lamb and a surprise dessert
Now to the menu – all to be prepared within four hours. All ingredients will be provided on site. “They’re allowed to bring only two suitcases of equipment, and that’s it.” After four hours of preparation, the starter is presented to the jury. The team then has 30 minutes to finalise and plate the main course, followed by another 30 minutes before serving the dessert.
For the starter, each team must work with trout. “We wanted to use the whole fish, so we created an assortment,” explains Sauber. “We prepared it as a maki with Ghoa cress (which has a coriander-like flavour) and pickled cauliflower.” On the same plate, the trout also appears as a confit fillet on a bed of cauliflower purée. “The technical difficulty lies in combining hot and cold elements, as the plate itself must be warm. To protect the maki, we placed it on a Wäffelcherwafer – which serves as insulation and as a little nod to our country,” he adds.
The team tested the recipe using trout from the River Our, but in Shanghai they will work with a local species. “We might need to adjust the cooking depending on the fat content or size,” notes Victor.
For the main course, lamb is the star, accompanied by vegetables and ravioli. “We chose lamb shank, which also features in the ravioli filling, together with walnuts, lemon and confit garlic,” details Sauber. The lamb is also topped with a potato crust, as a tribute to Chef Léa Linster’s signature dish that earned her the Bocuse d’Or.
The dessert brief required combining cold, hot and frozen elements on one plate. After much brainstorming, the three chefs took a bold approach – combining them all together. Visually, a biscuit cylinder is presented on the plate. “You have to dig your spoon right in to discover what’s inside and enjoy it from top to bottom.” In short, both a visual and gustatory surprise! Vanilla sabayon mingles with raspberry sorbet, almond crumble and a molten chocolate centre. The textures and flavours blend beautifully – you’ll definitely want more. “We just hope the jury dares to break into it!”
Beyond the competition, this experience embodies the excellence and passion driving this new generation of Luxembourgish chefs. We wish them every success in Shanghai – Go Luxembourg!
