Meet Singapore's First Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner

Singapore’s first Michelin Guide Young Chef Award winner, head chef Mark Tai of Cloudstreet, recounts his culinary journey, his recent win and plans for the future.

- Priyanka Elhence

At just 33 years old, head chef Mark Tai of newly minted one-Michelin-starred Cloudstreet was crowned the winner of the inaugural Michelin Guide Young Chef Award 2021. It’s an accolade given to a chef under 36 years of age who is working in a Michelin-starred restaurant, displays exceptional talent and great potential, dares to think outside the box, and shows creativity that sparks positive change to haute cuisine.

Most importantly, the award helps drive the Singapore food industry forward and encourage young chefs to push their creative limits. It is supported by Swiss luxury watchmaker Blancpain who believes that haute horlogerie shares the same values – rigorous discipline, tradition and creativity, among others – as the world of haute cuisine. Blancpain has accompanied the Michelin Guide in its quest to seek out the most exceptional talents for more than 30 years now and cultivated specialties with the greatest award-winning chefs, encompassing more than 100 Michelin stars along the way.

Tai’s interest in cooking was ignited and honed at the tender age of five, thanks to supportive parents who wholeheartedly supported his culinary passion, a rarity amongst Asian families.