The Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge:
Year Two
Nine talented students fired up their creativity for the chance to win a culinary apprenticeship in Japan.
For the second year in a row, we sponsored the Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge in collaboration with the nation’s leading training ground for chefs, the Culinary Institute of America.
Student chefs, endless inspiration
The challenge was simple—though far from easy: showcase your innovation, knowledge, and creativity using Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (Original, Less Sodium, and/or Gluten-Free Tamari) as the central seasoning in a globally inspired entrée.
The stakes were high: one grand-prize winner would receive a once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventure—a trip to Japan for a seven-day apprenticeship at the three-Michelin-starred Kikunoi Restaurant in Kyoto, along with immersive culinary and cultural tours of local markets, historic sites, and more.
To narrow the field, CIA students were invited to submit a 60-second video describing their dish. From 35 entries, nine outstanding finalists were selected to bring their creations to life during a live cookoff at the CIA’s Hyde Park, New York campus.
A Feast of Creativity
On March 29, 2025, after a month of perfecting their recipes and techniques under the guidance of CIA chef-instructors, the finalists gathered in the kitchen for the big event. They had two hours to prepare every element of their dish, plus 15 minutes for plating and service.
Each student presented their finished dish and shared the inspiration behind it with a panel of judges that included Mr. Masanao Shimada, President and CEO of Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc. (KSU); Mr. Takashi Hirota, KSU Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer; KSU Corporate Chef and CIA graduate Andrew Hunter; and CIA Chef George Shannon.
“After last year’s outstanding contest, we weren’t surprised by creativity of these student chefs,” said Hirota. “But once again, we were amazed, inspired and delighted by the unexpected ways they incorporated our soy sauce into their dishes.”
Chef Hunter agreed. “Choosing a winner was challenging,” he said, “because all of the finalists brought so much heart, soul, and inventive thinking to the plate. And we loved how they incorporated the flavors and ingredients of their own cultures, countries, and families to their dishes. There’s no better confirmation that Kikkoman® Soy Sauce will have a central place in the future of global cuisine.”
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Chanhee Lee “A Modernized Yakiniku”
The Grand Prize was awarded to Chanhee Lee, a culinary student from a small town near Seoul, South Korea. His winning dish, A Modernized Yakiniku, showcased tender slices of beef tongue, slowly cooked confit-style in charcoal-infused butter, then glazed with a Kikkoman® Tamari Soy Sauce–based tare sauce and finished with a delicate mirin-sake sabayon. The plate was artfully composed with a cremini mushroom featuring a trompe-l’œil tofu stem, set atop a bed of tare-simmered daikon and shiitake mushroom crumble “soil.” Additional elements included asparagus steamed with Kikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce, pickled pearl onions, and a wasabi–sour cream sauce made with Kikkoman® Wasabi Sauce.
“With so many components, the hardest part was achieving balance among all the ingredients and flavors,” said Chanhee. “Beef tongue can be fatty, so I balanced that with the acidity of the pickled onions and wasabi sour cream helped with that. The soy sauce also helps tie all the flavors together.”
VIEW RECIPE
Second Place Winner
Gian Hernandez “Soy Rican”
Second Place, with a prize of $1,000, went to Gian Hernandez of Camden, New Jersey, whose dish, Soy Chupa Cabra, reflected his Puerto Rican heritage. His presentation featured lamb chops marinated with Kikkoman® Soy Sauce and classic Puerto Rican sofrito ingredients, including aji dulce chiles, garlic, onions, and bell peppers. The chops were roasted and finished with a glaze made from Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and a creative “secret ingredient”: Malta India, a non-alcoholic Puerto Rican malt beverage. Gian served the succulent lamb with a citrus-avocado purée and crispy fried yuca croquettes.
“My plate is kind of my interpretation of something my grandma and my mom would make when I was growing up, because they were a big part of my culinary journey,” he said. It’s based on foods that we would eat every day, like yuca and avocado, and this Puerto Rican Malta drink.”
VIEW RECIPE
Third Place Winner
Jiwoo Oh “Japanese French”
The Third Place cash prize of $500 was awarded to Jiwoo Oh of Seoul, South Korea. His dish, Japanese French, featured chicken prepared three ways: a galantine flavored with Kikkoman® Wasabi Sauce, cooked sous-vide and seared over charcoal; morel mushrooms stuffed with a mousseline made from the galantine mixture and baked; and yakitori-style chicken thighs marinated in Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, leeks, sugar, and garlic, then grilled and served with chervil tossed in a Kikkoman® Yuzu Ponzu and Sesame Oil dressing. The dish was garnished with charcoal-seared leeks and a katsuobushi cauliflower purée. A rich veal demi-glace, enhanced with Kikkoman® Plum Sauce and grenadine, brought all the elements together.
“I’m a big fan of Japanese-French cooking—it’s French technique using Japanese Ingredients like soy sauce, katsuobushi, wasabi and shiso,” said Jiwoo. “Both cuisines enhance the natural flavor of ingredients in a very similar way. So I wanted to show my own version of Japanese-French and present the delicacy and refinement of French and Japanese cuisines in my plate.”
VIEW RECIPE
We thank all of the talented students who entered this challenge for their time, dedication, and creativity—and we congratulate our three winners!
Chanhee Lee will travel to Japan for his apprenticeship, where he will explore the delicate balance of flavors that define classical Japanese cuisine. His experience will include learning the nuances of building umami with ingredients like Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, immersing himself in Japanese culinary culture and philosophy, honing knife skills, preparing a seasonally inspired kaiseki banquet, and more.
Follow his journey on our LinkedIn page this summer!
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