Menu of ambition

"Unlike the elder generation of chefs, they face lots of challenges nowadays, such as the changing market and the changing need of consumers. The question they need to deal with is the same: How to put what they've learned abroad into use when they return to China and want to open their own restaurants?" Dong says.

The 32 chefs have attracted fans after the show's premiere, including Mao Xin, who blends classic Chinese flavors with Western culinary techniques, and Wesley Alene, a chef from Mauritius, who lives and works in Shenzhen, and tries to showcase his fusion of Chinese and Western cooking techniques.

Zhu Ye is one of the four female chefs competing in the show. At 33, she is the founder and chef of Wei Cong Shan Hai, or Zolaism, a Chinese pastry brand. She won the first round of one-on-one competition that took place in an open kitchen, with a creative combination of Chinese liquor and coffee.

"I came to the show because it is more than a cooking competition. It aims to show what's happening in China's restaurants and tell stories about Chinese chefs," says Zhu. "It's definitely rewarding because I meet lots of chefs and learn about their experiences.

"What intrigues me is that we share similar backgrounds and are confronted by similar problems about building our businesses. We support and inspire one another."