Khắc Linh won Top Chef Vietnam 2026 with a menu inspired by Huế royal cuisine. The result was presented in the final broadcast on VTV3 on October 19, with the champion receiving VND50 million.
Đoàn Nhật Phong finished as first runner-up with a menu telling a Hạ Long food story, while Danish chef Camilla Bailey received the second runner-up title.
Connected courses under a time limit
The chefs had 210 minutes to prepare an appetiser, main course and dessert. A 13-member panel of chefs, culinary experts and hospitality representatives included principal judges Nguyễn Thị Kim Oanh and Alain Nguyễn.
Khắc Linh's menu featured imperial-style rolls, a mountain-yam porridge with golden sea cucumber, pepper-braised sea cucumber and a grass-jelly dessert with bird's nest. He connected the ingredients through an interpretation of Huế's culinary heritage.
The chef said he wanted to refresh a traditional roll while incorporating ideas from Vietnamese sculpture into its presentation. Sea cucumber from Lăng Cô carried the ingredient story forward, before a lighter dessert completed the sequence.
Judges value a coherent experience
Kim Oanh praised the continuity between courses and the presence of Huế identity throughout. Alain Nguyễn highlighted the combination of traditional knowledge and creativity.
Guest judge Gregory Philippe said the sea cucumber changed his previous feelings about the ingredient, illustrating the impact of the preparation on his own dining experience.
Elsewhere in the final, Camilla Bailey's dishes included a black-chicken phở tartelette inspired by Sa Pa ingredients and a main course based on Hanoi's chả cá Lã Vọng. The winning menu stood out through both its individual dishes and the connected heritage story they formed.