From Taipei to Kaohsiung, discover talented up-and-coming chefs from Taiwan who are drawing praise for their unique takes on Taiwanese, Tibetan, and Western cuisines on the world stage. Producers follow chef Steve Chiu, who hails from Xiang Se Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, as he prepares to compete in the prestigious S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition in Bangkok, Thailand. Before Xiang Se, Steve had the opportunity to work alongside world-renowned chefs at Attica Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia and Alinea Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Now, the professional chef is on his way to the regional cooking competition in Asia to trial his own fine dining chops for a chance to snag a spot in the world competition. As Steve prepares for his trip, chef William Kang of Taipei considers his future career in light of the birth of his first child. After leaving his position as sous chef at Taipei’s two-Michelin-star restaurant Logy, where he worked under chef Ryogo Tahara, William struggles to find his way forward. Should he stay in Taipei to focus on his growing family, or should he move to Kaohsiung, Taiwan to open a restaurant of his own? Opening a restaurant is no small feat. As William notes, working as a head chef requires long hours, emotional highs and lows, and plenty of sacrifice. Will William choose his family over his work, or will he forge ahead to create his own brand of Taiwanese food that will make Chef Tahara proud?

• Asia