"The fresh seafood and fragrant apples, along with many other quality ingredients, gave me the confidence to create," said Wong Chun-Kei from Hong Kong, champion of the event.

"Quality ingredients speak for themselves. Simple cooking is all it takes to make a dish extraordinary," the 26-year-old said.

The event helps drive the food industry development in Yantai. The new area is building an international food industrial park, including a 49,000-square-meter Chinese cuisine center focused on export markets, scheduled to open in June.