Local Chefs’ Keen Passion for the Culinary Arts Will Come to Light at Food&HotelVietnam2013

5th edition of the Vietnam Culinary Challenge will present outstanding food preparation and presentation skills by established and budding chefs

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jan 18, 2013 – (ACN Newswire) – The next edition of Vietnam Culinary Challenge is setting up to bring a spectacular display of outstanding food preparation and artistic presentation. Since its debut in 2006, the event has been firmly entrenched in Vietnam as a prestigious and highly regarded competition for Vietnam’s culinary community.

Dedicated to raise the profile of Vietnamese culinary capabilities

Organised by the Saigon Professional Chefs Guild, the Vietnam Culinary Challenge will be staged alongside Food&HotelVietnam2013 (FHV2013), Vietnam’s foremost food and hospitality trade event from 24 – 26 April 2013. Vietnamese chefs taking part in this competition will have the opportunity for wide exposure to an international audience.

The Vietnam Culinary Challenge is designed with several key objectives in mind. The first is to raise Vietnam’s culinary standards by presenting an opportunity for industry professionals to gain valuable experience through a competitive setting.

An additional aim is to encourage and facilitate the exchange of culinary expertise, knowledge and ideas with peers within the culinary community, and generate greater recognition and promote awareness of Vietnam’s culinary capabilities to the regional food and hospitality industry.

Stringent test of creativity, expertise and presentation

These chefs, groomed by a mix of well-established and up-and-coming F&B establishments spread across Vietnam, will compete against peers in a three-day series of cook-offs to be eligible for the coveted title of Grand Champion.

Comprising 13 classes, the competition will test chefs by pitching in the greatest extent of their culinary knowledge and expertise to produce an assorted range of unique, succulent and artistic culinary creations.

Competition classes:

Class 1          Vietnamese Cuisine Challenge
Class 1a         Vietnamese Cuisine Display
Class 2          Chinese Cuisine Challenge
Class 3          Hot Cooking: U.S. Chicken (Sponsor: USAPEEC)

Class 4          Hot Cooking: U.S. Beef (Sponsor: USMEF)
Class 5          Hot Cooking: Australia Lamb
Class 6          Fish and/or Seafood
Class 7          Hot Cooking: Pasta (Sponsor: Fonterra)
Class 8          Hot Cooking: Potato Dish (Sponsor: US Potato Board)

Class 9          Plated Food Display: Individual Plated Appetizers
Class 10 - NEW!  ANCHOR: Live Dessert Making Competition
Class 11         Fruit and Vegetable Life Carving Competition (Sponsor: Fonterra)
Class 12 - NEW!  Fruit and Vegetable Life Carving Display

Class 13         Bread Showpiece (Sponsor: LeSaffre)

International panel of highly-acclaimed judges

The panel of judges will be headed by the competition’s Chief Judge, Otto Weibel, a highly respected, Singapore-based WACS Approved Judge who has accumulated a brilliant history of international judging and culinary experience. Renowned in Singapore and internationally, Chef Otto has contributed greatly to the culinary profession. He has built a distinguished culinary reputation for Swissotel the Stamford and Fairmont Singapore, and led many culinary teams to win awards in Singapore and overseas. He now runs a food restaurant consultancy business and travels the world judging international culinary competitions.

Chef Otto’s key achievements:

2011 Received Epicure Magazine’s Inaugural Excellence Award
2010 Received FTA Hospitality Awards for Excellence as a Humanitarian
2008 Received Personality and Lifetime Award from the International Chef Conference from his native country, Switzerland
2005 Received a special recognition award during the 19th Tourism Awards from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
2001 Awarded Swiss Chef of the Year 2001 abroad by Urs Heller of Gault Millau Switzerland
2001 Received The Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Gourmet Summit
1999 Voted Chef Restaurateur of the year by the International Foods Beverage Forum

Other distinguished judges include but not limited to:

– Bui Thi Suong
Vice Chairman of the Saigon Professional Chefs Guild, Chef Suong has immense judging experience with Vietnamese culinary competitions of all levels. A Culinary Arts teacher for over 35 years, she has retired as Head of the SHTC (Ho Chi Minh City Tourism College), and Head of its Culinary Department. She has organised and participated in many Vietnamese culinary promotions to introduce and promote Vietnam culinary art overseas, such as in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka and USA. Chef Suong was honoured the National Culinary Artisan in 2009 and is author of several Vietnamese cook books.

– Christian Pakura
Chef Christian has learned the chefs’ trade in his native Germany and worked in 5-star hotels, restaurants and cruise ships located in the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Vietnam and now Australia. He has developed a versatility of skills and has specialised in various areas to bring to the table a truly international menu. He aims to develop the young chefs and offers his staff ongoing training.

– Marco P. Brueschweiler
Now based in Thailand, Chef Marco is holder of the Swiss Diploma Master Chef and WACS Global Master Chef titles. He is now the Managing Director of his own business, the Thai Culinary Consultant Co., which advises and consults Restaurant owner and potential investors in there openings, as well supply and recruits Thai cooks all over the world. He also runs a Culinary School in Bangkok specializing in Thai cuisine, and also organises Thai and Swiss food festivals worldwide, and culinary competitions in Bangkok and the Asian region.

– Rick Stephen
Executive Chef for Singapore’s SATS Food Solutions and owner of his own restaurant, Chef Stephen has been strongly involved in over many competitions held across the globe, from Chile, Egypt, Germany, to Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. In Asia, Chef Stephen has had the opportunity to visit a number of regions and been involved in chef mentoring to a large brigade of chefs in Singapore, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, contributing to the success of a number of these chefs in competitions and in general kitchen work. Since May 2011, Rick was elected to be the Continental Director for Asia under the WACS banner, this encompassed 18 countries with 3 pending memberships.

– Vincent Tan
Chef Tan is Executive Chef at Avani Sepang Gold Coast Resort & Spa in Malaysia. The first winner for The Malaysian Most Outstanding Chef Award, Prime Minister Golden Hand Award and Young Chef of the year Award, Chef Tan was also judged the Best Executive Chef in Ho Chi Minh City in a National fund raising cooking competition in year 2003.

– Yau Kok Kheong (K.K.Yau)
Chef Yau is Executive Chef of Dorsett Regency Hotel Kuala Lumpur. He boasts an impressive career track record; from representing Malaysia in the 2007 International Culinary Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, and FHA Culinary Challenge, Singapore in 2008. He was elected President of the Chefs Association of Malaysia in 2001 and Vice Chairman of the Culinaire Malaysia 2003, Culinaire Malaysia 2005 and Culinaire Malayisa 2007 and Culinaire Malaysia 2009 – a prominent trade and Professional Chef Competition event organised by the Chefs Association of Malaysia and Malaysia Association of Hotel (MAH). Today, Chef Yau remains a much sought-after judge for many domestic and international culinary competitions.

Outstanding recognition for Vietnamese culinary community

In 2011, the Challenge hosted 146 participants with 164 competition entries. The Equatorial Hotel bagged most awards, including the Best Culinary Establishment and Dream Team Challenge, with Nguyen Van Truong Giang taking away the award for Grand Champion.

For more information on Vietnam Culinary Challenge 2013, please visit:
http://www.foodnhotelvietnam.com/about-fhv2013/show-highlights/
http://www.youngchefsclubsgn.com/en-us/competitions.aspx

Entries for the competition are now open. Interested culinary professionals can register their interest by contacting: Annie Tran, annietran@vietallworld.com .

Food&HotelVietnam2013 - Show at a Glance:

Date:          24 - 26 April 2013, Wednesday - Friday
Venue:         Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC)
               799 Nguyen Van Linh, Tan Phu Ward, Dist 7. 

               Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening hours: 0900hrs - 1700hrs
Admission:     Business and trade professionals only
Website:      www.foodnhotelvietnam.com 

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