UNIQUE DISHES CREATED BY TALENTED TEENAGERS AT
SEGI-UMAMI CHEF CHALLENGE
ABOUT 80 unique dishes had been created by talented teenagers, from more than 20 secondary schools, in the SEGi-Umami Chef Challenge 2018 to showcase their hidden potential in culinary industry.
The challenge was organised by the School of Hospitality and Tourism (SOHT), SEGi College Kota Damansara (SCKD), to scout young and talented chefs aged between 16 and 18 years old.
SOHT Head of SCKD Chef Bonnie Lopez Abdullah said “this is the platform for teenagers to showcase their talents and elevate to the next level”.
The cooking competition was fully sponsored by Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Bhd (AMB), including aprons, T-shirts, cash prizes, trophies and quality products to promote healthy cooking among creative future chefs.
AMB aimed to promote healthy living and balanced diet through Umami application, the fifth basic taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter, as this is part of The Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value (ASV) initiative.
The programme started with a talk on “Healthy Eating through the Enjoyment of Deliciousness”, followed by Umami quiz and hands-on cooking of main course and soup or appetiser.
About 10 professional judges, including the Malaysian Master Chef Celebrity and Culinary Consultant Chef Sabri Hassan and president of the Malaysia Indian Chef Association, Chef Ricky Narayanan, were impressed by the aspiring young and skillful participants, who handled the cooking process excellently.
Participants were judged based on the completion time, food hygiene, teamwork, presentation skills, and creativity in raw materials and seasonings applications.
The champions are Cheang Sweet Le and Dianne Lim Kar Yean from SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4) who received RM2,000 cash with trophies, while the first runners-up are Savitta Ramakrishnan and Livenyah Dharshiny Suntaresan from SMK Seri Serdang, who received RM1,500. The second runners-up are Tan Yang Kang and Lam Jia Yao from SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (2) who received RM1,000.
Cheang and Lim said “with RM2,000 cash prize, they would like to treat their parents who sponsored them all the resources and gave them constructive feedback”.
“AJI-SHIO Flavoured Pepper is our favourite seasoning for this competition. It is easy to use in all kind of dishes for desirable deliciousness”, they said.
MALAYSIAN Master Chef Celebrity and Culinary Consultant, Chef Sabri Hassan wowed the crowd and participants during the event, demonstrating his ice carving skills at SEGi College.