Camaraderie, cooking and winning
ATTITUDE is very important,” said Chef Malcolm Goh. He was the lecturer and competition trainer for Berjaya University College of Hospitality’s team in the recent 5th Penang Chef’s Challenge.
“Techniques in the kitchen can be taught but attitude is not something that is easily cultivated.”
The camaraderie experienced by the team from Berjaya University College of Hospitality was only sweetened by placing first in the Black Box Challenge and sweeping the Greenhorn Challenge with one Gold (Apprentice Main Course -Chicken), three Silvers (Apprentice Main Course - Beef and Fish/seafood) and one bronze (Apprentice Dessert - Asian Continental).
The events were a part of the 5th Penang Chef’s Challenge recently held in Straits Quay, Penang.
Participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Australia, Italy and Germany congregated for a few battles in culinary skills and hospitality.
The black box challenge featured 90 minutes of cooking with secret ingredients that ranged from chicken thigh to rose petals.
The team formed by 20-year-old Yong Chee Ken, 20-year-old See Liang Phaw, 20-year-old Ng Song Chee and 19-yearold Andrea Bakhita bagged the Gold prize, beating teams from Thailand and Singapore who placed second and third.
In the challenge, the team from Berjaya had produced culinary dishes such as rose petals ice cream and chawanmushi while using techniques learned from the halls of Berjaya University such as making a roulade.
The students emphasised the importance of tasting before cooking as a countermeasure to pre-planning.
“We were not told what ingredients are inside the box so we could not plan,” said See.
“Therefore the young chefs relied on instincts and creativity to produce the dishes worthy of placing their team at the top.
“First we would brainstorm and give each other our opinions on the ingredients and the techniques to use with the ingredients we have never tasted or cooked with before this,” said Bakhita.
“The fact that we spent time together in the one month of intensive training helped. We would go back together and eat together.
“We were synchronised and knew what the other would do in any situation,” said Yong.
For the students who participated in the Greenhorn Challenge 2012, their biggest opponent was time.
Azureen Asmie, 19 was to serve smoked chicken roulade with pesto cream, baked jacket potatoes and pomelo salsa when she discovered the set-up for the Apprentice Main Course had no oven.
She had to change her technique, choosing to poach the chicken in order to achieve the taste needed.
The other winners of the Greenhorn Challenge for silver place were Jacky Tor Hooi Jia with cajun spiced beef tenderloin with natural jus, vegetables Cannelloni, fondant potato and pea puree; Joel Foo Kok Leong with roasted beef tenderloin on mushroom ragout, buttered vegetables, braised potatoes and oxtail tortellini and Adeline Chin Chui Shin with beurre noisette basted cod over clam king couscous, olive oil poached tomatoes and crustacean sauce.
The winner of bronze for the Greenhorn Challenge Apprentice Dessert - Asian Continental is Tan Kim Maan with a pastry cold display.
“Exams and classes are still given the main priority here but joining competitions give students exposure from meeting new people to seeing what it is like to cook in front of others,” said Goh.
“The advantage of practising for competitions is that you will be able to refine the techniques learned in classes. Often classes focus on one technique then move on to another in the next week. But the students are able to refine their techniques and skills by joining competitions such as this,” said Goh.
The experience pushes students to the next level, said Goh. It was the result of their commitment, teamwork and effort, said the chef.