Saturday, March 29, 2008
News Letter
Dear colleagues and friends,A team of chefs and apprentices were selected to represent SCA for the Culinaire Malaysia 2007 held in the KLCC. Numerous achievement were awarded to the team for their individual categories.
Xu Tian Mu currently serving his internship at JADE restaurant, Tung Lok group recieved high remarks for his use of Soon Hock, which judges commended seldom would a participant use such fish and a modern chinese flavours for his fish course. Thus winning him a GOLD medal. His duck main course was slightly overdone but still the creation of taste and flavours was well balanced, SILVER medal was awarded. Great support and encouragement were render to him by his chefs from the Tung Lok group.
Wang Shih Wei currently in SHATEC was neat and well organised in the cooking arena, clean and spotless compared to some of the others. Though attending his first overseas cooking competition, he performed above expectation as trainee to be a recepient of 2 SILVER medals, out shone some of the other competitors who are chefs in the trade. His trainers and school mates will be proud of his achievement.
The 2 apprentices representing SHATEC / SCA were working well according to the time table assisting the seniors for the cold display before fully concentrating on preparation for their two hot cooking classes on the last two days. Though overall discipline and strict supervision were emphasised by me, the apprentices were under the one to one guidance of Chef Kong Kok Kiang from Grand Corpthone Waterfront, Chef David Tan from One 15 degree Sentosa and Chef Frankie Yong from SATS who took part in the cold display category. 2 BRONZE medals were achieved by Chef Frankie Yong for his effort on both cold display and hot cooking. The chefs were from the overall champion team of SCA for the Western Australia Oceanafest held in Perth this April.
Though some of the seniors did not achieve desired results, but their cold display skill level are definitely at a higher standard than most of the other participants. Luck does play a part sometimes in competition, think most of you agree with me. But its an unselfish and great effort from them who have guided the two trainees throughout the week, sharing their experience and to boost them with great confidence. Overall good team work and cooperation was shown and during the week event which resembles the same great unity during our Perth's competition under Chef Eric Neo. We like to thank Executive Chef Richmond of KLCC and his Hygiene manager , Kumar for their hospitality and support given to the team at KLCC, not to forget Chef Jasmine Ng and Chef Ivan Yeo from the SCA committee for their coaching and valuable feedbacks for the participants.
Thank you
Yen Koh
Senior Chef
Unilever Foodsolution Singapore
comment? (0)
The Straits Times
20 October 2007
Hard slog, but student chefs show their chops
IT WAS a cold Saturday two weeks ago for culinary student Wang Shih Wei. In the recesses of the Gordon Grill's butchery room, he could not stop shivering as he carefully filleted a giant 7kg French duck.
The 20-year-old is one of the six Shatec students handpicked to work with Michelin-starred chefs in Goodwood Park Hotel's Michelin-Star Guest Chefs Festival, which started more than a week ago.
The attachment - shivering included - was part of an agreement between the hospitality school and the hotel, the first time local culinary students were specially hired to assist such culinary cognoscenti.
"The six students were selected based on their strong academic performance, their high degree of professionalism, culinary skills and most importantly, their passion for the culinary arts," said Dr Horst Fuetterer, deputy director of Shatec's College of the Culinary Arts.
The six student chefs started work at the beginning of the month, before the chefs flew in, familiarising themselves with ingredients specially flown in from France and Britain, such as rabbit and wild mushrooms.
So far, the students have worked with chefs Michel Roux and Davy Tissot, and will be working with chefs Jason Atherton and Jean-Andre Charial at the hotel's restaurant, Gordon Grill. The festival ends on Nov 7.
Work has been gruelling.
Every day from 7am to 11pm, they have been feverishly chopping vegetables, deboning lamb and lugging heavy pots of stock in a hot and bustling kitchen, with only one two-hour break every day.
But the dedicated youngsters say they don't mind the hard work and long hours, and have even voluntarily stayed back sometimes to help the midnight shift prepare food for the next day.
"It's definitely very tiring, but the whole experience is just so great. I have no regrets at all. There's a lot to learn and I'm expanding my skills to meet the chefs' standards," said Mr Wang.
The students have found working with the chefs inspiring, particularly the three-starred Mr Roux.
"He's very organised, how he calls for orders and controls the kitchen. In the future, maybe I can become as good as he is," said 17-year-old Victoria Samara.
While Mr Roux was unavailable for comment, Gordon Grill's executive chef, Mr Phillipe Egalon, said that the students had been "fantastic".
"They have performed very well, which is to be expected as they are top students," he said.
Article by Tessa Wong
Reference : http://www.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Hot+Jobs/Story/A1Story20071029-32842.html
comment? (0)