Adhering to the requirement of the competition, Lee created a cold appetizer which he named ‘Symphony of Seafood’ that showcased a creative interplay of seafood sensations such as baby octopus and prawn mousse. Anthony trained for two weeks to get this dish right with the help of the lecturers from the Centre for Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Management (CTHCM). When asked to describe his dish, Lee said, “The dish is an explosion of flavours. The taste from the baby octopus creates a fresh and light taste that is enveloped with a dash of mousse giving it a fluffy and tangy flavour with a hint of freshness from the watermelon. The dish also incorporates a sprout roll that gives it an extra crunchy bite that stunned the judges. Other ingredients used were prawn oil for the aroma and balsamic reduction vinegar for added flavour.
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| Chef Chong Wei Tzeh with his sugar show piece titled ‘Birth of Spring’. |
Anthony created a main course with potatoes, stew beans and lemongrass. The flavours it evoked were tangy and spicy, flavours similar to Asian dishes. He was given one hour to prepare the entire dish in an area filled with spectators. It was his first time entering a culinary competition and he was glad he could implement the knowledge he had gained in his studies at Sunway University. “I had to do a lot of improvisation with my preparation and technique as I had to work within the time limit.”
The experience was eye opening as the students learned how other participants prepared their dishes. They also learned to be organised with their work and enhance the presentation of dishes.
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| Lee Kai Sean (left) and Anthony Liew Khar Khiaw (right) preparing their dishes during the FHA competition. |
The experience was eye opening as the students learned how other participants prepared their dishes. They also learned to be organised with their work and enhance the presentation of dishes.
Chef Chong participated in the Sugar Show Piece and Neptune’s Catch and walked away with a silver and bronze medal respectively. He created a blue and red sculpture of a flower for the sugar show piece that was created piece by piece and assembled together. “I practiced for approximately two weeks to ensure the texture and temperature of the sugar was accurate. I also received a lot of guidance from Chef Patrick Siau, Lecturer cum Head Chef for CTHCM who has a lot of experience in creating sugar pieces,” he shared. Chef Chong prepared Pan Fried Salmon with green peas, potato mousseline and mixed mushroom fricassee with crustacean sauce that went extremely well with the salmon fish. The sauce was infused with tea to enhance its flavours. The dish also came with fennel salad and morello cherry dressing that created a crunchy, flavoursome mix to the entire dish. Chef Chong opted to use shiitake, button and ceps mushrooms as it brings out a unique flavour of earthy goodness. He said, “The dish creates a perfect combination of flavours, crunchy, earthy, creamy and starchy with a strong rich sauce for a balanced taste.”
Nurul Bellena and Steven Kua Kean Kwang from CHTCM also participated in the competition. Although they did not win, they earned an experience like no other and are now more exposed to the culinary world. Steven said, “I now know what it takes to prepare for a competition especially in terms of learning, organising and planning. It is not easy and everything is learned based on trial and error. I was also inspired by the other participants and the recipes that were created. The criticism I obtained from the competition will push me and encourage me to work harder in competitions for the future.”
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