Better or not depends on the head and the eyes!

Kingdom Restaurant team, Ho Chi Minh City, dressed up rustic dishes through the use of luxury ingredients, such as a cake made of cassava and almond, sweet soup made of bird’s nest and longan, ostrich and bacon rolled with vegetables and truffles.

Who will touch the Chef cup that worth VND 1 billion and who will have to go home to practice more and come back next season? It is unpredictable. However it is strongly believed that any team have smart and creative ideas and display as beautiful as painting then they will have opportunity to enter the next round. We had an interesting conversation with Bao Thai Tran chef-deputy Chef of Caravelle Hotel in HCM about a strategy to develop golden menu in this decisive round.

Hi, I can see from your features that you are part Vietnamese, is that correct?

Actually, I am Saigonese. Maybe because I have worked so long with Western people I now look like them? (Beautiful smile on his face)

How long have you been a chef? You learned your skills through education or work experience?

I have worked as a chef for 12 years. I studied mainly by myself and have gained experience as a chef’s assistant.

Do you believe it’s possible for Vietnamese cuisine to develop enough to catch up with other well established cuisine in Asia?

Yes, it is possible if we select unique ingredients and present our dishes beautifully. It is important to have a good menu that weaves a story, is harmonious with its ingredients and flavor and is not boring. It must also be charming and eye-catching to the public.

Can you explain more on this?

For example, our country is abundant with seafood and vegetables, but the challenge lies in how we utilize them at the 5-star standard level to attract international diners. We want to keep that national spirit throughout the original recipes, but make them elegant and convenient to eat.

Deputy Chef Thai Bao leads the contestant chefs

You have made stir-fried dumplings with different types of snail, served with apple; coconut soup with lemongrass fragrance; salad of lobster, green mango, coconut root and a minced shrimp snack with reduced fish sauce. Do you have any other dishes for this round?

About 90% of the ingredients are local and inexpensive, but they are rare to find in the markets. We’ve prepared them in such a way to make them more refined and to impart a unique story.

The theme of this round is “Golden Dish”. Can you tell us more about your signature menu?

Mr.Minh Ngoc Ly, the head of the organizing committee, told us the story of a memorable dish cooked at the preliminary round closing ceremony of the 2014 Golden Spoon contest. Once on his travel to Europe he was invited to a dinner at a three Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant usually requires a reservation months in advance, but he was able to take a last minute cancellation.

The first dish was presented as a “leaf”, and each diner received one. As it hit the palate, it seemed to evaporate and emit the taste of an oyster. From this story I got the idea to make a dish with oyster, using fresh from Nha Trang.

It will be cooked in many different ways for diners to enjoy its versatility: on the half-shell; dipped in champagne; grilled; oyster “leaf”; oyster “paper”; and oyster soup.

Lobster served with black garlic sauce - specialty of Ly Son District - as prepared by Royal Cafe, Kim Do Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City

It sounds very interesting! But your strength is European cuisine. So did you apply modern cooking skills from Western cuisine into this dish for the contest?

Yes. For instance, we used the European technique of slow cooking, which happens at a temperature of only 65-70C for the main dish: lamb tenderloin with ginger jam and raisins; sauteed purple onion, green cucumber and beetroot, mashed with cinnamon and served with grain and pesto sauce in Vietnamese style.

It is difficult to create a blue color for the cucumber from its skin and ground spinach. I soaked the cucumber into this liquid and added salt and pepper before tying it tightly.

Then I put them into a pot with lightly boiling water for 30 minutes. By doing it so, the cucumber remains crispy, retains its nutrition and has the color we want. We will do the same with the Australian lamb; it takes only 15 to 20 minutes.

It is very difficult, but you mustn’t be afraid of the time constraints, though you have only two hours to prepare a four course menu which is both creative and nutritious.

It is important that the work is properly coordinated within the time and is delegated properly to your fellow colleagues. We must understand one another and work together. In short, I felt confident with our menu.