Teams receive their awards
The
final round of the Golden Spoon contest took place with the participation of 15
teams from hotels and restaurants throughout the country. It was the
culmination of the search for the best chefs, most delicious and unique dishes.
It
was also a review of Vietnam’s rustic dishes and culinary map drawn throughout
the year during the 10 food “Home Taste” food festivals, seminars, workshops
and the competition.
2014
is the sophomore edition of the Golden Spoon contest, with participation from
140 teams, 43 separate restaurants or outlets from 4 and 5-star hotels
throughout the country. Teams came from 10 different regions from the North to
the South.
Not
only was the participation impressive but so was the talent and expertise of
the teams. Their preparation, dress, professional behavior coupled with their
prowess for presentation of Vietnamese dishes all addressed the standard of
“delicious and nutritious.” The final 15 teams faced the final test, unable to
bring along their own ingredients; forced to use those contained within a
secret black box.
“The champion has to
prove that he/she is a professional chef. In particular, it is not only about
the cooking, but also how he or she integrates, manages and coordinates within
the team. We’ll be watching for proper delegation, improvisation and
flexibility before finally reviewing the dishes for their appearance and
refinement,” shared Mr.Sang Huy Ly, deputy chief organizer of the contest and
deputy general director of Minh Long Ceramics Co., Ltd.
In
the final round the organizing committee presented the exhibit crafted from the
journey of Vietnam’s culinary roadmap, showing all regions touched by the
contest. For example, displayed in the Northern Highlands area was Siberian
sturgeon, Sapa salmon, wild pig, anise, cinnamon, “thảo quả” fruits, Clausena indica leaves, “hoa dớn” flower, banana flower, and “tám thơm”rice among others. Some ingredients on display from the
Red River Delta was “cá sung” fish, stone crab and “Tiên Yên” chicken.
The
exhibition also provided instructions about traditional and folk restaurants
and shops that won prizes in the hometown taste festivals. Examples included
the Quang noodle soup shop in Danang, “Trang Bang” and sweet soups from Hue or
the legendary herring fish salad in Kien Giang province.
The
Golden Spoon Chef Cup worth VND 1 billion (broken into VND 500 million in cash
and VND 500 million in products) went to Caravelle Saigon. There were four
second-place prizes that went to De Nhat Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City; The Grand Ho
Tram Strip, Ba Ria, Vung Tau province; Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa; and
Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Hanoi. Each prize waS worth VND 100 million (VND
50 million in cash and VND 50 million in products). Bao Chau Boutique Sapa, Lao
Cai province, received a supporting prize for most “Nutritious Dish” worth VND
50 million. The prize for “Passionate Young Chef” was given to Chef Nguyen
Huynh Dang Tuyen of An Hoa Restaurant in Ben Tre province.
The
2014 Golden School contest was jointly organized by Minh Long I Co. Ltd and the
Center for Research and Enterprise Support (BSA), under the direction and
auspices of the Chamber of Commerce - Industry Vietnam and Vietnam National
Administration of Tourism. In conjunction with the competition the organizers
also searched the country to discover and honor the traditional cuisine of each
region meeting the standard of “delicious and nutritious.”.
Acording to Duc
Trung
Sai gon dau tu