At
the same time of The Golden Spoon 2016 semi-final round (HCMC) was a
controversial scandal about arsenic in fish sauce. Chef Trinh Ngoc Duong (team
no.4 – La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc) was determined to arrange a topical menu by
placing fish sauce into the main role of Golden Dishes. This was a solution of
chef Duong just to whitewash traditional fish sauce and to introduce more about
this seasoning, which has carried national spirit, on luxurious party tables.
With
intention of honoring famous brands of Nuoc Mam (fish sauce), like Khai Hoan
and Hung Thịnh, La Veranda Phu Quoc team created an impressive varied menu from
Kien Giang province’s specialties, such as Nuoc Mam sauce and black sesame
sauce in salmon salad, Nuoc Mam and black pepper sauce in sautéed beef
tenderloin.
Chef Trinh Ngoc Duong was focusing on food processing.
Chef
Trinh Ngoc Duong said “Phu Quoc has many specialties but this time, I bring two
famous spices to the contest, which are Nuoc Mam and green pepper. This is safe
traditional Nuoc Mam made from heirloom recipe, which contains high protein so
that it can amazingly enriches dishes.”
Born
in 1990 chef said that Nuoc Mam was an indispensable ingredients of Vietnamese
meals, which took three-fourth of family daily ingredients. With a good fish
sauce, their dishes had rich distinguishing flavors. “These are the pride of
coastal residents, of Vietnamese so no one can harm this wonderful spice of
us”, emphasized chef Duong.
2nd prized party table of La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc.
The
appetizer was picked basing on considerately understanding diners’ need. It seemed
more reasonable if herring was chosen as one of Phu Quoc’s specialties but its
shortage was bony flesh. To comfort diners, Phu Quoc chefs decided to use
salmon. The impression of the appetizer is combination of Nuoc Mam sauce and
nuttery salted and sour black sesame sauce - which was made from grinded
roasted sesame and vegetable oil, fish sauce, and vinegar.
Salmon salad in black sesame sauce.
Sautéed
beef tenderloin in Nuoc Mam and black pepper sauce, served with Banh Uot
(steamed rice flour sheets) rolled mushroom might look simple but the jury
really appreciated this dish. Chefs took all chewy tendon off, marinated beef
with black pepper, fish sauce, vegetable oil, and rolled them up. La Veranda
pepper and Nuoc Mam sauce was varied from Kho Quet with this process: cook
brown sugar on hot pan until it turns caramel, add pepper, garlic, welsh onion,
fish sauce and a spoon of broth. Pour this sauce over sautéed beef tenderloin
to enrich its flavor.
Sautéed beef tenderloin in pepper and Nuoc Mam sauce, served with Banh Uot rolled mushroom.
Although
the dish had fish sauce to season, all foreigner judges could enjoy it and
appreciated. “It has Nuoc Mam, yes, but very slightly and actually, aromatic”,
commented judge Norbert Ehrbar.
Chef Trinh Ngoc Duong carefully decorate his Golden Dishes.
Moreover,
another impressive product brought to the contest was pine mushroom, which was
used in Banh Uot rolled 3 types of mushrooms (black fungus, pine mushroom, and
shiitake mushroom. Food Artisan Bui Thi Suong expressed her excitement when
tasting the piny-aromatic mushroom. This rare mushroom grows under pine trees
and its relatives (spruce, and casuarina) in Lam Dong, Bac Giang, and Hue
province. The best time to collect pine mushroom is on warm day after a rain.
Both fresh and dried ones are edible.
Pine
mushroom is also called Persian mushroom, light brown and yellow or
chestnut-like. Because of their symbiotic characteristic, they can’t be
farm-raised. There is ameliorates oil in this mushroom, creating a distinguishing
lightly acrid taste. Bringing pine mushroom to the contest was a feat of Phu
Quoc chefs since they had to go looking and collecting themselves.
Seafood and sticky purple yam soup, served with garlic butter bread.
Experienced
from preliminary about sanitary and decoration, the whole team’s performance in
semi-final round was much better. Both dishes - seafood and sticky purple yam
(Dioscorea alata) soup served with garlic butter bread and Granny-Smith apple
pie in vanilla sauce – were nice-looking decorated.
Sharing
their advantages and disadvantages of a far-away team, chef Trinh Ngoc Duong
said “We arrived Ho Chi Minh city at 4am and the contest would began at 7am,
not much time to prepare more ingredients. We do not know this city so well,
and it might be the same difficulty of other far-away teams. However, we’re
lucky this time with our own refrigerator from the organization so that our
dessert was perfectly completed. In the preliminary, we got troubled because
our dessert was not frozen enough. We appreciate for the best conditions.”
Granny-Smith apple pie in vanilla sauce and ice cream.
Taking
the happiness back to hometown, the team is spending their busiest days of a
year since October to December is peak season for tourists in Phu Quoc.
However, they will put aside quality time to work on new menu for the final
round from hints of black box.
By P.Vi