From
August 2nd to August 8th 2016, 114 professional chefs from the Middle of Viet
Nam attended the Golden Spoon Contest preliminary at Tien Son Sport Center, Da
Nang city. These fascinating competitions were among the best that created
their own remarkable cooking styles. They brought excellent dishes with diverse
ingredients, vibrant colors, unique tastes, and good-looking performances.
Those teams competed in 3 tests: cooking 4-dishes menu within 140 minutes,
presenting to the judges, and culinary knowledge.
The
first stage of Middle & Highlands preliminary was full of creative menus
and significant regional highland specialties, such as Rice in Bamboo tube (cơm
lam), Ant Eggs, Chickens at Border, Wild Banana Root, Wild Betel Root, and Run
Bamboo Shoot. Beside familiar spices, those chefs introduced new unique spices
that first named on culinary dictionary, such as wild salt seeds, wild spice
leaves, Passiflora Quadrangularis, sesame leaves, wild makok leaves… 79 Gia Bao
restaurant gained the first prize in Middle & Highlands area with brand new
dish made from “Uoi” seeds (Scaphium lychnophorum) – a healthy and regional
ingredient. The second prizes were Palace Da Lat hotel (Lam Dong province) and
Thanh Phat restaurant (Dak Lak province).
Meanwhile,
Middle-Southern teams took advantage of diverse seafood. Main ingredients such
as shrimps, crabs, blue craps, jelly fish, scallops, ocean fish, and other
regional specialties were displayed on luxurious menu as Tra river Don, Tuy Hoa
Mit Dat seeds, Ly Son black garlic & seaweed, Son Thanh green pepper, Nau
chive… The chefs performed themselves by great combination of tradition and
innovation in their dishes. Impressive menu, perfect combination of Ly Son
island and Ba To forest’s specialties with personal variation helped Cam Thanh
hotel (Quang Ngai province) gained the highest prize. The other 6 teams reach
semi-final round are Liberty Central Nha Trang, Novotel Nha Trang, Diamond Bay
Resort & Spa, Au Lac Thich Wedding Center, Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort
& Spa (all from Khanh Hoa province), and Sai Gon – Phu Yen hotel (Phu Yen
province).
The
Middle – Northern representatives performed their strength of modern cooking
methods with local specialties. While Da Nang teams impressed the judges with
diverse ingredients, Hue teams brought their delicate and conscientious
characteristics into food decoration. Chefs from 5 star InterContinental Danang
Sun Peninsula Resort won the first prize with molecular gastronomy – a total
new cooking method, which can keep both original tastes of ingredients and
healthy effects on consumers. The second prized teams are Naman Retreat,
Pullman Danang Beach Resort, Grand Sunrise Hotel, and Crowne Plaza Danang from
Da Nang city, Century hotel and Indochine Palace hotel from Hue city, Bao Ninh
Beach Resort from Quang Binh province, and Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa
Hoi An from Quang Nam province.
In
conclusion, The Golden Spoon Contest season 4 already chose 39 teams
representing the South and Middle of Viet Nam into semi-final round, which will
take place this October. Total prizes are over 3 billions vnd. In the final
round, competitors have a chance to meet Mr. Eckart Witzigmann – Chef of the
Century – and Ms Hoang My Runner.
All
information are available on website www.chiecthiavang.com, facebook or The
Golden Spoon app.
NOTE: The Golden Spoon Contest 2016 was hold by Minh Long I company and Business
Research & Support Center. Main sponsor is Ly’s Horeca; Golden sponsor is
Pernod Ricard Vietnam; other sponsors are Tan Hop Thanh company, Food &
Hotel Vietnam, and NewViet Dairy. This contest is also patronized by Vietnam
National Administrator of Tourism and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce &
Industry.
By The Golden Spoon Awards