![](http://images.chiecthiavang.com/Images/Uploaded/Share/2016/11/18/giamkhaonuocngoaithichthugiaviViet.jpg?crop=true&width=620)
Foreign judges are excited with Vietnamese spices.
Finally, they did not disappoint
audiences with the whole compelling day, from showing exotic ingredients, talentedly
cooking skills, classically garnishing, to presentation and food sampling.
Household leaves, wild leaves, and exotic leaves
Saigon is an open land that can carry
people from all over the country and all different cultures. Therefore, all
specialties have been converging to this land, and so do modern cooking
methods.
One cultural research figured out
that all regional special dishes when coming to Saigon would be adjusted a bit
just to be tastier and therefore easier to satisfy different tastes of diners.
If a dish lasts in Saigon, it
will step on the first stage of “being Vietnamese cuisine in integration
period” as the purpose of The Golden Spoon Contest.
Most of Saigon chefs brought
stories of leaves to the southern semi-final round as a coincident. They
started with vegetables then to spicy leaves, and finally ended with herbs.
Being one of the most enduring
and progressive contestants in the journey to The Golden Spoon highest awards,
chef Le Vo Anh Duy from Binh Quoi 1 Resort has continued his 4th season
with lots of exotic leaves.
Chef Anh Duy persuasively won the 1st prize in
southern preliminary because of his new spices and delicate display. This time,
he brought calf shank, Truc Linh
vegetable, Nganh leaves (Cratoxylum
cochinchinense), and Dit leaves.
Especially, Truc Linh
vegetable, which grows mostly in the Middle of Vietnam and people believe it
can reduce motion sickness, appeared in a novel appetizer.
Meanwhile, 3 chefs from Binh Quoi 2 Resort brought in the
combination of grilled widgeon with Chuc leaves (Kaffir lime), ginger
leaves, and Lolot pepper leaves,
served with purple sweet rice.
Moreover, chef Kim Anh wanted to send a message of the ocean
through her dishes, seafood & breadfruit in lime salad and Sa Island cobia cooked with Vinegar leaves. Vinegar leaves look like
cassava leaves but taste like tamarind.
It seemed like judges were so curious about spicy leaves in
Saigon teams’ kitchens, especially the two foreign judges Norbert Ehrbar and
Sakal Phoeung were excited to taste Vietnamese native spices.
![](http://images.chiecthiavang.com/Images/Uploaded/Share/2016/11/18/16Bantrungbaybanket.jpg?crop=true&width=620)
Display table of team No. 16 – Binh Quoi 1 Resort, HCM city.
Converging and Integrating
Participating in The Golden Spoon Contest for the first time
but the 9x chef of Kobe Teppanyaki confidently showed his enthusiasm with
modern cuisine.
Although chef Le Thoai is from a Japanese restaurant, he
comfortably combined Vietnamese and international ingredients in his menu as
following: Scallops with fresh butter
and green mussel paste in yellow mustard sauce; Baked cod in red pepper
sauce, served with Mai Xa soup; New Zealand lamp, Couscous rice, and
Rosemary sauce; Chocolate mousse and Mat-cha cake.
Notably, the team brought to the contest Mai Xa soup, which
is made from Chat Chat, a tiny clam-like living in backish water in Quang Tri
province. This soup has a remarkably transparent taste.
Another team with fusion cuisine was Park Hyatt Saigon (team No. 24). They used both exotic ingredients (American scallops, saffron) and
traditional ones (Go Cong chicken, Phu Quoc ripe pepper sauce, pistachios, and
Hoa Loc mangoes).
Meanwhile, Team 41 – An Lam Saigon River Resort (Binh Duong
province) – carried a whole bunch of dainty and high-class food, such as
lobster, black caviar, and French squad.
![](http://images.chiecthiavang.com/Images/Uploaded/Share/2016/11/18/16GaNgocLinhnaumangtrucladipnammorelankembun.jpg?crop=true&width=620)
Ngoc Linh chicken cooked with bamboo shoot, Dit leaves, and Morel mushroom, served with fresh rice noodles.
The semi-final round observed not only convergent of various
ingredients but also strong investment of high-tech equipment and modern
cooking methods, such as consommé, smoking, and sous vide.
There was one more day remaining for other teams from Middle
Highlands, Southern Middle, Southeast, and Mekong river Delta area to compete
tickets to the final round.
The largest council
of Judges
To exam the southern semi-final were influential and adept
judges. Professional judges are Food Artisan - Ms. Bui Thi Suong, Elite Teacher &
Ambassador of Vietnamese Goods - Ms. Trieu Thi Choi; Chairman of Saigon
Professional Chefs Association. Especially - Mr. Ly Sanh. There were 2 foreign judges, Mr.
Norbert Ehrbar – Deputy Chairman of Saigon Professional Chefs Association, and
Mr. Sakal Phoeung – Chairman of Vietnamese Escoffier Association.
Guest judges:
Deputy General Director of Minh Long I Co., Ltd., Vice
Chairman of the Contest The Golden Spoons – Mr. Ly Huy Sang; Ambassador of
Vietnamese Goods – Elite Artist Kim Xuan; Deputy Director of HCM City Tourism Department
- Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa. |
By Kien Chinh/The Gioi Tiep Thi