WACS Asian Presidents Forum 2010

The World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) Asian Presidents Forum was held in Daejon, Korea, from the 3rd to 4th September 2010. I was privileged to be part of the Singapore delegation to attend the Forum. Together with me, Singapore was represented by Edmund Toh, Vice-President of Singapore Chefs Association (SCA) and Jenny Tan, Branding and Communications of SCA.

It was a meeting of the Presidents of the various chefs associations in Asia. The meeting was chaired by WACS Asia Continental Director John Sloane. Along with him were President of WACS, Gissur Gudmundsson, WACS Continental Director for Africa and Middle East, Arnold Tanzer, and WACS Continental Director for Pacific Region, Glenn Austin. Also present, besides the respective associations’ presidents, were Cassandra Hayden, representing Women in WACS, and Charles Carroll who is coordinating the WACS Congress 2012. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I have read one of Charles Carroll’s books before, entitled Leadership lessons from a Chef: Finding time to be great.

The meeting was fruitful with many topics being discussed. Presidents of the various associations took to the podium and shared with their fellow counterparts the on goings of their association. Hong Kong Young Chefs Club, like us SJCC, had a representative for the meeting and shared on her club. The HKYCC has been doing great, and has had recent overseas exchange programs.

I briefed on our club and the perspectives our committee had on giving focus to young chefs for our profession’s future, being patient to young chefs and their mistakes, and guiding and encouraging young chefs in their work in junior chefs clubs. I also highlighted that each club can be unique and is perfectly fine to differ from one another, so long as it remains focus to the primary goal which is to inspire and guide young chefs. (E.g. some clubs are strong in competitions, some focus on membership figures; some do not have as many activities, while others are at their early forming stage)

President Gissur also gave us insights on new initiatives in WACS, such as Chefs Without Borders (A humanitarian aid project which chefs can play a big part in) and WACS’ endorsement of culinary institutions.

There were also paper presentations on Korean Food, WACS Congress 2012, and a Honey Candy making presentation (which reminded me of the Chinese Dragon Beard Candy). The Korean Chefs Association was a warm host, making sure there were translators around wherever we go, hosting us to sumptuous receptions, including a reception and outdoor concert graced by the Mayor of Daejon city.

Apart from getting used to having lots of Kimchi and Samgyetang, it was a productive trip of networking and gaining useful information to be shared with my committee and members.

Jasper Jek

President

Singapore Junior Chefs Club

SJCC RWS Tour Article

Land of Far Far away

IT WAS a hot Saturday morning for a group of future young chefs to visit the land of Far Far Away showcasing lifestyles of the rich and fairy tales’ fantasy characters living within tall, graceful walls sweeping over a pavilion-covered courtyard.

On the 16th of October 2010, the Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC) organized an educational tour '' Discovering the New World – SJCC Educational Tour " to the Resort World Sentosa. Members from the SJCC get a chance to discover a whole new world that is truly rewarding. Resorts World Sentosa, is the leisure and gaming company that owns and operates Singapore’s biggest Integrated Resort, a 49-hectare development which is located on Singapore's holiday island of Sentosa.

 The tour started on with warm welcoming refreshment prepared by a team of professional chefs at the Leo’s meeting room. We had a unique variety of food ranging from oven baked mini pizza, beautiful danish pastry to freshly steamed Tim sum and homemade sandwiches accompanied with coffee and tea. Our member’s definitely enjoyed the food prepared specially for us.

Thereafter, our members proceeded into the meeting room for a short introduction and presentation of the resort world’s daily operations. The sharing session was conducted by Chef Edmund Toh, the Executive Chef of the Hotels & Casino, Chef John Sloane, the Vice President of Food & Beverage and Chef Alan Orreal, the culinary production Manager from the Universal Studios Singapore. The session was indeed inspiring and enlightening for our young future chefs.

Soon after, our tour takes on a magical swing when our members break into groups of four and began their extraordinary VIP Tour in the universal studios Singapore. Princess Fiona, Shrek’s, Puss in Boots and the talking donkey from the land of Far Far Away castle came alive

that takes our experience into a whole new level with lots of pleasant surprises and good food provided during the tour.

Besides the Universal Studios Singapore, our members were amazed to visit the spectacular range of six world-class luxurious

hotels and places such as Osia, Palio, Rotunda, Crockfords Tower, Feng Shui Inn, Boulangerie, Fiesta & Pool, Bagus Café, Starz, Pool, Cabana, Coliseum, Compass Ballroom and Central Production.

Of course, the good times ended in a swift when we eventually parted from resorts world Sentosa, marking the closure of our short but memorable tour. On behalf of my Chairman and President, we would like to thank the staffs from the resorts world Sentosa for their tremendous hospitality for hosting such a wonderful and memorable Education tour for our SJCC members.

We really appreciate all the efforts that made this a successful tour and I am sure that our members are definitely looking forward for another wonderful event organized by the Singapore Junior Chefs Club.

Thank You.

Joab Wang

Events & Activities

Singapore Junior Chefs' Club

The Youth Arm of Singapore Chefs Association

Women in WACS

Ladies, do join World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) in its Women in WACS initiative. The initiative strives to increase visibility of women chefs worldwide as well as supporting them in their efforts to advance their careers while balancing work and family. Join the Group!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=331331241005

Discovering the New World with SJCC

8 More Days

For the Most EXCITING Tour

With the Singapore Junior Chefs Club

 ARE YOU READY ??

*************************************

Dear Successful Participant's,

next week SATURDAY,

don't forget our Date at the Resort World Sentosa. 
please check your e-mail for Tour Details.

any queries,please email me,

Joab Wang at sjcc_joab@yahoo.com   

SEE YOU THERE !!

*************************************

THE SUN RISE FROM THE PENCIL BOX!

1 October 2010 – The battle of the food gladiators continues, with the first ever Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Young Chef Pencil Box Culinary Challenge held in Singapore this week. This iron chef style battle amongst the young gladiators consisted of leading students from different culinary institutes battling it out to create innovative and inspiring dishes of Australian beef and lamb.


The winner for the inaugural event went to Karolyn Chua, a trainee student from At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy . Currently attached at Mandarin Orchard Hotel, Chua won the challenge with her creativity and technical skills. “I feel relieved but at the same time happy, as I felt uncertain about what to create when I saw the ingredients at first” said Chua after the unveiling of the results. Chua trained religiously two to three times a week in preparation for the challenge. “I have learned a lot from my instructor during this period of time and this challenge has definitely exposed me to much more knowledge about food and cooking”.

Held previously only in Korea , the MLA Young Chef Culinary Pencil Box Challenge arrived on our shores for the first time this year! MLA has brought this competition to Singapore to recognise the high standard of culinary institutes here and the high level of professional students which are training to become Chefs. The aim of the challenge is to encourage creativity amongst young chefs to individually prepare a main sized portion of Australian beef and lamb, as the centrepiece ingredient, within the pressure of a competitive environment.

What makes this challenge different from others is that the ingredient list is kept confidential until before the actual competition starts. Unlike other competitions, the unique style of the Pencil Box is that after the unveil of the mystery ingredients, the participants are given half an hour to plan their menu and afterwards, two dishes are required and two portions of each must be prepared during the competition on the same day which will last one and a half hour and be presented to the judges for scrutiny!

The on the spot challenge was led by judging panel, Alan Palmer, MLA’s official Young Chef Pencil Box Culinary Challenge coordinator, Chef Yen Koh, executive chef of Unilever Food Solutions and William Gibb Taylor, course manager of ITE. “It is not just about the results but most importantly, the process and the experience the students can walk away with” Palmer said before the prize presentation.

The sponsors for the challenge include Stanbroke Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore Chef Association, Shatec Institutes’, and Unilever Food Solutions.

Chua took home a gold medal and S$1,000 in cash! The first runner up went to Creasperson A Carlos from Shatec Institutes’ and the second runner up went to Kelvin Tan from Temasek Culinary Academy . They each received a medal and S$500 and S$250 in cash!

As the curtains draws to a close, the MLA Young Chef Pencil Box Culinary Challenge was a success and hopefully it will come back bigger and better the next time round!

Competitions

Its competitions frenzy with the recent SJCC-Nestle Professional Rising Chefs Challenge, and the MLA Black Box Singapore Challenge just passed us by. In just a month’s time, November, SJCC members can expect the Otto Weibel Norwegian Salmon Scholarship.

Competitions often offer attractive prizes; from book prizes, knives sets, cash prizes, fully paid overseas internships and experiences. However, one might ask if it is really worth competing in one? Afterall, there will always only be the top three people/ teams who make it.

There are chefs in the industry who introduced the term “Competition Chefs” to those who always compete. “He’s a Competition Chef, I’m not”, one would say. Many chefs feel that competing requires you to have a wealth of experience and talents. Contrary to that, I believe you will suceed as long as you put in your best in training and train from the best.

My personal view of competitions is not about winning or losing. Of course winning should be your biggest goal, but one should look at the smaller benefits it would bring you.

The process of training for competitions often stretches you beyond your daily routines and work. You’ll spend extra hours planning and experimenting dishes, then organizing your workflow to make your steps smooth. You’ll seek advise, learn and work much closely with your chefs. You’ll train and train till you perfect your dish and work. You’ll look into and organize other finer details such as transportation of equipment, tableware, menu cards , table display etc. You’ll read up about the organization/ company that is sponsoring and organizing the competition and learn about their products and services. All of the above, I would say a young chef would not do if not for competing in a competition. After the competition, he may put what he has learned along the way, into he's daily work routine.

Chefs should not be afraid of, or feel too discourage when losing a competition. Take it with stride, ask for feedback for improvements from the judges after each competition and learn from the mistakes. It’s the process of learning, experiencing and growing that counts. I would highly recommend young chefs to make a list of competitions they would wish to compete in within the next five years. It could start from junior competitions, team competitions, moving up to higher level competitions, and even national team competitions.

Here’s an example of a list.

Year 1

SJCC Tabasco HoTchef Team Challenege

Year 2

SJCC- Nestle Professional Rising Chefs Challenge

MLA Blackbox Competition

Year 3

Enter into the National Junior Culinary Team

Compete in FHA Culinary Challenge

Year 4

Otto Weibel Norwegian Salmon Scholarship Competition

Hans Bueskhans World Junior Challenge National Selection

Year 5 and beyond

National Team Selection

Global Chefs Challenge Selection

Bocuse D’or Selection

Team Manager for MLA Blackbox competition

Culinary schools should always give their students the fullest support they need. They should not only support those who have "talents", but always consider those who are eager to learn, sacrifice and give their all. When teams from schools lose a competition, their management should not be worried that the lost gave away their reputation, and cease sending teams for future competitions. This will only hinder young chefs from growing.

In conclusion, my words to young chefs would be, if there's a will there's always a way. Never stop asking till you get a satisfied answer or someone who can help you. There is always a win and a lost, but you are already winning if you tried your best.

Wishing all SJCC members a fruitful culinary adventure!

With Culinary Spirits,

Jasper Jek

SJCC - Nestle Professional Rising Chefs Challenge 2010

NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL FOCUS ON YOUNG CHEFS

The Spotlight On Singapore’s Young Chefs And New Talents

The Second Annual Rising Chefs Challenge 2010

23 SEPTEMBER 2010 – As part of its commitment to nurture the young in the hospitality industry, Nestlé Professional along with the Singapore Junior Chefs Club organised the second annual Rising Chefs Challenge 2010 last Saturday, 18 September at Tourism Academy @ Sentosa. Eight teams of two junior chefs each competed ina gruelling challenge that saw them pittheir culinary skills to be recognised as the Rising Chefs of 2010. The teams from different culinary schools and restaurants were given two hours each to prepare a restaurant platter for five, focusing on creativity, technique, taste and nutrition using three Nestlé Professional products – MAGGI Chef’s Secret, MAGGI Mash Potato Instant Mix and Buitoni Coulis De Tomate.

Temasek Polytechnic proved to be the culinary college to beat when three of its teams emerged as the top three winners of the competition. The champion walked away with a challenge trophy, certificate and the ultimate prize of an all-expense paid trip to China to intern and train at one of the country’s top restaurants. The winner was The Secret Chefs. Made up of Temasek Polytechnic’s applied science students, Andy Tan and Ethan Goh, the duo created a restaurant platter that showcased their creativity.

Goh said, “We decided to make full use of a whole duck when we brainstorm for ideas for our dish. We sous vide the duck breast and served it with an orange carrot purée while the duck thigh was braised with the Buitoni Coulis de Tomate. The bones from the duck were used to make our cooking stock and we also featured a polenta crumbed foie gras to complete the dish.”

Team Temasek CCM (Calvin Tan and Piak Jia Ying) proved to be a force to be reckoned with as the first runner-up. Their creation of herb crusted lamb rack and spiced loin, ratatouille of Buitoni Coulis de Tomate, asparagus and glazed pearl onion, Maggi croquette potato with currant and berry sauce charmed the judges with their originality and creativity. They also took home a challenge trophy and certificate for their effort along with a knife set worth S$1,400. Tan revealed, “We really enjoyed using these products. They’re so versatile and we benefitted from it. It was definitely a good challenge for us as we managed to incorporate the three products seamlessly into our dish.”

The second runner-up prize of a challenge trophy, certificate and S$700 book hamper went to Pay Sin Wei and Jessica Tan of Team BCS, also from Temasek Polytechnic. They both also won the best hygiene title. Presenting a unique dish, the duo went with sous vide shark steak in spicy tomato avocado sauce, sour cream Duchesse potatoes and sautéed asparagus in raspberry infused hollandaise. Pay shared, “When we found out that we’re supposed to use the Maggi Mash Potato Instant Mix, we knew we had to create a new version of the famous Duchesse potatoes. We’re very happy with the results. Like our fellow competitors, we used the Maggi Chef’s Secret Seasoning as our flavouring. We omitted the usage of salt because it was better than salt, full of flavours!”

The remaining participants each received a consolation prize as well as a certificate and they are Team Cuscaden (Yeo Sheng Xiong and Muhammad Shawal), Team Victory (Jessica Tan and Rachael Koh), Team Les Atascia (Kiti Kui and Leong Li Ping), Team MK (Chia Jue Xian and Jeagan s/o Nadzan) and Team Republic One (Agassiz Kong and Wong Quinnson).

The adjudicators of the competition represented the who’s who of Singapore’s culinary scene. Led by the culinary godfather, Chef Otto Weibel himself, the panel consisted of Chef Eric Teo, president of the Singapore Chefs Association, Roger Frei, Nestlé Professional’s regional food manager for Asia, Oceania and Africa and Lydia Tan, nutritionist with the Health Promotion Board. Speaking during the prize presentation, Chef Weibel said, “The judges saw a lot of creativity today and a lot of effort put in by all teams. Everyone did a good job today. It’s important for junior chefs like all of you to constantly push yourselves and participate in competitions like these. Only then you’ll have the exposure and experience. It’s more important than winning but always remember to try your best.”

Also at the prize presentation was Jasmmine Wong, country business manager for Nestlé Singapore. Speaking on behalf of Nestlé, she offered, “I’m surprised with the quality of work we have here today. It’s very impressive and I want to congratulate every one of you. All of you will be very successful one day, in your own individual way. Just remember to keep asking the question – how to make yourself better.”

Winning Dish

Winning Team- The Secret Chefs: Ethan Goh & Andy Tan Chun Fu

As the curtains drew to a close, Singapore Junior Chefs Club and Nestlé Professional have once again organised a successful competition and there was already buzz for next year’s competition which promised to be even bigger and better.

TEMASEK CULINARY ACADEMY REIGNS SUPREME IN MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA BLACKBOX CULINARY CHALLENGE

30 September 2010 – The gold medal and best establishment award in the prestigious Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Black Box Culinary Challenge has been awarded to Temasek Culinary Academy !

The MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge is a hands-on outside catering concept for young chefs. For the first time, the event was held truly outdoors at the Coliseum at Resorts World, Sentosa. The venue created an atmosphere for a battle of the gladiators or in this case, the battle of the food gladiators. The ten teams in the competition served two tables each in a banquet style setting gala dinner for distinguished guests and members of the local food and beverage (F&B) industry.

For this competition, the 84th competition held globally, the theme was simple, encourage inspiring and innovative dishes of Australian lamb and beef. The mystery 18 ingredients, were revealed a day before to the participants for the preparation of the four-course menu. The teams were each given just one hour to come up with a menu to impress the judges. The feature of the ingredient list was Kobe Cuisine D rump and White Pyrness lamb leg.

The first runner up went to Royal Plaza on Scotts and the second runner up was Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. Their prizes include a medal and S$1,000 and S$500 respectively. The other awards of the night include best table display that went to Grand Copthorne Waterfront, best appetizer went to Marina Bay Sands and the best main course went to Royal Plaza on Scotts. Temasek Culinary Academy also sweeps the awards for best soup and best dessert.

The guest-of-honour of the night was His Excellency, Australian High Commissioner Doug Chester.

The judging panel was led by Alan Palmer, global competition coordinator of MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge, Chef Rick Stephen, executive chef of SATS, William Gibb Taylor, course manager of ITE, Chef Yen Koh, executive chef for Unilever Food Solutions and Chef Tony Khoo, executive chef for Marina Mandarin. The sponsors that provided the ingredients and venue for the night includes Resorts World Sentosa, Kobe Cuisine, White Pyrness, Culina, Unilever Food Solutions, DiGiorgio Family Wines, San Pellegrino and National Foods.

As the night draw to a close, the event was a success and we look forward to the next time the MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge comes to town again!

Industry News: SIT-CIA launches degree programme in Singapore

http://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/cia/

2010 Annual Chef Townhall

On the 26th of June 2010, 40 young and aspiring Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC) members were very privileged to have the opportunity to attend our annual Chef Townhall held at the Shatec Institute organized by SJCC. This year, we had the honour of inviting Chef Otto Weibel, Director of Kitchen, RC hotel private limited, Chef Eric Low, R&D chef, Nestle and last but not least, our very first SJCC junior competition team to grace the event.

Chef Otto Weibel started the event with a presentation entitled “Acing Competition”. Members were inspired and entertained by Chef Otto as he shared about his journey from a young boy to where he is today. In addition, he also elaborated on the little steps young chefs should take to become a promising and reputable Chef.

For the second part of the event, our SJCC junior competition team who did the nation proud took over the baton and gave a detailed presentation on their maiden competition which took place at Penang. 

 

Last but not least, we had Chef Eric Low presented a very unique career path for all attendees. Members were amazed as Chef Eric shared his adventures and insights from all over the world while working on different yatches.

During the break, there was a refreshment set-up by courtesy of Shatec Institutes. On behalf of SJCC, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Chef Otto Weibel, Chef Eric Low, SJCC junior competition team and Shatec Institute for making the forum such a great success!

Junior Pastry World Cup

For the first time, pastry chefs below 23 years old in Singapore will have a platform to expose and display their pastry skills and talents.

The first Juniors Pastry World Cup is sponsored by Relais Desserts and Academy of Italian Master Confectioners and has among the Honour Committee Membership, personalities such as MOF Paillasson Gabriel, Frédéric Cassel, Igino Massari, etc.

The event will take place from January 23-24, 2011 in Rimini during the SIGEP, International Exhibition Artisan Production of Gelato, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery.

It is an opportunity for comparison and an experience of growth for those who, in the future, will bring greatness to world of confectionery; the first necessary and fundamental competition for a young professional life at top technical levels.

If you are a Pastry Chef (Students) who is below 23 years old (born after January 1, 1988), possesses the qualities of a team player and is good in either chocolate showpiece, sugar showpiece, preparation of chocolate cake, and a dessert, We would like to encourage you to participate in this National Pastry team selection competition 2010 to join in this prestigious event.


This competition is open to all Hotels, Restaurants young Pastry Chefs, both for professionals and students based in Singapore. The competition will select one best A) Chocolate creation and one best B) Sugar participant to represent Singapore.

You may download the application form and rules and regulation of the competition at the following links:
*Rulebook
*Application Form

Stated below is the programme of the competition:-

Date - 4 September 2010 ( Saturday)
Competition Time - 8 am- 3 pm
Venue - Shatec Institutes Pte Ltd, 21 Bukit Batok Street 22, Singapore 659589
Winner presentation - 4.00pm

Should you need further enquiries, please contact Kenny Kong at kenny.kong@fairmont.com
Thank you and look forward for your support.

Kind regards,
Kenny Kong
President
Singapore Pastry Alliance
Member of Singapore Chefs Association

Educational Tour at RWS

Dear Members,

Registration is now OPEN for all SJCC members.

Discover the New World at Resort World Sentosa

Good day to all,


Very quickly, we see the month of July passing us real quickly and now we're in the midst of starting our month of August when our Nation's birthday and the Youth Olympic games are nearing. Soon, we will be having an article posted on the interview we had with Chef Kenneth Francisco who is part of the organising committee in the YOG up in our website.


Despite all these, what is up and coming is the tour we are planning in the month of October to the Resort World Sentosa,Singapore. Join us to discover the new world and experience the most exciting tour.Here are some of the objective we would like to achieve:

1. Understand what goes on in a resorts' daily operations.

2. Understand how a centralised kitchen operates and learning of the latest culinary technology.

3. Interact with the industry seniors and understand the job scope of being in the service  industry (Culinary and Front-line).

So why wait ? We're left with only 40 seats available !!! Look out for this event !!!

*This educational tour is only limited to members of the SJCC and is welcomed on a first come first serve basis.


For more information and details, please email Joab Wang at  sjcc_joab@yahoo.com

SJCC Nestle Pro Rising Chefs Challenge

Dear Members,

We present to you the SJCC Nestle Professional Rising Chefs Challenge

Feel free to download the Nestle Package we have put together, should you have any enquiries, please contact Athejo at sjcc_athejochia@yahoo.com.sg for more information.

For the Rule Book: "Click Here"
For the Recipe Sheet: "Click Here"

Be sure to download them and send it to Athejo as soon as possible!

*please note that registration closes on the 20th of August, so what are you waiting for???

Here is the link for more information. please click "HERE"

membership

the club.
The Club is formed officially on the 1st May, 2004. And the number of members have been growing since... Our members include young chefs and culinarians from institutions and organizations such as At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, ITE, Republic Polytechnic, SHATEC Institutes, Temasek Polytechnic, and many others from the culinary industry.

The annual memberships subscription is S$50. Why wait? Start cooking NOW!
Check with your institution's Liaison Officer to find out more.
Recruitment drives are held twice a year, in May/June and December/January.

criteria.
Current student who are from local culinary related institutions or training centers.

entitlements.
Membership Card (with dining benefits)
Site Visits
Educational Tours
Field Trips
Culinary Workshops
Junior Cooking Competitions
Annual Family Day
Annual Dinner & Dance
CNY Lo Hei Dinner
6 issues of Cusine & Wine Scene Magazine

To Sign Up or for more details, email your institutions' Liaison officer or email Belinda at mailto:sjcc_ngbelind@yahoo.com

Pulau Semakau Landfill Educational Trip Writeup

Pulau Semakau Landfill Educational Trip Writeup

On a recent Sunday, the Singapore Junior Chefs Club organized an educational fieldtrip to Pulau Semakau, the world’s first of its kind offshore landfill. The purpose of the visit was to educate members on wastage in particularly food wastage and the importance of being responsible with Food. A total of 50 members attended the fieldtrip, alongside members of the SJCC committee. The trip started off with a 40 minutes ferry ride to the island, south of Singapore. The members were full of excitement on the Sun-deck of the ferry, some of whom were sitting a ferry for the first time in their life.

When asked about why SJCC decided to organize such a trip for its members, SJCC President Jasper Jek replied “What better way to allow members to learn about Food Wastage and its effects on the environment, than for them to visit the landfill and to see for themselves what happens to the food they waste in their kitchens and restaurants when they dispose them off. Chefs take a huge responsibility for the food they order, they produce and its wastage. This out of the kitchen trip will deeply impact our members, and what they learn will stay with them a long way into their career. As SJCC envisions nurturing future talents in the Food and Beverage field, reputed for their character, it will be good to have such a trip. Furthermore, it goes in line with what was presented in WACS Congress 2010 in Chile on Reducing Food Wasting.”

Upon arrival on the Pulau Semakau, the members were brought into the Visitors Centre, where they were presented a video about the landfill. Thereafter the guide briefed them about how the Landfill came about, the need for Singapore to have such a landfill and other aspects of the landfill. They were also taught about the process of what happens when things go into the rubbish bins. The members were surprised to learn that in 2009’s festive period, a total of 187 tons of food was wasted, and that when food waste is not treated properly, it gives off methane which is harmful to the environment. Members were also taught on the 3Rs: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce, and ways to reduce food wastage in the kitchen, e.g. using old bread to make bread and butter pudding.

After the presentation, members were brought onto mini shuttle buses to tour the landfill. The guide gave detailed explanation of the operation process which takes place on each location. The government has made efforts to make the island more recreation friendly by incorporating scenic locations for mangrove intertidal walks, bird watching, sports fishing, star gazing and others. The beautiful scenery of the offshore landfill gave members another impression of landfills.

In conclusion, we believe the fun and educational fieldtrip deeply benefited the young chefs and SJCC will continue to introduce ways to guide young chefs in the right path. We would like to specially thank Nestle Professional for their kind support and sponsorship for this fieldtrip, and making it possible!

More information on Pulau Semakau Landfill can be found on:

www.nea.gov.sg/cms/esd/brochure/TMTS.pdf

Penang Chefs Challenge Team Manager's Report

Penang Chefs Challenge Team Manager's Report

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I hope all is well! A team of young junior chefs were selected to represent the Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC) for the 4th Penang Chefs Culinary Challenge. It was held at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) from the 3rd of June to the 6th of June 2010. The Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC) Junior Culinary Team was led under the command of Joab Wang (Team Manager), together with his main team, Sean Lim (Team Captain), Benedict Yong, Corinne Ruth and Tiffany Wee. The team was assisted by the team assistant Eunice Koh,Poh Lay Hwee and Ammierul.The team was also under the guidance and advice by Elvin Chew (Team Coach),Chef Gary Lim and Chef Derrick Lau (Team Advisors).

The Penang Chefs Challenge (PCC) is now on its 4th edition, and has grown in popularity since 2004. Teams from Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia pitted their culinary skills in this competition. The panel of judges comprised of notable personalities from the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS).

In no more than 30 days, the team went through eleven rounds of demanding training and numerous meetings under the strict supervision of Elvin Chew and Joab Wang. The team left Singapore on the 2nd of June 2010 ready and anxious to cook up a storm. The competition kicked off on the subsequent day with the qualifying round with a total of 31 junior teams. The team went through few rounds of "knock-out battle" and qualified themselves for the grand finals on the last day.

The team may have been awarded the overall 1st runner up, however in my eyes, their skills level and kitchen etiquette were at a much higher standard than most of the other participants. My team showcased their excellent team work and was able to form bonds over that short period of time. Their hard work and dedication was portrayed throughout. We were given the opportunity to train at Temasek Poly, Marina Mandarin Hotel and Shatec Institute. I'd also like to thank Nestlé Professional for their support as a sponsor. In addition, Chef Tony Khoo, Chef Jasmine Ng and Chef Eileen Phua from the SCA/SJCC committee provided valuable coaching and feedback which helped to enrich the team's experience.

As the team manager for the SJCC Junior Culinary Team, I am proud to have been bestowed the opportunity to manage and lead the pioneer junior team. I would like to thank the club's president Jasper Jek and his committee for their faith in me. With that in mind I was able to plan and organize the trip successfully. Their debut overseas performance boosted their confidence levels and I am certain that we will continue to conquer the challenges ahead of us. This experience leaves me with great inspiration to continue my art in the culinary field. On the 7th of June the team returned to Singapore with honor and pride. The team captain Sean Lim is quoted as saying that the journey was "a bittersweet, fruitful, tiring, fun, enriching and bold one". It was a pleasure for all of us. Thank you.

Kudos to all!!!!!

Joab Wang
Team Manager
Events & Activities
Singapore Junior Chefs' Club
The Youth Arm of Singapore Chefs Association

Edu trip to P. Semakau

Constellation with The Stars, 11th - 25th April 2010

World Gourmet Summit is an annual gourmand event that showcases & recognises well renown chefs from around the world while providing us the chance to appreciate good food & wine.  

Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd has graciously extended a 30% discount to all SCA and SJCC members for anyone who is interested to attend the Culinary MasterClass of any guest Chefs listed below. 

Seats are moving fast, so please do not miss out on this rare opportunity.We hope to see many of you at WGS!

For further details and to make reservations, check out www.worldgourmetsummit.com

Culinary Master Classes Available

 

Dieter Kaufmann Culinary Masterclass

Ben Shewry Culinary Masterclass

Andrea Berton Culinary Masterclass

Lai Yau Tim Masterclass

Food Safety Forum

The Food Safety Forum is back after a sell-out in 2008. This forum will be held on a bigger scale in 2010, to address the full spectrum of food safety issues from farm to fork. There are challenges at every step and the possible solutions that leading experts and practitioners have will be presented.


For more information and to register, click here or visit http://www.foodnhotelasia.com/food_safety_forum.htm.

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Trip, Thailand

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Trip, Thailand

21 February – I was surprised when I was called up by chefs, and asked if I was available on the first to third of March, for the educational trip to Thailand. Without much thought, I said I would loved to, but on second thoughts I was afraid that I would not be approved of my leave. (Thankfully I had my leave approved.) Afterwards, I learnt that it would be a visit to the Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) group, the leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate of Thailand.

1 March, Day 1 – We gathered at the wee hours of the morning for breakfast and checked in at the airport. This is where our journey begins….

Touching down in Thailand, we were greeted by “chaperons” from CP who would be taking us around during our entire visit. We were then split into 2 groups, for easier maneuvering.

We headed south to our first “food stop” for lunch at Pattaya, where we were treated to fantastic seafood, by the beach. It was heaven… with the sea breeze, the sun and good food.

It was then followed by a long ride, where we arrived at the shrimp farm, our official first stop, the Roi-Petch Shrimp Farm. It was well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technology, with an automated system in place to ensure optimal breeding conditions of the White CP Shrimp. Ensuring the strictest controls to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. Before entering the bio-security area, we were required to don lab coats and rubber boots, followed with a strict regime of sanitizing our hands and boots. These serve as preventive measures to limit the risk of introducing any pathogens which would compromise the breeding and quality of the shrimps in the farm.

Here, where we learnt that the 480 hectare shrimp farm houses shrimps in different modules of which the shrimp are cultivated; from in the Nursery Phase (25 days), Intermediate Phase (50 days) and the Grow out Phase (50 days), producing up to 15MT per pond/crop.

We then headed to our hotel, checked-in and went for yet another wonderful meal, by the beach.

2 March, Day 2 – Right after our breakfast, we headed straight to the shrimp processing and R&D Centre. The shrimps that we saw at the shrimp farm just the day before, arrived at almost the same time, and were headed for noble cause. At the processing line, we saw the various methods of which the shrimps are processed to what we would find on our plates. Marinated, skewered, battered, bread-crumbed, whatever you name it.

We then sampled a total of 13 of their shrimp products, not forgetting their famous CP Shrimp Wanton. It was a most enjoyable experience, and coming from someone like me who previously did not really enjoy seafood it definitely goes to show the quality and freshness of the ingredients used, as well as the immense effort and dedication that their chefs put into preparing the dishes.

Heading northwards to the next destination, we had another long ride, checked in to our hotels, and headed out for dinner. This time, we met with more of the staff from CP, who came all the way from Bangkok.

3 March, Day 3 - Following the day of the shrimps, we went to CP's chicken slaughter house. Thankfully it was a quick ride from our hotel to the slaughter house and shrimp farm. With my previous encounter in KL where I learnt of how chickens were slaughtered the “old-fashioned way”, it was with a heavy heart when I left for the farm, not knowing what to expect. But thankfully, we arrived at yet another integrated farm, of which we were briefed of the life of "the Happy Chicken", from hatching to shackling. We were assured of CPF's humane and efficient practices, from the Feed mill, Hatchery, Farms to the processing plant. Every procedure was well-organised and closely monitored to ensure the efficiency of their company, where even simple steps such as the sending of chickens from farm to plant are tracked with the use of latest onboard GPS systems in the delivery trucks.

On a tour around the processing and further processing plant, we also got to see the entire process, from livestock to final packaged product. Surprisingly, the tour lasted a short span of only a few hours. This goes to show that the processed products are handled very efficiently, with automated systems in place, to minimize human contact, ensuring that the products that are sold are sterile and fit for consumption.

After the quick tour, our hungry stomachs were treated to a scrumptious lunch, specially prepared by the CPF Main kitchen brigade chefs, whom are also actively involved in the Thai Chefs Association. Utilizing mainly CP chicken products, we tucked ourselves in to finger-licking goodness, with dishes using products like the roasted chicken breast steak and the spicy fried half cut middle wings. The dishes were tasty and well presented, highlighting the freshness and quality of CP Chicken high tech farming & processing techniques with every course served.

Following our lunch, it was time that we had to head back to the airport… Despite being only a short three-day tour, we had a packed itinerary full of learning and mouth-watering experiences. It was an honour to visit CP Food farms and processing plants together with the seniors of the Singapore Chefs Association, and Celebrity Chef Forest Leong, who is also the ambassador for CP in Singapore, to learn about its brand, products, and processes.

With this short trip to CPF’s farms and processing plants which was a one-of-a-kind learning experience, we carried along with us a better knowledge of Charoen Pokphand Foods, the CP brand and its products, and how stringent it is in its quality control. I now look at CP with a different light and understanding.

By Belinda Ng, Singapore Junior Chefs' Club

CNY Greetings

French Wine and Dine dinner

The French Wine and Dine dinner organized by Sopexa recently at GourmetPlus was a delightful and enjoyable one. This dinner was held in conjunction with the Concours Cuisine 2009, a friendly culinary competition between junior chefs like me, focusing on French cuisine and techniques. Being my first ever competition, was really an eye opener for me. All the nerves and adrenaline at the final day was amazing yet scary at the same time. Up until the time when the last dish came out, a sigh of relief was a common thing that everyone faced. The dishes that were prepared were judge by a distinguished panel of chefs as well as industry related people. Because of the competition, I get to meet many myriad of trainees as well as chefs that are passionate about what they are cooking and presenting, they gave us, aspiring chefs, many advice on how we could improve our dish and also motivating words. This platform would not have been possible for me if not for Sopexa’s organization for the competition.

I was really excited when I heard from them that they are organizing a follow up dinner with the competitors as well as some of the judges and members of the Singapore Junior Chefs’ Club. When we arrive at GourmetPlus, we found the place very cozy and homey. There were many products from France around, like their red wine vinegar and what really surprises me was that the place even had a wine cellar of their own. It really exudes a very homey and comforting French bistro kind of feeling, where people would come here after a long day for a nice hearty meal and get together with friends. It was definitely a right place for the gathering!

Once we sat down, we were served some Cremant and home made gravelax on blinis orange and dill sauce. It was like small pancakes with smoked salmon on top, accompanied with dill sauce. The taste of the salmon together with the dill sauce merged so well together with the taste of the chives and the soft yet surprisingly fluffy blinis. It truly was a delightful way to start of the evening together with the Cremant d’Alsace.

Shortly after, Chef Mus gave us a short summary on French Cuisine and how it has evolved from Classical French to Nouvelle French and till Modern French cuisine, the differences and the people behind this food evolution, such as Paul Bocuse and Auguste Escoffier. I was really interesting getting to learn about the rich history of French cuisine and the many part of France that has different ways of doing different dishes and the history that goes behind those dishes and up till this day, these many dishes are still being served and in many different forms due to different intepretations by many different chefs but using almost the same classical techniques.

While we were enjoying our wine and blinis, we also had a talk on wine and the art of wine appreciation by Ms Jenny Tan, a wine journalist. It was like a 101 on how to drink and appreciate wines. For example the steps on appreciating it like swirling the wine globe so that the flavor of the wine would come out and how to coat your palate with the wine, which is to make sure that you can actually get to taste the actual flavor of the wine. She was also talking about wine from France, particularly wine from Alsace. We were also taught the importance of wine pairing. Like how wine could actually affect the way food tasted. It made us realize how important wine is in the culinary world and it is something that we have to take note of when we are creating a dish that has wine in it or when we want to pair a dish with wine. It is definitely not something to be overlooked.

We had wine that was made in France served to us and we also got to know a little history of the wine. That really gave us a much better appreciation of the things that we were drinking. While drinking, we were served our second course of Light Lobster Bisque, saffron emulsion tortellini of blue prawn. The first mouth full of the bisque was simply wonderful. It was really very flavorful and rich. All of us on the table shared the same thought as well. It had that rich lobster taste that really stayed in your mouth together with the tortellini, it was a perfect match. Coincidentally I was thinking to myself “that were the same ingredients I used in my competition and he actually created something so soulful from his own repertoire.”

The third course was Pan seared Cod Fish Carrot and Cardamom Emulsion and Tempura of Enoki mushroom. The cod fish was really well cook and went well the emulsion that it was sitting on. Chef Jean Rene’s cod fish dish had an absolute balance that would leave you craving for more.

After the cod fish was served, we were served with French Duck Breast Glazed with Honey and Raz El Hanout and Thyme Sauce together with a French red wine. The duck breast was really juicy and I really enjoyed the skin that was on top of the duck. It was crisp and sweet. And the best part was that the red wine really brought out the flavor of the duck.

To round the whole meal off, we had Home made Nougat Ice cream with Raspberry coulis. Wow, the difference between home made ice cream and factory made ice cream is really apparent. There was a crunch in every bite of the nougat ice cream, with loads of nuts and nougat in it. My sweet tooth could not resist finishing up the whole plate.

This was definitely a night that started and ended great. With soulful French food, wonderful French wine and delightful companies, what more can anyone ask for?

By Poh Lay Hwee, candidate of the Concours Cuisine 2009, and member of the Singapore Junior Chefs' Club