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

Time flies, and another new year is about to unfold…

As 2009 comes to a close, I would first like to wish all a year of many happy new beginnings. This year, saw SJCC through its Fifth Anniversary, of which we tried new things as we learnt together, with activities such as the Junior Chefs’ Forum, and visits to new unexplored places, namely Myco Farm, as well as Indoguna. The Singapore Junior Chef's Club were also entrusted with new responsibilities such as running the show for the Dinner and Dance, and these of course enabled us to learn under the guidance of the seniors.

In the coming year, the Singapore Junior Chefs' Club will continue to strive and we hope to bring more interesting and new activities to our members and juniors.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, including all chefs who have guided us along the way, all members for their support and participation in our activities, the advisors and the liaison officers who have helped in every way (from recruitment to taking care of the members needs during our trips and activities). Of course, not forgetting the committee who have taken time off, and for their commitment in the club, ensuring that all events and activities run smoothly. These would not have been made possible, if not for everyone’s efforts and participation.

I believe together we could create more magic, in 2010.

Before I sign off, I would once again like to wish all members and our committee a year of continual learning. May you find joy and happiness, thus succeeding in all your endeavours!

With best Culinary Spirits,

Belinda Ng
Vice President
Singapore Junior Chefs' Club the youth arm of Singapore Chefs Association

Vice Chairman Message - Gary

To all our young and aspiring chefs wannabes, a Happy New Year to all of you. I hope that the year of 2009 had been a fruitful one for you and that 2010 will be a better one.

A new year marks a new start for all of us in the culinary journey. We saw many of our young chefs competing in competitions throughout the whole of last year like the Nestle competition, Tabasco competition, USA Turkey competition, Norwegian Salmon competition and many more.

This year, we will also get to see more of these competitions and an exceptional one, which is the Food Hotel Asia 2010. I am sure that most of you will be taking part in different categories of the event and I wish you all the best and hope that you will do your organization proud and do Singapore proud. For those who are not taking part, I hope that you will be able to attend the event and support the team of chefs from Singapore and give them the fullest support. It will also be a good platform for those of you who want to compete in future competitions.

Lastly I wish you all the best in all your culinary adventures and challenges. Once again Happy New Year to all of you, the future chefs of Singapore.


Best Culinary Spirits
Gary Lim
Vice Chairman
Singapore Junior Chefs' Club the youth arm of Singapore Chefs Association

French Wine and Dine

Dear culinarians,

Please see attached poster for the French Wine and Dine event that would be coming up. Hurry and send your answers to your respective Liaison Officers, to stand a chance to win yourself a seat.
 
The event is jointly brought to you by SOPEXA and the Singapore Junior Chefs Club.
 

2009 DnD

Please RSVP with your respective Institution LOs by 17 December 2009

Shatec Institutes: Chef Adrain Fun

TP Baking & Culinary Science: Chef Gary

Temasek Culinary Academy: Chef Lilian

ITE: Chef Edwin

Had enough of your Tabasco Fix?

"Who ever gets enough of Tabasco?"



Dear fellow culinarian,
Its been a few months since the Tabasco HotChef Competition, and still a long while before the next.


Well, I came across this little article, and thought I should share it with you and work on it on my next available off day... (:

If you are keen in doing your own little Tabasco terrarium, please visit: http://www.stormthecastle.com/terrarium/tabasco-bottle-terrarium.htm
Disclaimer: Please note that the link and contents of the website does not belong to SJCC and it is not an official or recognised site of SJCC.

Have fun, and till next time! If any of you would like to share with us what you have done, please feel free to contact or email us.

D&D'09 teaser

"Killer, Diller, Chiller,Thriller here tonight..."

Something BIG is coming to you soon this 21 December 2009

International Chef Day 2009 and SCA Family Day

The International Chefs Day has been marked as a special occasion by culinarians to salute the profession and create awareness of the profession of being a chef.

It has been a tradition since 2004, of which the Singapore Chefs would get together to do something meaningful. This year, it was exceptionally meaningful that The International Chefs Day was held in conjuncture with the SCA Family Day, at Vanilla Pod Restaurant and Bar. It was a fun-filled evening with food and activities lined up for the young and old alike.

Allowing the chefs and their families to get together, bonding them closer within their families, and in appreciation of the family’s support to their profession.

There were games for the children, stage activities to involve the families, and food for all. But as all this was taking place, two other teams of chefs were keeping themselves just as busy.

The Singapore Chefs’ Association, National Team was waiting to serve diners, from the public for the first time to raise funds for ChildAid, a charity concert that supports the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and the Business Times Budding Artists Fund. The team (which came in fourth position out of 22 countries at the Culinary Olympics in Germany last year) will be whipping up an exclusive 5-course dinner*, paired with exquisite wines, thanks to the various sponsors from food and wine distributors.

We would also like to applaud the team of young chefs from various institutions and their mentors, who kindly came forward to assist with the 200kg Steer roasting. Working around the clock for 2 full days in an open space outside the restaurant, the teams came in shifts to ensure that everyone could enjoy their meal throughout the night. The experiences learnt during the steer roasting provided LIVE lessons for the mentor and the students such as learning about different parts of the beef and of temperature control etc….

INAUGURAL SUCCESS FOR SINGAPORE YOUNG CHEF GAMES 2009

INAUGURAL SUCCESS FOR SINGAPORE YOUNG CHEF GAMES 2009
BY NORWEGIAN SEAFOOD EXPORT COUNCIL

The grand final of the Singapore Young Chef Games 2009 by Norwegian Seafood Export Council came to a successful end on Saturday, 3 October at the Temasek Culinary Academy. The event provided a platform for the young aspiring chefs in Singapore to showcase their budding talent and skill as eight teams (each comprising of two students) from various institutions including Institute of Technical Education Singapore, Temasek Culinary Academy and Shatec Institutes came up with innovative and nutritious dishes using Norwegian salmon as the main ingredient and incorporating elements of the different continental cuisine allocated to them, such as African, Asian and Australasian cuisine – inspired by the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore next year.

The competition rounded up a series of seminars on Norwegian salmon conducted at the three culinary institutes aiming to deepen the product knowledge about Norwegian salmon along with its proper handling techniques among the students as well as its nutritional value and versatility.

Rosella from Shatec Institutes emerged as the proud champions of the competition, with members Creasperson A Carlos and Melissa Liew Sau Mei successfully pulling off ambitious dishes that reflected their maturity in executing sophisticated techniques such as sous vide, home-smoking and charcoal-grilling, etc. The crowd was visibly moved by the winning team’s achievements as many were caught wiping a tear away as the all-female team collected their well-deserved award – an all expense paid 5D4N trip to World Expo 2010 Shanghai China. When asked about her thoughts on winning, Carlos shared “I’m truly shocked and happy. I couldn’t hold back my tears because to be honest, we didn’t think we’ll win. We were given one of the hardest continents and we had to get some of our ingredients from Africa to make sure that our dishes were authentic”.

First runner-up Temasek Torques, consisting of members Sean Lim Xin Hong and Aletheia Heah Shu Qing and second runner-up Temasek Commis, consisting of members Calvin Tan Qian Heng and Piak Jia Ying from Temasek Culinary Academy performed commendably as well. They won cash prize of S$500 and S$300 respectively.

Chief Judge Chef Rick Stephen, Executive Chef of Singapore Airport Terminal Services and member of Singapore Chefs Association, was happy with the performance of all the teams in the competition. He did, however, mention that it would be beneficial for the young chefs to have more practice working with a delicate ingredient like Norwegian salmon. The filleting class held prior to the competition by Chef Karl Dobler, campaign ambassador for ‘Norwegian Salmon – Mega Tasty’ and one of the judges, proved to be extremely important as the students learnt invaluable skills on how to handle delicate fish such as Norwegian salmon which will be useful in their future culinary careers.

 
The other judges, namely Chef Jimmy Chok, Executive Chef of The Academy Bistro, Mr Todd Farr, Assistant Director of Projects from Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd, Leow Sooi Mee, dietician and nutrition consultant and Mika Tomiyama, Regional Manager South East Asia of Norwegian Seafood Export Council were all impressed by the overall performance of the young chefs. In particular, Farr shared that he found the passion displayed by the young chefs during the competition especially inspiring.

Other distinguished guests that graced the event include Norwegian Ambassador Her Excellency Janne Julsrud and Chef John Sloane, Continental Director Asia of the World Association of Chefs Societies.

Overall, the competition proved to be a tremendous success and it was indeed inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of the young chefs at the competition.

http://www.asiacuisine.com/