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Kung Hei Fat Choi

The HKCA wishes all a Happy New Year of the Boar

 

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WACS Global Chefs Challenge (H.K. Selection round)

Dear Colleague,

Greetings from the World Association of Chefs Societies, the Hong Kong Chefs Association, the Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre and the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute of the Vocational Training Council.

As you all know, from May 13 onwards we have HOFEX and the HKICC (Hong Kong International Culinary Competitions) here in Hong Kong. We are all looking forward to your participation.

At the same time we'll be running the regional Final WACS Global Chefs Challenge at the HKICC.    

This is a NEW exciting worldwide contest where a chef and his young assistant (below the age of 23) have 5 hours to prepare a 4-course menu from a mystery basket.

We will have participants from 9 Asian countries including Hong Kong who will vie for the Asian championship.  The winner will either this year or next compete against 6 other winners from around the globe for the crown of the world's Global Chef.  Honor, trophies, publicity and a cash award await the winner.

We are now looking for that chef and young assistant who will represent Hong Kong at the HKICC.

We'd like to invite your establishment to participate in a friendly culinary competition which requires one talented and motivated chef and one commis or assistant less than 23 years of age.

In Hong Kong, we anticipate having 10 candidates for the local preliminary round to cook a well balanced 4-course meal for 8 judges and media. The competition involves 10 culinarians and their assistants from hotels, restaurants, catering and culinary institutions. 

Each team will receive a mystery box (black box), containing different food items. Please refer to the attached booklet for rules and regulations.

There is a twist: the chef must also select the wine that goes with every course. Not to worry, there will be a wine consultant on hand which will give recommendations if needed. This is to qualify for an additional food/wine pairing award.

The venue for this event is the Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre (HITDC) and the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute (CCTI) of the Vocational Training Council at the Pokfulam Training Centre Complex, 145 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong.

The chefs and assistants will register on March 12, 2007 at 15:00 pm at the 1^st floor Demonstration Kitchen where they will receive their “Mystery Box” with the ingredients which they can study and then submit a 4-course menu proposal.

The next day, March 13, they'll return with their additional “Mis en Place” and cook for the Hong Kong qualifications round. Certificate and trophy will be given to the first 3 winners and the champion will represent us at HOFEX.

This is a great opportunity and motivational tool for your chefs and your establishment to compete in a friendly and professional manner, in the true spirit of our hospitality industry.

Sincerely yours,

 

Rudy Muller

 

Hong Kong Chefs Association

 

Vice President

 

Please click here to download the WACS Global Chefs Challenge Brochure.( 374KB)

Please click here to download the Sign up Form.( 243KB)

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For the Love of Pinot Noir -- NEW ZEALAND 2007

 

I was very fortunate, when I received the invitation to travel with a group of executives from different large hotel and restaurant organization (F&B) Asia & America; to New Zealand.

The goal was to attend a 4 day Pinot Noir Convention in Wellington. As I like wines, especially in paring it up with food, I could not resist since my boss encouraged me to go; although, I though, it will be boring just to talk and taste Pinot Noir for four days.

My passion and little knowledge in the new worlds wines is limited to the wonderful rich berry, fruity heavy Shiraz and Grenache from Australia (especially McLaren Vale) and of course the ever refreshing, clean, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Pinot Noir was never on the top of my list, it was a too complex wine for me, difficult to really appreciate it.

Any way; the great thing about this trip was that thanks to our Organizer Fred Tibbitts, wince consultant from New York; turned in to a 2 weeks adventure to 22 premier vineyards across the North and South Island.

We went to Villa Maria and Matua in the North, tasted wines from Martinborough, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, mostly Pinot Noir, but also Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a new comer in the NZ market, The Pinot Gris.

In the South we had wine tasting in Central Otago Valley and tasted some really great Pinots. Wineries visited included Peregrine, Mount Edward, and Mt. Difficulty on Felton Road, Carrick, Quartz Reef, Aurum, Chard Farm, Nevis Bluff and Prophets’ Rock.

In the Marlborough Valley near Blenheim, we enjoyed the well established and large Wineries and their wines, we also visited some of them which were new to me, like the White Haven and the Omaka Springs Estate.

We had wine testing’s on a yacht in the Nelson area and on a mountain top overlooking Cloudy Bay and the entire Marlborough region.

Needless to say we had some great food to go with the wines, and it is far too much to mention it all. We had lunches which started at 1 pm and finished at 7 pm followed by a great dinner.

New Zealand is blessed with pristine and clear waters and clean air and bountiful farmland, healthy life stock, no worries about Avian Flu, over pesticide fruits and vegetable and no mercury in the seafood.

The lamb and beef was every where so tender and tasty, the seafood, oysters and mussels, simply outstanding and every thing went so well with a few good glasses of wines.

Also the chefs of New Zealand have come a long way and build up a network of great restaurant in Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown and in some of the vine wards.

Good Coffee is big in New Zealand and I good addicted to the “Flat White” in the mornings before the endless wine testing’s.

So when the Convention for Pinot Noir finally started, we were all well introduced to the Wines, country and people of New Zealand:

We met over 100 wine makers had about 4 times of that Pinot Noir to taste, listen to guest speakers from around the world, France, Great Britain, America, Australia and Asia.

It was extremely interesting and educating, The French defending the “terroir”  and nature to be a major contributor to wine making against the new world of wine making where human intervention (helping hands) adds to great a good stable wine, year after year.

One thing everybody agreed on is that the French still possess the finesse and know how in creating superb, smooth and wonderful balanced wines.

There were endless rounds of Pinot Noir testing’s and they were scrutinized by a panel of international wine expert, which always had wonderful ways to subscribe the color, nose and texture of the wines; My most memorable experience was from the comment of Oz Clarke, one of the worlds leading wine experts: There was a N Z Pinot Noir from 1996, which was a bit over, my personal notes on this was a moldy lingering and over the edge, but Oz descriptions of the same wine was as follow:

“Resemblance of a bedroom from an old archbishops during the reformation, who is not quite able to adopt and over come the changes of times.”

To make it short, my biggest learning about Pinot Noir was:

It is not easy to grow Pinot noir, it has to struggle and only grows in a few parts of this world under hard condition from it soil and climate conditions.

The wine grower need to be experienced, patient and constant involved in the upbringing and maintenance of Pinot Noir, more so then the other varieties of grapes.

All this is reflected in the nose and texture of this wine, it is a complex, difficult,  yet wonderful pleasing, aromatic and smooth wine, if you are willing to have the patience and understanding to appreciate it, but you have to work on it and enjoy it,

I find this wine is very personal and unlikely a crowd pleaser.

I had some great Pinot Noir and I will in future appreciate now for what they are and hopefully be able to build this personal relation ship with a great promising grape, that is shaped by his though and untamed upbringing.

PS; there will be a more detailed Travelogue in the upcoming Toque’ N Wok over the next few months

Rudy Muller

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Hong Kong Wins Gold at the Japan Snow Festival in Sapporo

By Perry Yuen

Hong Kong has done it again, despite the City never sees any snow, its Team won Gold again.

The competition held in 5-8 Feb 2007 in Sapporo Japan,total 17 countries from around the world participate this year. The Snow Festival is the 58^th while the Competition is only 34^th HK have been participate for 33 times and total we have won 11 time Grand Champion.

The title of the Grand Champion sculpture from HK Team this year is “Dragon Dance”  3 team members have spent 4 days (12 hours a day) work under very cold weather.

For our full story and all Pictures, please click here.

 

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Bocuse D'or 2007

The competition is named after the famous French Chef Paul Bocuse. This competition started from 1987 and has always been treated as one of the most important culinary competitions in the world. This year is the twentieth year’s anniversary of Bocuse d’or. There are twenty four countries around the world participating in the competition. The competition is held on 23^rd and 24^th of January 2007 in Euroexpo, Lyon. Twelve countries participating each day. During the competition, the fans around the world come to support their own team/country. Their emotion was higher and higher everyday because the home team – France performed on the second day together with some strong teams like Norway, Finland ... This is a very exciting competition. All the teams tried their best to compete in this world-class event. Finally, the gold award goes to France, Denmark got the silver, the bronze goes to Switzerland.

Several special prizes were awarded:

Fish prize – Norway

Meat prize – Sweden

Prize for the best poster – Japan

Prize for the culinary identity – Japan

Best assistant/common prize – China.

    

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Nerves and bravado at Thailand's one-million-baht meal

 

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Hong Kong International Culinary Classic

HKICC is now inviting young and talented Chefs from Restaurants, Clubs, Hotels and Catering institutions to participate at this International Culinary Competition.

The last edition in 2005 was fully subscribed with over 430 entries. Act now to secure yourself a place in this popular event before it is fully booked.

Download the entry form here.

Download The Rules and Regulations Booklet here.

Please e-mail your entry form to hkicc2007@mphk.com or log onto the official HKICC website.

 

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The 10th World Pastry Cup 2007

By Perry Yuen

The competition was held on 20^th and 21^st of January 2007 in Euroexpo, Lyon. There are twenty-four countries around the world participating in the competition. This is the most prestigeous competition for top-class pastry chefs around the world. Each team consists of three pastry chefs. They need to finish a chocolate showpiece with chocolate dessert, sugar work with platted dessert and ice carving with ice cream dessert within nine hours. Twelve countries participated each day. During the competition, we are impressed to see the quality of the products of the Asian teams. Especially Taiwan, which came up to the 7^th place. After a very serious discussion among the judges, at the end of the competition the top trophy went to the Japan team. Second prize went to Belgium and Italy won the third prize.

Please see below as the detail final ranking of the competition.

 

COUPE DU MONDE DE LA PATISSERIE
	EQUIPES	TOTAL
1	Japon	9396
2	Belgique	9292
3	Italie	8858
4	Etats-Unis	8395
5	Suisse	8355,5
6	Corée du Sud	8309,5
7	Taiwan	8177,5
8	Singapour	8110,5
9	Chine	8030
10	Allemagne	7742
11	Canada	7486
12	Espagne	7337
13	Australie	7211,5
14	Russie	7018
15	Columbie	6938,5
16	Malaisie	6874
17	Norvége	6755,5
18	Finlande	6662
19	Mexique	6281
20	Maroc	6059

 

   

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