A team of three chefs from Suntec Singapore's Pearl River Palace Cantonese Restaurant won the coveted first prize in the inaugural Red Pocket Culinary Challenge 2002 held in Singapore on 9 April, in conjunction with Food & Hotel Asia 2002.
Led by Master Chef Lo Dig Man, the Suntec Singapore team proved their mastery of Chinese culinary knowledge and skill, as well as creativity, by winning the Gold Medal and a cash voucher from among nine other teams. The other contenders were renowned establishments like the Mandarin Singapore, Sheraton Towers' Li Bai Restaurant, Raffles The Plaza, Swisstel The Stamford, Orchard Hotel and more.
"We are very happy and honoured to have won the first prize in this Challenge. The triumph reinforces the fine quality of food that Suntec Singapore is able to offer. It also recognises the importance of creativity in the workplace and in this case showcases the artistic food presentation and creative menus we have," said Mr. Warren Buckley, CEO of Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Suntec Singapore).
The MLA Red Pocket Culinary Challenge 2002, organised by Meat and Livestock Australia, was a platform for chefs to pit their cooking skills against one another in creating gastronomic treats with innovative products. What set this contest apart from other culinary contests is the added challenge posed to the competing teams, where they only received the mysterious box containing the actual ingredients to be used at the culinary challenge just a day prior to the actual competition. This MLA Red Pocket Culinary Challenge follows after 35 successful MLA Culinary Challenges around Asia.
One the day of the competition, each team had to create a four-course Chinese menu comprising of a cold appetiser, two hot main courses and a dessert within an hour. The ingredients varied depending on what was given by the organiser and included items such as Australian lamb, beef, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and wines. A panel of international chefs judged the teams based on taste, skills, creativity and artistic merit.
With 23 years of experience under his belt, Chef Lo led his team in preparation of the award-winning dishes comprising of Char Siew Duck Fillet with Fruits and Orange Plum Sauce, Beef Roulade with Garlic and Black Pepper Sauce, Braised Lamb on Pan-fried Tofu with Chinese Black Truffle Sauce and Hawthorn Berries Ice-cream with Chinese Custard Pastry and Fresh Fruits Compote.
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