4th Penang Chef Challenge

This is an overdue post like for 3 months ago ady.. The PCC is held on 4th to 6th July in Penang Sports Arena (PISA)..
KDU sent 11 apprentice team and 1 professional team to the competition. My friends and I were selected to represent KDU in the junior team. We were selected by our mentor, Mr. Darren and given the name Al-Dente where our allience with the name Mirepoix. These 2 teams are from Semester 6 and we went for training about 10 times before entering the competition under Mr. Darren. Each team comprises of 4 team mates where one prepare appetizer, soup, entree and desserts.


First Day, we were the first to battle with 9 other teams. The competition are devided into 5 rounds where the first round, it is to get the highest 16 teams for second round then goes to knock-out system at the second round till the end.

This is Obala, my team soup chef.. The one who impress chefs with papaya soup!

Gareth the appetizer chef..

And the first morning, the active catfish had a party last night and all of them were on the floor when we reach therefore we found out that their main black box given will be catfish! It was true. There are black box for main ingredients, secret ingredients and every round of ingredients given are different and this is very challenging accordin to the main judges.

Our first round products.. Appetizer: pan-seared catfish topped on spaghetti aglio, chicken skewers on fruit chutney.. Tomato and carrot soup with chicken ball.. Entree, pan fried and deep fried catfish with mint durian rice and finally Dessert, Oreo baked cake with white chocolate pana cotta and seasonal fruit compote..

We got 1st in the first round among 6 teams. :3 But overall among 32 teams, we gt 6th position therefore qualify for the second round.

Listening to junior chief judge comments after round 1..

During competition.. Other teams all looking ready for their battle!

KDU PJ team in action!

Fruits and vegetables available but not all the rounds have the same ingredients.

Stock, sauces and instant dry products to enchance cookings..

Plates, shooter glass and etc for platting..

After 5 rounds of Battle in 3 days, we ended 4th and are given the semi-finalist certificate..
#1 goes to Thai Junior
#2 Singapore Junior
#3 to KDU team (Sketch)

To me, competition is not about winning or losing, it is about the strategy and heart you give in to gain what is not expected.

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Wonderful

Fonterra Pastry Challenge 2009 which was held in KDU college, Penang..
It is like a festival of foods while the pastry competition is help in our KDU kitchen.. Ingredients are sponsored by Fonterra themself! There are local delights exhibitions with small stalls just outside Bon Appetit Restaurant and at the foyer to beg for votes to win the fabulous prize of RM####.## during the festival!
The theme for the pastry challenge is ' Flavours of Peanng,' and some of them uses nutmeg as their ingredients while the most respected 2 young chefs uses Sesame oil for their Opera!
Participants are from 5 star hotels and also professional bakery..

Below are the products made on 23 October 2009 in KDU PG..


Wonderful..

Wonders of whipping/topping cream..

Gold leaf flakes and white chocolate pearl..

Sesame Opera..

Butterfly on glucose basket..

Look at the pearl in the shell..

Best Taste..

Third place and best media award..

Second placing

First Prize Winner

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1st SHTCA week by KDU PG Campus

Well, SHTCA means School of Hospitality Tourism and Culinary Arts.. And our school/department is located in the whole of the first floor in our college.
2009 is the first year our school organize the event.. The theme for the special event is 'Celebrating Unity Through Diversity.' The event started 2 weeks ago and ended yerterday, 23/10/2009.
Some of the competitions envolved are Essay writing, Poster, Singing? Mr and Miss SHTCA, Cooking competiton, Pastry Competition and etc..

I took part in the Pastry competition because the entry for the 'black box' cooking competition was fulled. Only my lucky leader got into the competition holding competitor ticket #15.. Heh!
4 of us from my group joined the pastry competition which was held on the 20th as there are still many places left..

1 hour of collecting ingredients, baking and garnishing is certainly not enough if we chosed to make complicated products.. End up, I made a blueberry gateau which my FP 2 chef said I could not win because it is too simple. My groupmate, Charles Ooi made swissroll.. Finally, we both won medals ;]
Oh well.. It all depends on the look, taste and garnish right?


Shaking hands with our Principal, Dr. Chong..
Gold medal uh! First gold medal for first competition..

Group Photo.. My FP2 chef Darren, Esther (3rd runner-up), Charles Ooi (Bronze), Dr. Chong, Myself, Ben (silver), Some director of Education and our Head of Department, Mr. Prakash..

This is the hot cooking, black box category.. My leader, Yan You got silver medal.. He is so good he is the only junior in the competition who won almost all the seniors but 1.. Heh.. Cheers ;)

Group Photo again..

Then we took a photo with our group members.. The most well known 'paling bising tapi boleh kerja group,' gold, silver and bronze also got.. Tapau!

Heh.. But sorry lah if u want to see our product pictures.. Sent to judge table cannt take photo ady.. peace [v]
Ahh.. This is the college competition, wonder if we can do really good for the real outside competitions.. Things will be real different..

Finally, thanks to Jeff who sponsored me and all our group members who supported us.. Merci!

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