14 professional chefs to compete at the Saigon International Cooking Contest 2018

Throughout the preliminary round, the organizer selected 14 contestants with dishes subject to the theme of the contest to compete in the final round held on November 16^th, 2018 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), District 7, HCM City.

The Saigon International Cooking Contest 2018 is one of the most prominent events in the framework of the Vietnam International Food Industry Exhibition 2018 (Vietnam Foodexpo 2018). This is a cooking contest for professional domestic and foreign chefs living and working in Vietnam.

The selected 14 finalists are from restaurants, food service companies, hotels and training institutions. Each contestant will have to perform 2 dishes, including appetizer and main dish, serving for 2 people within 90 minutes. Candidates can make any dish they like or their own food, but must ensure the theme of "Bring Vietnamese Food to the World Table".

The contest is not just a lively playground for professional chefs to show their talent and food love. Through the contest, contestants will introduce delicious and attractive dishes of Vietnam and the world processed from Vietnamese food ingredients and special spices, thereby contributing to promote domestic and export markets for Vietnamese food ingredients and spices.

The jury will evaluate dishes basing on cooking operations, processing process, smell, taste, status, color, presentation, creativity, hygiene and food safety, from which to choose the most brilliant candidates awarded the title "talented chef".

At the final round of the contest last year, chef Nguyen Minh Thien won first prize with 2 dishes of Gac fish and Skipper Salad, Basa fish with shrimp roll and longan sauce; chef Camilla Bailey from Denmark and chef Nguyen Duc Hoang won the second prize. In addition, the organizer also awarded 3^rd prizes and 6 incentive prizes for other chefs.

Some photos of the Saigon International Cooking Contest 2017: