19 Teams from Middle & Highlands get in the semi-final

From August 2nd to August 8th 2016, 114 professional chefs from the Middle of Viet Nam attended the Golden Spoon Contest preliminary at Tien Son Sport Center, Da Nang city. These fascinating competitions were among the best that created their own remarkable cooking styles. They brought excellent dishes with diverse ingredients, vibrant colors, unique tastes, and good-looking performances. Those teams competed in 3 tests: cooking 4-dishes menu within 140 minutes, presenting to the judges, and culinary knowledge.

The first stage of Middle & Highlands preliminary was full of creative menus and significant regional highland specialties, such as Rice in Bamboo tube (cơm lam), Ant Eggs, Chickens at Border, Wild Banana Root, Wild Betel Root, and Run Bamboo Shoot. Beside familiar spices, those chefs introduced new unique spices that first named on culinary dictionary, such as wild salt seeds, wild spice leaves, Passiflora Quadrangularis, sesame leaves, wild makok leaves… 79 Gia Bao restaurant gained the first prize in Middle & Highlands area with brand new dish made from “Uoi” seeds (Scaphium lychnophorum) – a healthy and regional ingredient. The second prizes were Palace Da Lat hotel (Lam Dong province) and Thanh Phat restaurant (Dak Lak province).

Meanwhile, Middle-Southern teams took advantage of diverse seafood. Main ingredients such as shrimps, crabs, blue craps, jelly fish, scallops, ocean fish, and other regional specialties were displayed on luxurious menu as Tra river Don, Tuy Hoa Mit Dat seeds, Ly Son black garlic & seaweed, Son Thanh green pepper, Nau chive… The chefs performed themselves by great combination of tradition and innovation in their dishes. Impressive menu, perfect combination of Ly Son island and Ba To forest’s specialties with personal variation helped Cam Thanh hotel (Quang Ngai province) gained the highest prize. The other 6 teams reach semi-final round are Liberty Central Nha Trang, Novotel Nha Trang, Diamond Bay Resort & Spa, Au Lac Thich Wedding Center, Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa (all from Khanh Hoa province), and Sai Gon – Phu Yen hotel (Phu Yen province).

The Middle – Northern representatives performed their strength of modern cooking methods with local specialties. While Da Nang teams impressed the judges with diverse ingredients, Hue teams brought their delicate and conscientious characteristics into food decoration. Chefs from 5 star InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort won the first prize with molecular gastronomy – a total new cooking method, which can keep both original tastes of ingredients and healthy effects on consumers. The second prized teams are Naman Retreat, Pullman Danang Beach Resort, Grand Sunrise Hotel, and Crowne Plaza Danang from Da Nang city, Century hotel and Indochine Palace hotel from Hue city, Bao Ninh Beach Resort from Quang Binh province, and Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa Hoi An from Quang Nam province.

In conclusion, The Golden Spoon Contest season 4 already chose 39 teams representing the South and Middle of Viet Nam into semi-final round, which will take place this October. Total prizes are over 3 billions vnd. In the final round, competitors have a chance to meet Mr. Eckart Witzigmann – Chef of the Century – and Ms Hoang My Runner.

All information are available on website www.chiecthiavang.com, facebook or The Golden Spoon app.

NOTE: The Golden Spoon Contest 2016 was hold by Minh Long I company and Business Research & Support Center. Main sponsor is Ly’s Horeca; Golden sponsor is Pernod Ricard Vietnam; other sponsors are Tan Hop Thanh company, Food & Hotel Vietnam, and NewViet Dairy. This contest is also patronized by Vietnam National Administrator of Tourism and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

By The Golden Spoon Awards