Caravelle wins top prize at the 2014 Golden Spoon contest

Teams receive their awards

The final round of the Golden Spoon contest took place with the participation of 15 teams from hotels and restaurants throughout the country. It was the culmination of the search for the best chefs, most delicious and unique dishes.

It was also a review of Vietnam’s rustic dishes and culinary map drawn throughout the year during the 10 food “Home Taste” food festivals, seminars, workshops and the competition.

2014 is the sophomore edition of the Golden Spoon contest, with participation from 140 teams, 43 separate restaurants or outlets from 4 and 5-star hotels throughout the country. Teams came from 10 different regions from the North to the South.

Not only was the participation impressive but so was the talent and expertise of the teams. Their preparation, dress, professional behavior coupled with their prowess for presentation of Vietnamese dishes all addressed the standard of “delicious and nutritious.” The final 15 teams faced the final test, unable to bring along their own ingredients; forced to use those contained within a secret black box.

“The champion has to prove that he/she is a professional chef. In particular, it is not only about the cooking, but also how he or she integrates, manages and coordinates within the team. We’ll be watching for proper delegation, improvisation and flexibility before finally reviewing the dishes for their appearance and refinement,” shared Mr.Sang Huy Ly, deputy chief organizer of the contest and deputy general director of Minh Long Ceramics Co., Ltd.

In the final round the organizing committee presented the exhibit crafted from the journey of Vietnam’s culinary roadmap, showing all regions touched by the contest. For example, displayed in the Northern Highlands area was Siberian sturgeon, Sapa salmon, wild pig, anise, cinnamon, “thảo quả” fruits, Clausena indica leaves, “hoa dớn” flower, banana flower, and “tám thơm”rice among others. Some ingredients on display from the Red River Delta was “cá sung” fish, stone crab and “Tiên Yên” chicken.

The exhibition also provided instructions about traditional and folk restaurants and shops that won prizes in the hometown taste festivals. Examples included the Quang noodle soup shop in Danang, “Trang Bang” and sweet soups from Hue or the legendary herring fish salad in Kien Giang province.

The Golden Spoon Chef Cup worth VND 1 billion (broken into VND 500 million in cash and VND 500 million in products) went to Caravelle Saigon. There were four second-place prizes that went to De Nhat Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City; The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Ba Ria, Vung Tau province; Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa; and Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Hanoi. Each prize waS worth VND 100 million (VND 50 million in cash and VND 50 million in products). Bao Chau Boutique Sapa, Lao Cai province, received a supporting prize for most “Nutritious Dish” worth VND 50 million. The prize for “Passionate Young Chef” was given to Chef Nguyen Huynh Dang Tuyen of An Hoa Restaurant in Ben Tre province.

The 2014 Golden School contest was jointly organized by Minh Long I Co. Ltd and the Center for Research and Enterprise Support (BSA), under the direction and auspices of the Chamber of Commerce - Industry Vietnam and Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. In conjunction with the competition the organizers also searched the country to discover and honor the traditional cuisine of each region meeting the standard of “delicious and nutritious.”.

Acording to Duc Trung
Sai gon dau tu