 | The award-winning Dream Team:
Top row (L-R): Ng Poh Suan and Chef Joyce Goh
Bottom row (L-R): Tan Sock Neng, Krissy Seah Hui Ting, Kimberly Chew Chian Boon and Perlin Tay Mun Ling |
World-class cuisine with world-class service – this deeply-cherished cornerstone of Temasek Culinary Academy (TCA) has earned the academy industry-wide recognition after it won top honours in the Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) 2008 Culinary Challenge.
TP’s TCA team, comprising students and trainers from TP’s Culinary & Catering Management (CCM) and Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) diploma courses, clinched the only Gold medal in the Dream Team Challenge, the coveted “Overall Best Dream Team” prize and a bronze medal in the “Two to Tango” challenge.
Held during the biennial FHA 2008 (the biggest international food and hospitality trade event in Asia) from April 22 to 25, the Culinary Challenge is one of Asia’s most recognised culinary competitions where hundreds of practitioners in the food and beverage trade compete with their peers.
Mr Jeremy Sim, CCM lecturer and team manager and trainer of TP’s Dream Team, was over the moon when asked about his students’ achievement, “I have to keep repeating to myself in disbelief – our student team beat top rated hotels including 6-star hotel! That is simply mind-blowing.”
 | | Kimberly thrilled the judges with her expert mixing skills in the bartending segment of the competition. |
To prepare for the competition, Mr Sim reveals, the team started extensive training from December last year – going through countless rehearsals and simulations where they were “grilled relentlessly on even the most basic things like posture, femininity, verbiage and product knowledge.” The team also dined at fine-dining establishments like Les Amis to experience fine service first-hand.
In the Dream Team Challenge, each team comprising a waiter, bartender and chef were tasked to prepare an “All-Day Dining/Trendy Food & Beverage” experience within two hours for three diners in a café setting. There were a total of 16 teams from hotels, restaurants, culinary institutions, airlines and catering companies originating from places like Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Dubai. The teams were scored in categories such as preparation, hygiene, organisation, table setting, service and quality of F&B, flair, creativity and other factors which impact dining experience.
TP’s bronze medal win in the Two to Tango category is also an achievement to savour as our students had to fend off students and apprentices from recognised hotels, restaurants, airlines and training institutes from countries like Malaysia, Mexico and the USA. Each team had to prepare, within an hour, one cold appetizer and one hot main course for four persons each.
Sim Siling, a final year HTM student and one-half of the Two to Tango team was glad to have been given the chance to do her best, “Joining this competition was a true challenge for me. But thankfully, the chefs and teachers gave me continuous guiding and support with plenty of patience. Winning this competition definitely boosted my self confidence.”
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