Competing against the best of the best in Asia in the Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) 2008 Culinary Challenge did not faze the team from Taylor’s School of Hospitality & Tourism (TCHT), which brought home medals from the participation in two events.

Chef lecturer Patrick Siau brought cheers to the team when he won the silver medal in the Pastry Showpiece category for his outstanding, three-foot sugar masterpiece known as the Celestrial Dragon. Despite competing against top hoteliers from around Asia, Chef Patrick managed to wow the judges with his creation, which was daring, high in difficulty and intricately designed.

“It took me about 10 hours to translate my vision into reality and overall, I was happy with the outcome. It’s certainly a great achievement to be recognised as one of the best pastry artists in the region,” Chef Patrick said.

Winning a bronze medal in the prestigious Dream Team Challenge was the student team comprising final-year Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management students Soon Pao Voon, Lim Wee Wee and Chong Yi Shawn. An on-the-spot F&B competition, participants had to prepare an ‘all-day Dining/Trendy’ F&B experience within two hours for three diners in a café setting with each member of the team assuming roles as chef, server and bartender respectively. The judging criteria included: preparation and theming; lunch service; and standard and quality of service and food.

Pao Voon, Wee Wee and Yi Shawn had to go head-to-head against 15 other teams, majority of which were from top hospitality establishments in Asia, such as the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. But they stayed calm under pressure to perform at their best level in their first-ever international competition.

“We weren’t as experienced as a lot of the other teams nor did we have as many top notch products and equipment. However, we were creative in our set up and menu, provided exceptional service to our guests and motivated each other throughout the challenge,” Wee Wee explained.

“It was a privilege to be a part of a large competition and gain exposure in such a competitive environment. The standards are much higher than in local competitions and it challenges us to rise to our best,” Yi Shawn said.

“We thank Chef Patrick and our other lecturers for not only believing in us, but also guiding and supporting us throughout the whole process. We couldn’t have done it without them,” Pao Voon added.

Pradeep Nair, Taylor’s College chief operating officer congratulated the team members for their drive, commitment and competitive spirit.

“At Taylor’s, we ask our lecturers and students to think of the world, not just Malaysia, as their stage. Hence, competing against Asia’s best at the FHA convinced us that our lecturers and students are able and capable of matching the highest levels of skill and competency in the hospitality and foodservice sector. I’m proud of them!”

The FHA Culinary Challenge is held every two years in conjunction with the Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) event in Singapore and is recognised as the top culinary and F&B competition in Asia.