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More than 50 chefs put their culinary talents to the test at Moda Mall in Manama to fight for top honours at the second Chef Masters - Salon Culinaire competition.
Kitchen masters from popular dining destinations across the kingdom showcased their skills during the two-day event in front of an international panel of judges consisting of Chef Joe Barza from Lebanon and Pierre Marin and Jean Pierre Jacob from France.
Chef Joe, 46, who boasts 22 years of culinary and judging experience, said: "The competition is very young but I am sure it will pick up pace and become much bigger. Some of the work that was displayed was very professional and met international standards. I feel with proper investment from hotels and the good will of their chefs, even higher results can be achieved."
The participants included head chefs from across the island's hospitality sector including Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel Resort & Spa, Diplomat Radisson BLU, Gulf Hotel, Al Safir Hotel, Elite Hotel, Royal Golf Club, Semiramis and pastry outlets such as Maya La Chocolaterie and Le Chocolat.
Winners were announced in four categories - diamond gold, silver and bronze.
Diamond winner of the wedding cake category was a three-tier offering which depicted three phases of a couple's life - falling in love, the engagement and the wedding. The creator, Chef Rowan Martinesz of Maya La Chocolaterie said: "It took me 10 days to complete it. I am really happy to win." He also won the silver prize for in the three-plated dessert section.
Chefs of Elite Resort and Spa, Reda Eid Elsayed and Narottam Joshi, were full of team spirit and both secured bronze prizes. Chef Narottam, 31, boasts 13 years of kitchen experience. He said: "We are in-charge of the international kitchen at Elite. We are really excited about our achievements. Next year, we will work harder and hope to win the diamond prize."
The judges were particularly impressed with Chef Narottam's Kingdom Club Sandwich which he makes using several cold cuts of meat.
Kitchen staff working for the island's national carrier, Gulf Air, were also flying high after exhibiting the works of three skilled chefs who picked up bronze and silver prizes respectively.
Gulf Air senior manager of cabin services Mohammed Hassan said: "We are delighted to have taken part in this professional challenge. Most of our Sky Chefs joined from leading restaurants and hotels from around the world.
"They are intimately involved in every aspect of the on board dining experience - from selecting the ingredients, creating recipes, supervising ground kitchens, to preparing meals and serving customers onboard. The event is a good opportunity to demonstrate their skills to those who haven't yet enjoyed their food and service on board."
The event was organised by Picasso Group Middle East and was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Health. It was aimed at emphasising quality control in the hospitality sector, highlighting chef professionalism in Bahrain and drawing attention to the number of quality restaurants in Bahrain.
THE WINNERS
COLD CANAPES
Bronze: Cedric Cambier - Gulf Air, Ebrahim Anwar - Diplomat Radisson Blu, Narottam Joshi - Elite
Gold: BGDKP Jayatunga - Maya La Chocolaterie
COLD PLATTER OF FISH, POULTRY & MEAT
Bronze: Brando Rivera - Diplomat Radisson Blu, RGN Duminda - Maya La Chocolaterie, Rida Eid - Elite and Samitha Pathma Kumara - Royal Golf Club
Silver: Naomi Hodges - Gulf Air, RGN Duminda - Maya La Cohcolaterie, Rauf Khan - Le Chocolat
Diamond: Clark Macuha - Ritz Carlton
THREE PLATED DESSERT Bronze: Juio Cesar Ortiz Umana - Pars International, K Suranga Kumar Sorz - Paul CafŽ, Laurent Juste - Gulf Air
Silver: Elias Chaaya - Gulf Hotel, James Olivera - Ritz Carlton, Rowan Martinesz - Maya La Chocolaterie
Gold: Chanka Ratnayaka - Al Safir Hotel
Diamond: Ziad Durzi - Le Chocolat
THREE TIER DECORATED CAKE Bronze: Anil Kumar - Ritz Carlton, Elias Chaaya - Gulf Hotel, Ziad Durzi - Le Chocolat
Diamond: Rowan Martinesz - Maya La Chocolaterie
COLD SANDWICH MAKING LIVE COMPETITION
Bronze: Haydar Ali - Le Chocolat, Narottam Joshi - Elite, RGN Duminda - Maya Le Chocolaterie
Gold: Sreekala Santosh - Ritz Carlton
SUSHI & SASHIMI LIVE COMPETITION Bronze: Jopher Alcano - Maya Le Chocolaterie
Silver: Mohammed Asif - Ritz Carlton
Certificate of Participation: Taha Hussain Mohammed - Semiramis
