Culinary standouts
Young chefs, budding restaurateurs and aspiring cooks from all over the country showed their kitchen prowess during the International Young Chef Chinese Culinary Challenge (IYCCCC)-Philippines qualifiers at the Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Manila.
The competition, hosted by globally renowned Chinese sauce manufacturer Lee Kum Kee, is a biennial contest that provides an international exchange platform for the Chinese culinary industry. Since its inception in 2014, the competition has encouraged young cooks to hone their skills and learn while promoting the tradition of Chinese culinary skills and enhancing the international standard of Chinese cuisine.
Michael Lee Avisado from Vikings Group and Muhajiran “Pongky” Ijiran III from Kuya J Restaurant stood out among the participants. Avisado, who won the Gold Award and the Best Sauce Combination and Best Presentation categories; and Ijiran, who came in second place with the Silver Award, will both compete at the fourth IYCCCC in Hong Kong next year. They will battle it out with over 50 aspiring chefs from 20 countries for the international championship.
Other winners were Elier Maghanoy of King Chef Seafood Restaurant, Bronze Award and Most Creative category; Jefferson Palma of King Chef Dimsum Kitchen, and Janin Jayco of U-Rack Bar-B-Q & Wings.
This year’s judges included award-winning Singaporean chef and champion of IYCCCC 2016 Aaron Tan Kean Loon of InterContinental-Singapore, LTB Philippines Chefs Association past president chef James Antolin, Sysu International product and business development director Sandy Cu and Lee Kum Kee Philippines business manager Ryan Cruz.
“Lee Kum Kee is committed to nurturing Chinese culinary talents worldwide. In the third IYCCCC, we had representatives from the Philippines for the first time. This year, we are going even further to host the first-ever Philippines qualifiers. I wish the two talented winners all the success in the finale in Hong Kong next year,” Lee Kum Kee South Asia managing director Leslie Lau said.
Lee Kum Kee first entered the Philippine market with Sysu International Inc. as the sole distributor back in the 1980s. *
(For more information, visit www.LKK.com and Lee Kum Kee on Facebook.)
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