World-class fusion cuisine and culinary skills at Viet Nam gala dinner

The three teams, each consisting of two Vietnamese and two New Zealand students, showcased their culinary skills on stage in front of 170 guests, including New Zealand Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce.

The event was the outcome of two months’ hard work for the three teams, who initially worked together online to develop their menus under the guidance of culinary mentor and 2013 MasterChef New Zealand finalist, Vanessa Baxter. The teams met face-to-face in Ho Chi Minh City on 3 June, and then spent the following three days visiting Vietnamese markets to collect their fresh local produce before finalising their menus at the Caravalle Hotel kitchen.

At the gala dinner, the guests were treated to a selection of dishes from the students’ three-course fusion menus. Meanwhile, the three official judges – Haike Manning, New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam; Le Xuan Tam, Executive Chef, Caravelle Hotel and Brendon Partridge, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Hanoi – sampled all of the student’s dishes throughout the evening.

Decision making was tough and competition was high. Team 1 narrowly missed coming first, and Team 2 won the guest vote.

Minister Joyce announced Team 3 as the overall winner. Their braised lamb shanks with pickled cabbage, potato rosti and reduced jus proved most popular. This team included Jamin Gibson (Auckland University of Technology), Emma Waser (Otago Polytechnic), Phan Văn Lâm (Viet Giao Tourism School), and Nguyễn Ngọc Quân (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).

“It is so amazing that we won the competition,” said Emma Waser. “We gelled so well as a team throughout the whole competition but we worked especially well together on the night.

“We had to delve into each other’s cultures and traditions to come up with our fusion menu. I have learned how important it is to mix it up – to use different flavours and borrow from other traditions and cuisines. 

“It has been amazing to come to Viet Nam and see what else is out there in the world – to find out more about different cultures, different people and different food.”

Said Jamin: “I have really enjoyed the food, the friendliness of the people and their hospitality. I definitely want to return to Viet Nam with my wife.”

Nguyễn Ngọc Quân enjoyed learning how to cook lamb the Kiwi way. “I learned to cook lamb the way that is more traditional in New Zealand. Typically the Vietnamese dislike the smell of lamb but our slow cook method and flavours in the lamb shank proved really popular.

“I admired my New Zealand team mates’ techniques and knowledge as well as their ability to think innovatively and creatively,” he said.

The gala dinner was the result of the New Zealand – Viet Nam Culinary Collaboration, an initiative that came out of the New Zealand – Viet Nam Strategic Plan on Education signed in November 2015. The plan is designed to deepen the level of engagement between the two countries and enrich students’ learning.

“The New Zealand – Viet Nam Culinary Collaboration is yet another example of the growing education relationship between our two countries,” said ENZ Chief Executive, Grant McPherson.

“While it has been fantastic to see the outstanding teamwork between the students, the gala dinner was also an opportunity to showcase New Zealand institutions’ vocational expertise and our education system’s world-renowned practical application of skills which prepare students for the working world.”

Grant emphasised that everyone involved in the collaboration was a winner.

Team 1 included Ryan Prouting (Ara, Institute of Canterbury), Tuainekore Taringa (NZMA), Trịnh Xuân Hoàng (Viet Giao Tourism School), and Nguyen Thuy Tra Giang (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).

Team 2 included Ella Ritson-Jones (Southern Institute of Technology), Jamie Bell (Wellington Institute of Technology), Dương Nhật Huy (Viet Giao Tourism School) and Phan Trong Bao Chau (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).