Culinary contest ends in multi-cultural wins

A Japanese and an Italian dish were among the winners of a culinary contest for local restaurants at Van Thanh Park in HCM City last Saturday.

Samurai maki by Samurai restaurant is a kind of sushi made from salmon, tuna, fish skin, cucumber, and other ingredients served with wasabi and mustard.

Another winner, tom cuon ba chi nuong, was from Binh Quoi Tourist Village and is made by wrapping a shrimp inside a cut of bacon and grilling on charcoal. It is served with banh hoi ( rice noodle) and vegetables.

Salmone e cappesante con prosciutto di parma

from the Continental Hotel is made by marinating salmon and scallops and rolling them in ham before grilling with olive oil. Baby vegetables are added and the dish is decorated with caviar before being served with cognac cream sauce.

"It is an expensive and elaborate dish," said Phan Gia Thach, the multi-award winning sous-chef, who made the dish.

The second prize was won by Lion City’s Singaporean frog porridge, Thai restaurant Silver Elephant’s tom yan koong (sour and hot shrimp soup) and Sai Gon – Ninh Chu’s goi dong (salad made with dong meat, a lizard-like animal found only in Ninh Thuan Province).

The competition was part of a culinary festival titled "Tastes of the World" featuring cuisines from countries including Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Viet Nam.

The park was turned into an outdoor restaurant with stands scattered all around. Hundreds of guests packed around tables despite sporadic rains.

The evening was spiced up with performances of traditional music like ca tru (ceremonical singing), quan ho (love duets singing), cai luong (reformed theatre) and games like clambering up oiled poles and cooking rice with agricultural waste.

There was a show by skilled Vietnamese cooks, a seminar on Viet Nam’s culinary culture, and wine making.

The annual event was organised by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

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