Inspirational Daab Chingri — sous-vide tiger prawn in malai curry, reconstructed tender coconut, edible sand, gondharaj lime air and gel, samphire pakora, gobindabhog rice, served in a coconut husk.
Following remarkable performances by 10 talented young chefs of Southeast Asia, Tarun Bhatia, chef de partie from Ek Bar restaurant in Delhi, India, has been announced as the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef regional challenge, and will advance to the world grand finale competition to take place on Oct 13 in Milan, Italy.
Southeast Asia is among the 20 regions categorised by this competition. Within the Southeast Asia category are India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Maldives.
With his “Inspirational Daab Chingri”, Bhatia finished first among nine contenders; the semi-finalists — selected by ALMA, the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine (www.alma.scuolacucina.it) — competed for a chance to participate in the global finals and win the title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016.
The regional challenge took place recently at the Dusit Thani Hotel School in Bangkok, where a jury composed of renowned chefs — Emmanuel Stroobant, Alvin Leung, Umberto Bombana, Ian Kittichai, Bo Songvisava and Will Meyrick — tasted the signature dishes prepared by each of the semi-finalists and selected Bhatia as the winner, based on the criteria of the competition’s five golden rules: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty and message.
Ingredients: Successfully selecting the best of what the market has to offer with regards to quality, freshness and uniqueness.
Skills: Successfully handling and transforming raw materials into a finished dish that respects its original essence.
Genius: Successfully exploring inspiring, unexpected prospects/outlooks, connected with fine dining culture with a personal and contemporary style, while maintaining a perfect balance of tastes and shapes.
Chef Ian Kittichai with Tarun Bhatia, the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef regional challenge.
Beauty: Dish presentation is part of the charm.
Message: Successfully communicating a clear message through work and personal vision.
“I am thrilled to be representing not only India but Southeast Asia and competing with the world’s best young chefs,” said Bhatia. “The bigger challenge is awaiting in Milan but I guess the bigger the challenge the better you get. A humble Indian curry can go a long way and I think it’s just the beginning.”
During this final round, each of the 20 finalists from each region of the world will be assigned a mentor chef or globally-renowned culinary master, who will advise them on how to improve their signature dishes and help them prepare for the final competition.
On Oct 13 in Milan, a jury of seven celebrated international chefs known as the Seven Sages — David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack — will determine the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, following the five golden rules.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.