Singapore delivered a boost to Asian cuisine with its double win a the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.
The usual mentions of Singapore winning another Olympic medal in a golden year is inevitable. Following the efforts of Joseph Schooling and Yip Pin Xiu, there will be the usual call for a parade. If that happens, well and good, though I’m sure the winning chefs would like to see a parade of new customers at their outlets.
But the key thing about winning the Olympic events is that these are competitors who are looking at lifelong careers in the culinary arts. It’s a competitive industry that is demanding of its talent, and with globalisation and the challenges that brings about, requires an increasingly creative approach.
Louis Tay, Swissotel Merchant Court’s executive chef, led the contingent of industry professionals from other hotels and catering companies — Lavish Dining, The Regent Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa and Unilever Food Solutions.
While winning gold in two sections at either end of the heat spectrum — Cold Display and Hot Cooking — makes for a strong statement of intent, it also means that more eyes will be focused on what Asia has to offer.
Lessons Learnt
For the chefs, it also means learning from the 30 other teams that were fielding their A teams for the quadrennial competition.
And now, as champions, there must be greater emphasis placed on raising the standards yet again to defend the titles four years hence.
For now, it’s time to savour the success…hopefully, quite literally, at the various outlets of these winning chefs.
