TP's culinary Dream Team comes out tops!

World-class cuisine with world-class service – this deeply-cherished cornerstone of Temasek Culinary Academy (TCA) has earned the academy industry-wide recognition after it won top honours in the Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) 2008 Culinary Challenge.

TP’s TCA team, comprising students and trainers from TP’s Culinary & Catering Management (CCM) and Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) diploma courses, clinched the only Gold medal in the Dream Team Challenge, the coveted “Overall Best Dream Team” prize and a bronze medal in the “Two to Tango” challenge.

Held during the biennial FHA 2008 (the biggest international food and hospitality trade event in Asia) from April 22 to 25, the Culinary Challenge is one of Asia’s most recognised culinary competitions where hundreds of practitioners in the food and beverage trade compete with their peers.

Mr Jeremy Sim, CCM lecturer and team manager and trainer of TP’s Dream Team, was over the moon when asked about his students’ achievement, “I have to keep repeating to myself in disbelief – our student team beat top rated hotels including 6-star hotel! That is simply mind-blowing.”

To prepare for the competition, Mr Sim reveals, the team started extensive training from December last year – going through countless rehearsals and simulations where they were “grilled relentlessly on even the most basic things like posture, femininity, verbiage and product knowledge.” The team also dined at fine-dining establishments like Les Amis to experience fine service first-hand.

In the Dream Team Challenge, each team comprising a waiter, bartender and chef were tasked to prepare an “All-Day Dining/Trendy Food & Beverage” experience within two hours for three diners in a café setting. There were a total of 16 teams from hotels, restaurants, culinary institutions, airlines and catering companies originating from places like Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Dubai. The teams were scored in categories such as preparation, hygiene, organisation, table setting, service and quality of F&B, flair, creativity and other factors which impact dining experience.

TP’s bronze medal win in the Two to Tango category is also an achievement to savour as our students had to fend off students and apprentices from recognised hotels, restaurants, airlines and training institutes from countries like Malaysia, Mexico and the USA. Each team had to prepare, within an hour, one cold appetizer and one hot main course for four persons each.

Sim Siling, a final year HTM student and one-half of the Two to Tango team was glad to have been given the chance to do her best, “Joining this competition was a true challenge for me. But thankfully, the chefs and teachers gave me continuous guiding and support with plenty of patience. Winning this competition definitely boosted my self confidence.”

It's Wine By Me

Take a trip Down Under and trail two very lucky Culinary & Catering Management students on an educational trip to the most exciting wine region in Australia.

They woke up to a cool, tranquil morning, relishing the sounds of daybreak — the rustling of leaves, the barking of a dog, the incessant chirping of the early bird. The chilly breeze gently caressed their faces. They stood, an endless sea of vineyards behind them, watching the sun rise.

It was unfortunate that they were two men enjoying the sunrise together. However, they were two extremely fortunate young men on a learning journey Down Under.

The two second-year Culinary & Catering Management students, Sean Lim and Randall Tailford, both 19, were sponsored by the Moss Wood Winery and their local distributor Hai Choo Wines & Spirits for an eight-day winemaking trip in March 2009, in the Margaret River wine region, southwestern Australia.

How many can brag about being driven to the Moss Wood Winery by the boss, Keith Mugford, then presented with wines of 1990 vintage, the year they were born in? The guys were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Mugfords, and the exceptional tastes of the 1990 Carbernet Sauvignon and Semillon.

At the vineyard, they got down and dirty harvesting grapes every morning. In one day, both of them harvested 96kg of grapes! Sean and Randall experienced all aspects of the winemaking process, including crushing the grapes and fermenting them, and the seemingly never ending cleaning of the equipment and premises.

To make good wine, you have to know wine. Apart from hard work, a large part of the winemaking trip had the boys travelling to famous wineries in the region like Vasse Felix, Xanadu and Leeuwin Estate.

This also being a cultural exchange; what better way to get to know each other than through food? The minds and stomachs of the culturally curious were nourished as our two aspiring chefs whipped up an array of local cuisine to tickle the adventurous palate of their hosts. The guys also had the chance to taste local fare and do a little sightseeing along the way.

This unique attachment stint was an eye-opener for the two, who were privileged to experience winemaking firsthand. They made many friends and got to meet people who left indelible impressions on their lives. On top of that, they applied what they learnt in the classroom and appreciated the relevance of their education in TP to the world out there. In the words of Sean, "For me, it was a time when the textbooks came alive and really started to make sense!"

Cheers to a great trip Down Under!

The rainsuit-clad gang cleaning up the equipment.