Dragon Feast of the Century - 15 Dragon Chefs

If you saw a procession of mysterious people dressed in white chef coats riding the Canada Line on Tuesday afternoon, you were not going crazy! It was definitely a sight to behold as delegates from around the world and volunteers who were dressed in white chef coats rode the Canada Line to attend an event held in Richmond. It was not an ordinary event indeed.

On June 14^th, the celebration of west coast Asian culture took place through this spectacular event called Dragon Feast of the Century. This event was chaired by Chef Clarence Ma and Marcus Von Albrecht and sponsored by the BCCA Dragon Culinary Team, three Chinese chefs associations, and by the CCFCC 2011.

Notably, this was the first event in Vancouver that took place in Vancouver which showcased the unique cooking and preparation styles of British Columbian featured products through Chinese culinary arts. This might explain why we had full attendance because the forty one round tables which sat ten guests at each were completely filled up. It was also an honour to have the Mayor Malcolm Brodie and other members of the Richmond Local government and Louis Perrotte, the Continental director representing the Americas from WACS, join us at the Rainflower Seafood Restaurant.

That afternoon was absolutely amazing. Not only was Melody Fury, the well known food blogger of gourmetfury.com, invited to be the master of ceremonies for the afternoon, she expressed that she was honoured for the invitation. Melody introduced the line up of events for that spectacular afternoon. First, Zhang Gui Sheng, the master ice carver from Shanghai, China revealed an ice sculpture of a Chinese dragon which was chosen to celebrate the feast and to represent wisdom and strength. Afterwards, Chef Garley Leung, Executive Dim Sum Chef at Dynasty demonstrated the traditional Chinese art of noodle pulling. What was impressive was that he only used flour and water during the whole process.

After this eye-opening performance, the feast finally began. The servers made a round through Rainflower Seafood Restaurant and served eight different courses throughout the next two hours. The smoky Drunken Squab Breast, Artic Charr Nanjing Style made an entrance, followed by Dungeness Crab and Lobster in Jade purse, Braised Fraser Valley Duck Breast, Empress Style served with a selection of west coast fungi, Tenderloin Teaser in Filigree Cup, Yin Yang Steamed Eggplants presented and prepared to highlight its natural flavour, Seafood Siu Bang which is a chinese pastry with a soft flaky outer shell and the core filled with delectable seafood, and finally the feast ended with Longevity Date Cake. To conclude this grand feast, certificates and also gratitude were extended to the fifteen dragon chefs who have worked hard and devoted months of their time to prepare for this wonderful feast.

The fifteen dragon chefs are:

Chef Chi Ling Tam –Executive Chef of Golden Swan Seafood Restaurant

Chef Wing Kuen Wu – Executive Chef of Rain Flower Seafood Restaurant

Chef Tony Luk – Executive Chef of Jade Seafood Restaurant

Chef Sam Leung – Executive Chef at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

Chef Mike Kin On Li –Executive Chef at Imperial Seafood Restaurant

Chef Kent Wong –Head Chef of Imperial Seafood Restaurant

Chef Henry Yu—Executive chef at Dragon View Seafood Restaurant

Chef Ho Lim Cho – Executive of Floata Seafood Restaurant

Chef Garley Leung – Master Dim Sum Chef Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

Chef Jian Ming Lai –Dim Sum Head Chef, Rain Flower Seafood Restaurant

Chef Peter Chen –Dim Sum Head Chef, Golden Swan Seafood Restaurant

Chef Siu Kuen Wong –Chef, Shiang Garden Restaurant

Chef Chun Ming Huang –Executive Sous Chef, Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant

Chef Patrick Mo –Executive Chef, Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant

When guests were what they thought was the significance of this event, many understood that this event enabled the representation of west coast products and highlighted the multicultural values of our community. Melody was also interviewed and was asked about her thoughts about the event.

When looking back at the events of that afternoon, the combination of delicious food, skilled chefs, entertaining events, and the turnout of over 400 guests truly makes the luncheon deserving of the name Dragon Feast of the Century.

[GERMAN BLOG] Junioren Bootsfahrt im Hafen von Vancouver

Mehr als 70 angehende Chef Köche Kanadas sind heute Abend gemeinsam aufs Boot gegangen.
Das Programm startete mit einem Vortrag und einer Kochdemo des Unternehmens California Walnuts. Den Junioren wurde gezeigt, dass man noch viel mehr aus Walnüssen machen kann, als sie einfach nur zu knacken. Vor den Augen der Gäste wurden spicy Crabcakes in Walnusskruste und kleine Miniburger mit Walnuss- und Ziegenkäsekern zubereitet. Dann wurde es spannend für die Junioren: Drei Freiwillige wurden zu einem Black Box Wettbewerb aus der Menge ausgewählt. Ihre Aufgabe bestand darin, aus möglichst vielen vorgegebenen frischen Zutaten in nur 15 Minuten ein Gericht zuzubereiten. Eine Jury, bestehend aus weiteren drei Freiwilligen, hat sich einstimmig für einen Sieger ausgesprochen. Der Sieger wurde ein Junior aus Saskatchewan. Sein Gewinn: Ein Nano iPod!

Nach dieser spannenden Zubereitung konnten sich die Gäste zurücklehnen, sich einen Drink gönnen und ihre Gaumen mit Crabcakes, frischem Thunfisch und allerlei köstlichem Fingerfood verwöhnen. Um 22 Uhr legte das Boot wieder am Hafen an.



Fotos: Nicole Frontzek

Highlights from the Aboriginal Potlatch Supper

Last night's Aboriginal Potlatch Supper is sure to become a lasting memory from the CCFCC 2011 National Conference. The dinner was an exquisite display of West Coast cuisine, with many new and unexpected interpretations of BC flavours. 

Hosted by Vancouver Community College's Aboriginal Culinary Class, guests were treated to incredibly succulent spot prawns poached in a bentwood box with sweet onion and garlic cream, a rabbit sausage king oyster ragout with blueberry pine nut chutney, braised bison brisket with roasted squash and onions (pictured above), cinnamon bannock fritters in brown sugar and cranberry sauce, and so many other beautiful dishes.

Congratulations to Chef Ben Genaille and his amazing group of students, we hope to see more of your work in the future!

Photographs by Thorsten Gohl.

[GERMAN BLOG] Chinesisches Drachen Fest in Richmond

Chef Clarence lud die Delegierten der CCFCC Conference zu einem Chinesischen Lunch in dem Restaurant Rain Flower ein. Umweltbewusst wie die Kanadier sind, ging es nicht mit Autos zur Location, sondern mit der Sky Train. 255 Chef Köche in voller Montur erregten gemeinsam das Interesse der Öffentlichkeit und ergaben zusammen ein unvergessliches Bild.


Das Menu stand unter dem Leitmotto und Glückssymbol Chinas - dem Drachen. In der Mitte des Restaurants glänzte im Scheinwerferlicht ein Drache, ein Meisterwerk der Eisschnitzkunst.


Die Gäste wurden an ihre Tische geleitet, von einer Moderatorin freundlich durch das Menü geführt und von dutzenden Kellnern bewirtet. Sieben Gänge gab es insgesamt - die Delegierten staunten nicht schlecht.

"Drunken Squab Breast, Artic Char Nanjing Style"

"Dungenese Crab & lobster in Jade Purse"

"Braised Fraser Valley Duck Breast, Empress Sytle"

"Tenderloin Teaser in Filigree Cup"

"Yin Yang Steamed Eggplants"

"Seafood Sui Bang"

"Longevity Date Cake"

Um 15 Uhr Ortszeit war der Lunch beendet und umweltfreundlich ging es mit der Bahn auch wieder zurück in Richtung Downtown.

[GERMAN BLOG] "Frauen in der Branche" und andere Seminare und Vorträge

Nach drei Tagen voller Wettbewerbe auf höchstem Niveau ging es heute mit einem straffen Tagesprogramm weiter. Der Morgen begann bereits um 7 Uhr morgens mit einem einmaligen Frühstücksbuffet im Renaissance Hotel Harbourside. Chef Rob Feenie hielt einen Vortrag vor den nationalen Chefs Kanadas, bei dem selbst er nach eigenen Angaben nervös wurde. Nach diversen Meetings, Koch Demos und Seminaren ging es am Mittag über zum Lunch. Dieses Mal waren die Frauen in der Branche am Zug. Erfolgreiche Köchinnen haben aus ihrem bewegten Leben erzählt und anderen Frauen Mut zugesprochen. Sie haben bewiesen, dass Frau in der Tat Familie, Ehe und die Leidenschaft für Ihren Beruf unter eine Haube bekommen können - wenn die Liebe zu allen Bereichen groß genug ist. Ganz nach dem Motto "wenn Du eine Arbeit hast, die Dein Hobby ist, musst Du nie wieder arbeiten". Ich denke nach diesem Leifaden leben die meisten Köche ds CCFCCs.

Natürlich hab es auch heute wieder zauberhafte Gerichte, die an Stationen für jeden einzelnen Gast frisch zubereitet wurden. Aber seht selbst!

Fotos von Nicole Frontzek

[GERMAN BLOG] Tastes of Canada

Heute haben die besten Junioren Chef Köche Kanadas zu einer Geschmacksexplosion der Extraklasse eingeladen. An insgesamt 19 Stationen konnten die Besucher ihre Geschmacksnerven auf höchstem Niveau so richtig verwöhnen lassen. Serviert wurde einfach alles, das Klasse hat! Von bebratenem Fisch über Ente bis hin zu Austern und Käse. Es blieben keine Wünsche offen! Auch bezüglich der Getränke kamen die Besucher auf ihre Kosten. Zu jedem Gericht wurde ihnen das passende Geränk gereicht: Ob Bier, Wein oder Cider - alle Getränke stammten aus kanadischem Anbau und aus kanadischer Produktion! Und ehrlich: von dem Käse können sich die Deutschen und selbst die Holländer noch eine Scheibe von abschneiden!




Neben kulinarischen Sünden ging es auch um Eisskulpturen. Künstler aus der ganzen Welt haben sich hier zusammen gefunden, um Ihre Kunst unter Beweis zu stellen. Leider hält hier das Sprichwort "Schönheit ist vergänglich" eine ganz neue Bedeutung. Aber schön waren sie in der Tat alle! Hier nur ein kleiner Einblick der besten Skulpturen des Abends.



Am Ende des Tages war "Tastes of Canada" ein voller Erfolg und leider viel zu kurz. Aber in den nächsten Tagen werden die besten Chef Köche des Landes und auch Amerikas noch Gelegenheit haben sich auszutauschen und Gespräche zu vertiefen. Wir werden darüber berichten!

And so the week begins!

Delegates have been streaming in for the past few days, anticipation running high for the incredible events planned this week.  Already the National Chefs Challenge, WACS Global Chefs Challenge, and WACS Junior Challenge have left appetites whetted and spirits high.  

This evening, conference delegates and more were treated to an incomparable meal at the sold out Tastes of CCFCC Canada.  With 19 food stations representing regions across Canada, with exquisite beverage pairings, it was a feast for the senses!  

Some of my personal highlights from the evening include the Nova Scotian Farmed Arctic Char with Hodge podge, char cracker, and Oulton’s Smoked Pork Belly and the B.C. Hazelnut S’mores with Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Christie Graham Crumbs with dark chocolate and Chef-made marshmallow. Another great station was Manitoba's Smoked Goldeye Terrine with Beet and Goat Cheese Puree with Sautéed Pickerel Cheeks, micro green and a flax seed vinaigrette (below),

and Aboriginal Culinary Team Canada with Lax-Kw'alaam smoked black cod, pickled parsnip root, and dandelion-watercress greens (below).

I don't know about you, but this was a pretty awesome kick-off to what is sure to be a great week.  Good night to you all, and enjoy the CCFCC 2011 Vancouver to the fullest! 

Pictures by Thorsten Gohl, official CCFCC 2011 Photographer.

One last thought: take a look at this summary of the evening by Mark Atal, if you missed any details!

Taste of CCFCC 2011 from Mark Atal on Vimeo.

WACS Global Chefs Challenge- The winner is Canada!

Saturday June 11, 2011

Yesterday, five chefs and their teams from Canada, United States, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Chile battle it out for the title of Top Chef of the Year in a competition called World Association of Chefs Societies Global Chefs Challenge.The winner of yesterday’s competition will be representing the Americas at the Global Chefs Competition held in Korea in 2012 –an honour for the chosen Top Chef. It was announced today that the winner from the challenge is Canada!

The chefs performing on top of the Sysco stage are top chefs within their own countries. Their names may be familiar to you and are listed in the order of chef and assistant. They are Tobias Macdonald and Jasper Cruickshank from Canada, Michael Metazzaro and Charles Figueroa from the United States, Ricardo Manizanilla and Joyce Fernandes from Venezuela, Francisco Vintimilla and Andres Torres from Ecuador, and David Calguin Homero Burgos from Chile.

The rules for the competition are quite simple. All teams were given kobe beef for the first course, halibut for the second course, and strawberries as ingredients to create a unique dish for each guest. All teams were allotted time from 12:00 noon to 5:30pm to prepare the meals. Starting from 5:30pm, the first course was served and tasted by the judges from kitchen one, then kitchen two’s creation was served 10 minutes later and each kitchen took turns to present in 10 minute intervals until dessert from kitchen 5 was served and tasted by the judge. The teams were judged based on the taste of their creations, use of equipment, and the use of time.

A woman who purchased a spot was interviewed by Chef Marcus Von Albrecht, the master of ceremonies of the evening, says she was a culinary student and says that from this experience she hopes to draw inspiration so that when asked to present to a chef, she will be prepared in terms of the presentation and plating part of the culinary process.

Other than opportunities to learn, there are certainly many perks to be had from such an experience for guests and the audience. The audience was able to witness a wonderful event brought to life from months of hard work and preparation. The guests were able to enjoy the meal of their lifetime while Vancouver Community College students were providing white glove service. With the halibut flown in from Finland by Lufthansa Airlines, Kobe Beef flown in from Australia, Garland of Canada providing food supplies, Fiji Water provided to help our lovely guests quench their thirst, and china flown in from Norway at cost 53 Euros per piece, it certainly was an extravagant night to remember for years to come!

Master Ice Carvers from Shanghai Demonstrating at Renaissance Hotel

The two ice carving masters from Shanghai, China have been invited to perform at the Renaissance Hotel -4th floor. There were 2400 pounds of ice blocks and a set of tools including drills, chisels, and chainsaws. The two master carvers are very talented and very famous masters. Take a look at their biographies!

The first demonstrator - Zhang Gui Sheng

Zhang Guisheng is a Shanghai culinary master and has developed quite an extraordinary resume. Not only has he represented China internationally, became recognized as a skilled food sculptor, he has also contributed to the professional development of several well known chefs whom he has taken under his wings. Since his first stint at Shang Hai Ying Hua Hotel working as an executive manager and food sculptor in 1995, he has been consistently recognized as a person of skill and knowledge.Throughout the following years, Zhang has been invited to lead other restaurants, hotels within the hospitality industry, and teams of Chinese Chefs to success. Zhang has won several notable awards within China and then moved on to challenge international competitions. In 1999, he represented Chinese Chef’s Association in the 10th annual international Chinese Culinary Competition held in Taiwan and brought home one of the many gold medals he will later collect. Later, in 2005, he was awarded the title of Chinese Culinary Master by the Business Department and the Chefs’ Association of China and was even listed as a celebrity Chef. His fame spread throughout China and his name adopted several titles. For one, he was General Manager of the State Tourism Commission of Licenses for Employment, he became a referee and examiner and assessed those who challenged the exam to become a Chef, he was on the committee of China's Culinary Association and sat on the board of the Shanghai Culinary Association as Vice President. Besides setting the standard for Chinese cuisine, he became heavily involved with the education of chefs and took the role of Shanghai Culinary School Principal. Today, he continues to weave his legacy by as the Vice President of Hotel Management Co., Ltd. in Shanghai Hao Cheng and as the Vice President of Yi Qin Shanghai Vocational and technical training Art School.

The second demonstrator - Li Xiao Jun

Li Xiao Jun has entered the Shanghai culinary industry 11 years ago and has already made a mark within the Chinese culinary world by having a wonderfully skilled pair of hands with which he uses to create food sculptors and ice carvings.Food sculptures, carved out of fruit and vegetables, are masterpieces designed to complement the featured dishes. They are an important part of the Chinese culture and culinary history and Li Xiao Jun has become a part of that rich history. Within a span of eight years, he was awarded the title of "Shanghai's Outstanding Young Technician" for his exceptional skill in ice and food carving in 2008 and it was not without reason. He has won several awards in food carving within the first few years of his debut and later glorified Shanghai, China with his accomplishments in ice carving. As a matter of fact, his skill in ice carving was first recognized by the guests who stayed at the Dongjia State Guest Hotel of where he worked as an ice carver in 2007. Li Xiao Jun continued to train and research the skill of food and ice carving although he already exemplary. Li won his first medal in food carving in 2001 and continued with his winning streak by winning a bronze medal in the 5th national culinary competition in the category of individual food sculpting, a gold medal in food and vegetable carving while competing in the Iron Chef competition and won awards for an outstanding food and vegetable sculpting at the International Exhibition for food, drink, hospitality, food services (FCH) in Shanghai for several years. Later on, when he discovered a passion for ice carving, he continued to win awards consecutively for three years and recognized internationally within the United States and Tokyo. As anticipated, the most prestigious award was presented to him and he deemed it to be the most significant award he has received. It was the top award which was presented to the most skilled ice sculptor- the first award a Chinese ice carver has ever won internationally at the 35th annual national Japanese ice carving competition held in Tokyo, Japan in March of 2011. In the eyes of spectators, he has become a celebrity. Through out the recent years, he has been asked to demonstrate live at events hosted by East Lake Group. He turned blocks of ice into lively eagle wings, a tang lion, a harp, and a shiratori. Within the past year, he has also been training under the world`s most skilled ice carver, Mitsuo Shimzu. In the future, we can expect greater accomplishments and wonderful creations from Li Xiao Jun when he performs in Canada at CCFCC 2011.

[GERMAN BLOG] AND THE WINNER IS CANADA

Der beste Chef Koch Amerikas in dem Wettbewerb von WACS steht fest. Kanada war heute das beste Team. Von insgesamt 1 Million Chef Köche auf der Welt und 93 Mitgliedländern haben sich die besten 5 Teams zusammengefunden, um die Herausforderung anzunehmen. Aber wie immer kann nur einer gewinnen.

Silber ging an das Team USA und Bronze hat sich das Team Equador erkämpft.

Die 5 Teams im Überblick:
1. Kanada
2. USA
3. Venezuela
4. Equador
5. Chile

Jedes einzele Gericht der Länder war ein Traum für sich. Hier ein Eindruck des ersten Ganges – Vorspeisen der Extraklasse.

1. Team Kandada:


2. Team USA


3. Team Venezuela


4. Team Equador


5. Team Chile


Photo by Judy Anna Madarasz

WACS Global Chefs on the Sysco Cooking Stage

The competitors for the WACS Global Chefs Challenge competition are on the Sysco Cooking Stage right now at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Competitors have travelled all the way from the US, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela to compete in this renowned competition that will gain them international recognition for their culinary talents. As well, we have a team representing Canada.

The competition started at 12pm and competitors will be on the stage until 8pm, creating a three-course meal for a table of judges. Judges will be seated at approximately 5pm to taste their creations. All competitors will receive conversation and feedback for their creations.

We wish all the competitors the best of luck and look forward to the first place, first runner-up and second runner-up winners to be announced at the President's Ball Gala dinner on Tuesday June 15.

[GERMAN BLOG] Der Startschuss ist gefallen!

Die besten acht Chefköche Kanadas haben heute 80 glücklichen Besuchern das beste Dinner gezaubert, dass man sich nur wünschen kann.

Der Kreativität waren keine Grenzen gesetzt und so überraschten die Köche mit aussergewöhnlichen Zusammenstellungen und Präsentation der Speisen. Die Besucher dankten es ihnen mit leeren Tellern und einer Stillle des Genusses.

Insgesamt hatten die Wettbewerber fünf Stunden Zeit ihr Können unter Beweis zu stellen. Wer am Ende das Rennen machen wird, entscheidet jedoch die Jury. Und das bleibt bis Mittwoch ein gut behütetes Geheimnis.