Over recent months, many training courses have been offered to those who work in Da Nang’s tourism and its hospitality services in preparation for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) from 6-11 November.  This international important event is the culmination of Viet Nam’s year-long hosting of APEC meetings.

A cooking course in progress

These courses on reception, bed-making, table setting, cooking and bar services aim at helping the trainees enhance their professional skills in a bid to give the best possible services to their clients.

The executive and sous chefs from 4 and 5 star local resorts and hotels are very interested in ongoing cooking courses which are taught by famous chefs from 5-star hotels in Ha Noi.  These hotels were selected to have served the APEC 2006 in the Vietnamese capital city and other international large-scale events there.

Chef Doan Thi Thu from the popular Citron Restaurant at a luxury holiday resort highlighted the significance of the cooking courses through which she and her colleagues have enhanced their professional skills and learned valuable lessons about how to do their jobs in a scientific and professional manner.

Sous chef Mai Xuan Dung from Melia Da Nang Restaurant happily said that these courses introduced him and other local cooks to useful ideas about preparing delicious dishes to satisfy the strict cuisine requirements of Muslim guests during their stay in the city. 

Chef Nguyen Cong Chung from Sheraton Ha Noi Hotel is one of the trainers at the cooking courses.  He has become actively and enthusiastically engaged in guiding the trainees to prepare such popular traditional Vietnamese dishes as ‘pho’ (Vietnamese noodle soup) and “cha gio” (spring rolls). 

Mr Chung underscored the need for the trainees to uphold the spirit of their creativeness to create attractive new dishes.  He added that cooks must become friendly culinary ambassadors for their resorts and hotels.

Ms Truong Thi Hong Hanh, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism remarked that the upcoming APEC summit week is indeed a wonderful opportunity to advertise the special cultural values of Central Viet Nam, and the country as a whole, to international friends. 

Ms Hanh affirmed that the top priority should be paid to ensuring ultimate food safety and hygiene for APEC guests. 

Besides, those who work in cuisine services must learn more about how to effectively handle unexpected incidents and complaints from visitors during AELW 2017 in prompt and effective manner.