The first in a fortnightly series of contests for amateur cooks who want to speak English and have some fun took place last Sunday at the Huong Ngu 1 restaurant on Vo Nguyen Giap Street.  Entitled ‘MasterChef Da Nang’, the event involved 12 contestants who were divided into teams of 3.  After the teams had agreed which dish they wanted to cook, they were accompanied to a local market to purchase the necessary ingredients.  On their return, each team took over part of the Huong Ngu 1 kitchen to prepare their speciality. 

The judges awarded points for choice of ingredients, thriftiness, presentation, and taste.  They eventually decided that the best dish was deep fried spring rolls with a fish-based breadcrumb and herb coating.  The winning team will have the chance to compete in a Grand Finale just prior to Tet.  The organiser, Paul Cleary, said “What a tremendous success and bundles of fun.  It was seriously difficult to pick a winner.  I was remarkably impressed with the effort, presentation and quality.”

Contestants and organisers

The next round of the contest will be on Sunday 9 November starting at 3pm.  The minimum age for entry is 17, and a nominal fee of 50,000 VND is charged to cover costs.  Anyone wishing to take part should contact Thao Cleary on Facebook, or call her on 0906535856. 

The winning dish

(Written by Ian Lister and Carole Kendal)