AUT culinary arts student tops Viet Nam fusion competition
Culinary arts student Jamin Gibson has taken out top honours in an international culinary competition held in Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam.
The competition teams, each consisting of two Vietnamese and two New Zealand students, showcased their culinary skills on stage in front of over 170 guests including the New Zealand Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment the Hon Steven Joyce.
Gibson’s team included one student from Otago Polytechnic, and two Vietnamese students from Vatel Saigon and Trung cấp nghề VIỆT GIAO and their winning dish was braised lamb shanks with pickled cabbage, potato rosti and reduced jus.
The competition was part of the New Zealand-Viet Nam Culinary Collaboration – which is part of a wider education partnership – which aims to deepen the level of engagement between the two countries and enrich students' learning.
Students initially worked together online to develop their menus before meeting face-to-face in Ho Chi Minh City where they spent time visiting Vietnamese markets to collect their fresh local produce before finalising their menus at the Caravalle Hotel kitchen.
The students’ fusion menu was judged by Haike Manning, New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam, Le Xuan Tam, Executive Chef, Caravelle Hotel and Brendon Partridge, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Hanoi.
Gibson is studying a Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts and says the programme has helped him become a better and more rounded chef, by expanding his knowledge and skills.
"I've enjoyed learning in depth about food, its origins, history, and the impact of food then, now and in the future."