Salon style

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Plating up at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah’s Salon Culinaire practice run.

With Salon Culinaire around the corner, the region’s chefs are prepping, carving, chopping and challenging themselves, doing their best to ensure they walk away with one of the coveted class medals. Lucy Taylor talks to some of this year’s entrants to find out what goes into cooking up a winning entry.

Since its inception, the Salon Culinaire has been a showcase for the region’s top culinary talent and a highlight of the Gulfood exhibition — and with more classes than ever before, 2010’s edition promises to be a major crowd-puller.

Last year, the team from Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) walked away with the most medals awarded to a single establishment for the third consecutive year.

According to executive sous chef Raimund Haemmerle, the pressure is on to live up to expectations this time round.

“We’re going to have 87 participants across 20 different categories, so it’s almost all the categories covered, from pastry, to live cooking, to Arabian cuisine, to the gourmet dinner,” he reveals.

Beach Rotana, another big winner at 2009’s Salon Culinaire, will have 24 chefs participating across 48 different categories.

“I will myself be participating in five categories in the kitchen art area, in the Chocolate Carving, Individual Ice Carving, Fruit and Vegetable Carving and Marzipan Showpiece categories,” adds sous chef Chamika Prabath.

“I will also be pairing up with my colleague for the Team Ice Carving event, for which we will make a large artistic showpiece with three ice blocks.”

Yuphin Khocksila, chef de partie at Al Bustan Rotana Dubai’s Blue Elephant Restaurant, will be the first ever female chef to represent the property at the event, competing in the Fruit and Vegetable Carving showpiece category.

“I am very excited because this is my very first time at the Salon Culinaire; plus I feel proud of being the hotel’s first lady representative,” she says.

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