Congratulations to the international program students from the School of Humanities and Tourism Management, Culinary Arts and Design major, led by Ei Nandar Win (Dora) and Kyaw Myo Zaw (Jimmy), members of the SNS team. They made it to the final 11 teams out of 34 competing teams from educational institutions across the country in the MasterChef for the Social Night competition, receiving an honorable mention award and a certificate. This competition is part of the IHG Giving for Good project by Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel for The Social Night activity, aiming to create an atmosphere of happiness and socializing for hotel guests. Participating students had to design three Signature menu items for the hotel's The Social Night event, including two Main Courses and one Dessert. These menus needed to showcase a distinctive identity for The Social Night and use easily accessible, affordable ingredients.

Advancing to the Top 11 Teams, Showcasing Culinary Creativity

The competition began with interested participants submitting images of their designed menus along with the concept, ingredient details, and cooking methods to the judging committee. The committee then selected the top 11 teams to proceed to the live cooking round in front of the judges and attendees at Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit.

Creative Menus by the Students

Dora and Jimmy crafted interesting and diverse menus, divided into three dishes:

Ruby Red Seared Duck: The first Main Course features a French-style roasted duck with red wine sauce. The duck is marinated for fragrance, roasted, and then baked to perfection. It's served with a rich, tangy red wine sauce that perfectly complements the duck, along with melt-in-your-mouth tender potatoes and mushroom duxelles.

Lemoncello Fagottini: An Italian-style dish featuring fresh pasta stuffed with cheese and lemon, served with tomato bisque. This vegetarian main course is presented as a cocktail-style dish, easy to eat and refreshing.

 

Sunburst Citrus Cheesecake: The meal concludes with a tangy-sweet lemon dessert that instantly refreshes anyone who tastes it. This dish was inspired by lemon, a popular fruit in Portugal, but uses green lime instead to meet the affordable ingredient criteria.

All three menus were designed under the concept of "Home Cook & Easy To Make," emphasizing dishes that are simple to prepare, suitable for social gatherings, and budget-friendly. The team also considered the cultural diversity of hotel guests from various countries, designing menus with a variety of international influences.

Challenges and Preparation

For Dora and Jimmy, this competition was a new experience and their first time competing in a cooking contest outside the university. "We spent about 2-3 months preparing, which wasn't much considering we had to balance our time with various course projects. During preparation, we spent most of our time thinking and experimenting with cooking at home, as well as seeking advice from our teachers to develop and improve our menus. On the competition day, we clearly divided our responsibilities, with one person in charge of ingredient preparation and the other handling dish assembly and presentation."

"The biggest challenge in the competition was time management. The rules required all cooking to be done on-site, which meant we had to spend time preparing ingredients that could have been prepared in advance. However, with determination and good time management, we were able to overcome this challenge."

Lessons and Inspiration

From this competitive experience, Dora and Jimmy shared some advice for friends who want to participate in competitions but are hesitant: "The time as a student is a special period where we can experiment with new things. Dare to dream, dare to act, and dare to face new challenges in life. The path to success begins with the first step out of your comfort zone, and be ready to learn from every experience that comes your way."

The IHG Giving for Good project by Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit provides a platform for students to develop skills outside the classroom, which is crucial in preparing personnel for Thailand's tourism and hospitality industry.