Its going to be an incredible show, said Mike Saxon (right), E&Os director of hospitality and lifestyle. Saxon is also a judge on the show, together with guest judges Chef Bruce Lim of AFCs Tablescapes, Anna Olson of AFCs Fresh With Anna Olson and our very own Chef Wan.
The pace in which we got this done was a record for us, said Hian Goh, co-founder of the Asian Food Channel. We put a call out for contestants on TV and on the Internet and thousands of people responded. We showcased Asian talent from South-East Asia and Hong Kong. Its the first time we have done such a show.
A total of 35 finalists, who will appear in the premiere episode, travelled to E&O properties in KL and Penang where the entire series of eight episodes was shot. These included the E&O Hotel and Lone Pine, the Martinique Seafront Seafront Villa and Straits Quay Retail Marina in Penang, the St Mary Residences in KL and the Delicious restaurants in Penang and KL.
The winner will be awarded a year-long contract with the E&O Group, taking on the mantle of Creative Chef, Hospitality & Lifestyle Division of the E&O Group. He will also be signed on as AFC Celebrity Chef for a year, to appear on the channel.
For Saxon, the highlight of the show was working with the contestants, watching t! hem grow episode by episode, and becoming better people. The objective was to set a challenge, promote Asian cuisine and use it as a platform. We were looking for a chef who can cook, entertain, shows confidence, is willing to be flexible with different cultures and to learn and shine. He must also have people and management skills and not be just a cook.
Indeed there are, looking at the zippy preview of the show at Dish in Kuala Lumpur. It is complete with all the drama that boils over in the heat of the kitchen, and the pressure of the competition.
You can also go to asianfoodchannel.com/nextafcchef for more information about the contestants, behind-the-scene pictures and weekly updates about the programme.
No comments:
Post a Comment