SCENE CITY| Waterfront Davao Champions Unilever’s Elite Chef Challenge

WATERFRONT INSULAR HOTEL DAVAO’s Rhyan Bahi-an and Ashlie Martin were declared culinary champions at the Unilever Food Solutions’ Elite Chef Challenge held last March 9, 2017 at the Davao Trade and Convention Center.

UFS-EFC was a live cooking competition exclusively for UFS hotel, restaurant, and catering partners. Just as how master chefs are trained and tested, a mystery box containing the main dish ingredients were given the morning of the competition. Each participating team had to come up with delicious and creative dishes using all the ingredients given, particularly UFS hero products Knorr Hollandaise Sauce and Knorr Liquid Seasoning. Two chefs per team were to feature two entries according to the competition theme – a Western Style Main Dish and an Innovative Filipino Dish.

Winning against seven other teams, Waterfront impressed the judges with their Bisteca de Manzo (Western dish) with proccini demi glace, grilled salmon with vanilla hollandaise and broccoli puree with truffles and Bagoong Rock Honey Chicken, a Filipino dish with salted egg, prawns and a taste of Mayonesa Samgyeopsal. The criteria for judging included the Mise-En-Place (10 points), Correct Professional Preparation (20 points), Taste (40 points), Presentation (20 points) and Teamwork (10 points).

Other hotels and resorts who competed were Marco Polo Davao and Eden Nature Park and Resort. As Champions, Bahi-an and Martin received individual gold medals and certificates, a trophy and a P30,000 cash prize. Prior to the 2017 competition, Chef Rhyan Bahi-an also represented Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao in the same competition in 2015 and placed 1st runner up after Marco Polo Davao.

Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao is one of four properties under Waterfront Hotels and Casinos. Fronting the Davao Gulf and the Samal Island, it nestles in an eight-hectare ground and is considered the beachfront gateway to the diverse, colorful and rich cultural heritage of Davao City.