The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Posted: 08 Nov 2011 04:22 PM PST

(Left to right) Saxon, Olson, and Lim are seen in this AFC promotional image.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — It was the largest talent search in Asia, spanning five cities and filming took place over 100 days. Now it's time to roll out the E&O Search for AFC's Next Celebrity Chef, which will come on air tonight at 10pm over Astro Channel 703.

"It's going to be an incredible show," said Mike Saxon (right), E&O's director of hospitality and lifestyle. Saxon is also a judge on the show, together with guest judges Chef Bruce Lim of AFC's Tablescapes, Anna Olson of AFC's Fresh With Anna Olson and our very own Chef Wan.

"It's ours, an Asian product and we should support it. We encountered lots of fantastic contestants and had a good time," added Saxon.

"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. It's 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 them 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."

Applicants queue up for the auditions to the E&O Search for AFC's Next Celebrity Chef. — AFC pic

The candidates encompassed young and old, said Goh, with some bakers, housewives and "young student chefs who showed us they had a very bright future... It's been a journey for both AFC and E&O. We did it on time and on target, and there are lots of pure intensity moments in the show."

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.

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Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Selasa, 8 November 2011

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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