Celebrity Challenge
The Great Hong Kong Culinary Cook Off

November 7, 2008

Article by C. Smith Photographs and editing by G.C. Eyre © 2008 All Rights Reserved

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada, and co-hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Metropolitan Hotels held the "Celebrity Challenge -- The Great Hong Kong Culinary Cook Off" this Friday (November 7) at the Toronto Metropolitan Hotel's Mandarin Ballroom to promote Hong Kong as Asia's culinary capital - it featured famous Hong Kong chef and TV personality Chung Chow and the hotel's chief chef Patrick Lin. There was a Chinese cooking competition among Toronto celebrities Zain Meghji, Roz Weston and Justin Ryan & Colin McAllister who cooked under the humour-laden commentary of Chef Chow in this culinary challenge. The judges were Tre Armstrong, Chung Chow and Patrick Lin. The hosts were Kurt Browning and Jennifer Lo. This Challenge was a prelude to the annual culinary event, "Dumplings & Dynasties: The Evolution of Modern Chinese Cuisine", organised by the James Beard Foundation from November 13 to 15 in New York in which Chef Chow, Chef Lin and their team will take part in the design of the event's menu.

The Cocktail Reception

Guests enjoyed a fine reception with wine, drinks and cocktails as well as fine Cuisine while mingling with the chefs and other VIP's which included the Director of HKETO, Ms Maureen Siu, the HKTB's Ms Karisa Liu, and Corporate Director of the Metropolitan Hotels Ms. Dorothy Hatt attended the event.

Dinner

Guests enjoyed an extremely delicious seven course dinner which included: double-boiled seafood treasures in baby papaya, pan-fried lobster tail with dragon tea leaves, chicken and Yunnan ham filled pear with spinach sauce and fried rice with Canadian smoked salmon and roe!

The Celebrity Challenge -- The Great Hong Kong Culinary Cook Off was a fine evening for worthy causes in that the celebrity chefs got to donate prize money to a charity of their choice. It was a great effort on the part of all the sponsors, organizers, celebrities, bar staff, waiters and journalists.