(From left to right: Kevin Soo, Ken Yu, chef instructor Jie Wen, Toby Chen and James Cen)
Join us in congratulating the VCC Asian Culinary Arts department for winning the silver medal at the 2024 Taipei World Championships of Cooking in Taipei, Taiwan held between June 28-30.
The team, consisting of VCC grads Kevin Soo, James Cen, Toby Chen, Ken Lu and VCC chef instructor Jie Wen, placed second in the School Team category, winning NT 60,000 (approx. $2,500 CAD), a team trophy, individual medals and certificates presented by Taipei Deputy Mayor Lin Yihua.
This is a significant achievement given that the team had practiced for four months under the guidance of chef instructors Sonny Ho, Barry Tsang and Jie Wen. The silver stars were also representing Canada on the world stage.
"This was a very tough competition given that the team was up against four-year programs from Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore," says VCC chef instructor Jie Wen. "But with the knowledge and skills our students have, I am extremely proud of what they have accomplished in such a short amount of time."
The VCC Asian Culinary Arts program is a five-month long certificate where students learn Asian cooking methods, dim sum and Asian hors d'oeuvres. It is the only one of its kind in North America.
This competition is an opportunity for chefs from all over the world to improve their skills through exchange and study. The highly coveted title "King of Chefs" draws chefs internationally, and is well-known for the Professional Team competition and Creative Cooking competition which features eye-catching sculptures and elaborate dishes.
With an increasing shortage of professional chefs across the globe, the competition, having ended its 17-year hiatus with its return this year, offers a chance to actively cultivate outstanding young chefs for any country looking to develop tourism and promote food culture.
The community like to thank the VCC Foundation for their support in sending the Asian Culinary Arts team to Taipei.
