HÀ NỘI — The winner of the third Global Taste of Korea Contest 2017 in Việt Nam is Chu Ngọc Doanh, chef at Manna Bean Restaurant, who was chosen after a one-hour contest in Hà Nội last Friday. 

Doanh, 24, made the traditional mixed rice dish bibimbap, one of the best-known Korean dishes. He won the prize thanks to his four-year experience skills, food decor idea and taste.

The chef combined Vietnamese and Korean ingredients to make the bibimbap tastier, such as Vietnamese lotus seed. The bowl of bibimbap was placed in the middle of a fresh lotus leaf and the dish was decorated with fresh lotus. He also used different kinds of Vietnamese vegetables and Korean sesame oil and chili sauce.

"Rice is a main ingredient to mix with vegetables, meat and egg. I want to take advantage of different kinds of Vietnamese vegetables to make bibimbap," said Doanh. "I decided to make it because the traditional dish is healthy and I can make the dish eye-catching with colouful ingredients."

Vietnamese ingredients: Award-winning bibimbap by Chu Ngoc Doanh.

His idea paid off. Two other contestants also made the same dish, but his was judged the most attractive.

Doanh worked as a sous-chef while studying in Hà Nội from 2011-13. After graduation, he became the chef at Manna Bean Restaurant in the capital’s Keangnam Tower. He received strong support from the restaurant’s Korean owner who lent him a paper of Korean ancient letters used to decorate the dish. 

Doanh will receive a cash prize of US$3,000. The second-lace winner was Phạm Xuân Viên who prepared bulgogi, and the third prize went to Nguyễn Thị Phương Lan for a japchae dish. Viên and Lan will get $1,000 and $500, respectively. 

The contest was held by the Korean embassy to Việt Nam for all Vietnamese who are interested in Korean cuisine. The final round saw the participation of ten contestants selected from among hundreds of applicants. The jurors included Lady Won Hwa Soon, wife of the Korean ambassador, and  Kim Jung Mi, owner of the Gogu restaurant in Hà Nội.

The Global Taste of Korea contest was held annually around the world with the final round in Korea. Starting this year, the finals will only take place once in three years, but the contest will be held annually in Việt Nam. — VNS