FOOD & BEVERAGE
Glencoe’s Matthew Liesemer Brings Home Gold, Again! Competing against top Chefs from around the world at the 2017 Hong Kong International Culinary Classic (HKICC) in May, Glencoe’s Matthew Liesemer won silver and gold medals in his categories (chicken and halibut), then went on to win the Bauhinia Cup for best of show!
W
ith tremendous growth in the past decade, the Hong Kong Culinary Classic is endorsed by WACS — World Association of Chefs Societies and co-organized by the Hong Kong Chefs Associations (HKCA). It’s part of HOFEX: The International Exhibition of Global Fine Food & Drinks & Hospitality Equipment & Supplies, a well-attended show that has been running now for 30 years, celebrating the very best of world cuisine. According to its page on the HOFEX website (hofex.com), for 2017 the Classic aimed to promote “culinary excellence, skills and abilities of Chefs, Cooks, Pastry Chefs / Cooks and Apprentices from close and far.” The final was a mystery box cook off, with the winner taking home the Bauhinia Cup for best of the best at the show.
Matthew was, indeed, best of the best and brought the Bauhinia Cup home to The Glencoe Club. Please take the time to congratulate him!
Here’s what our superstar Chef had to say about winning: “Not really sure what to say! I was initially only entered into two hot cooking categories, one being chicken (silver) and the other halibut (gold). I was quite relieved being finished as there was a lot of stress lifted off my shoulders and I could help the other students from SAIT with a more attentive eye. Then on the second last night of the EXPO we got a phone call from the organizer of the event saying I was invited back to compete in the Golden Bauhinia Cup challenge, a semi black box-style competition meaning the protein provided is a mystery. Bauhinia is the flower of Hong Kong. Only the top four scoring contestants are invited back out of around 250 competitors. So we went to the supermarket at 10 pm running around looking for groceries and inspiration. The next day went by really quickly and before I knew it I was competing again! I performed extremely well and I had nothing to lose so I gave it my all and won! Wooooohooooooo!” ~ Matthew Liesemer, Glencoe Chef and Bauhinia Cup Winner A
GLENCOE LIFE Vol. 2, Issue 2 17
