(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- The second season of the Master Chef Competition organised by Indian School Sohar was nothing short of a professional contest; 120 teachers of Indian School Sohar donned the chef caps and aprons and got ready to compete for the art of cooking. There were some men too; those who have been admirers and critiques of their mom's and wife's food had to finally cook and face the test this time.
It was a 'Test of the Teachers'; those who are used to evaluating their pupils faced the test themselves. Sanchita Verma, principal of Indian School Sohar, said, 'The idea behind the ISS Master Chef Competition is not just to create a platform for our teachers to showcase their culinary expertise but also to put their craft in a competitive format, wherein they could also enhance their skills. It is also a team building and relaxing exercise.'
Taking the competition a level up this year, a pre-event mentorship session with chef Shankar Kotian, executive chef of Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sohar was organised to help the teachers get creative ideas and tips to enhance and up-scale their culinary talent. Post the session, chef Kotian said, 'I am amazed at the enthusiasm and interest shown by the teachers and this is a great initiative by the school because apart from being a break from the routine, the event also provides an opportunity to the teachers to be recognised for their extra-curricular expertise.'
Thirty teams of four teachers each were asked to prepare, plate-up and present a four-course menu consisting of an appetiser/starter, a salad, a main course (the common main ingredient for which was cottage cheese/panner) and a dessert.
The judging panel constituted of industry experts from Sohar including, chef Kotian, chef Jay Shanaka, executive chef, Radisson Blu Hotel; Ms Han, F & B manager and chef Hossam Eissa, head chef de cuisine of Mercure Hotel, Gautam Bose, acting general manager, chef Joy Singh, executive chef of the Sohar Beach Hotel and Wilson Rajan, general manager, Zaeem Foods Restaurant. The guest judges included Randhawa of the Royal Court of Diwan, Dipak from Muscat Pharmacy, Karunesh Verma from Khimji Ramdas and socialites Amneet Randhawa and Punita Dipak.
The criteria for judging and scoring was based on the following: Introduction (five points); Presentation (ten points); Creativity (ten points); Method of Preparation/Difficulty (five points) and Taste (20 points). The combined points were added up from all the judges and averaged for a total score out of a possible 50 points.
The declaration of the winners was an exciting and thrilling occasion where the 'Best of Best' were recognised, awarded and applauded. Apart from the ISS Master Chef 2.0 Winners and Runner-Up teams, prizes were given to winners and runners-up in each course/category. Prizes were also given for Best Outfit, Best Team Name, All Men's and Omani teams who also won a special appreciation for their proactive participation. Ajay Damani, management member of Indian School Sohar, led the entire event ceremoniously; Dilip Asher another management member was also present.
Bose while giving away a host of free dining vouchers to the winning teams including a complimentary night stay for the Master Chef winners, said, 'For us, it was a great experience and we wish similar culinary events are encouraged and organised often.' It was truly a great culinary showcase which was not only enlightening for the participants but also was a great experience for the judges. While appreciating the creative abilities of the teachers, chef Shanaka, said, 'The Master Chef 2.0 competition organised by Indian School Sohar was like a professional culinary challenge and it was my privilege to be judging such great talent.' The winners of ISS Master Chef 2.0 were team Gourmet Crackers including Sudarshan Gupta, Ankita Gupta and Salini Agarwal.
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