Ten local chefs to compete for BC Chinese Chef of the Year at BC Foodservice Expo

VANCOUVER, Jan. 20, 2012 /CNW/ - The woks will be steaming and the fish sauce flying when 10 local chefs compete to be crowned the first ever BC Chinese Chef of the Year. This iron-chef-style live competition will take place Jan. 29 and 30 on the Discover Presentation Stage at the BC Foodservice Expo.

Metro Vancouver is among the top destinations outside of China for outstanding Chinese cuisine. The BC Chinese Chef of the Year Competition aims to recognize culinary professionalism in local Chinese restaurants and to raise the profiles of Chinese chefs within the wider chef community. While other restaurant awards acknowledge winning restaurants' cuisine excellence, the BC Chinese Chef of the Year will endorse the individuals behind the gourmet dishes.

The competing chefs are members of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) and the BC Chefs Association. Nine teams have been selected to date, based on merit and experience.

• Gordon Ping Wah Chan of Always Seafood Restaurant
• Sam Ka Bo Leung of Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
• Wing Ho of Fortune Seafood Restaurant
• Anthony Shy Wing Leung of Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
• Joseph Jiang of The Jade Seafood Restaurant
• Kent Wong of Red Sun Seafood Restaurant
• Chun Lum Ma of Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant
• Keng Wai Ng of Vivacity Restaurant
• Todd Bright of Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant

"The competition will surely be the highest-profiled professional Chinese chef event for the Chinese chef community in this province," said Chef Donald Gyurkovits, CCFCC president and one of the event organizers. "I am so proud of my colleagues in the Chinese community for stepping up to this exciting challenge. I look forward to witnessing the making of Canadian culinary history!"

Over the two-day event, the chef teams will be engaged in multiple rounds of competitions with the quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds of competition carried out in the black box format.

"This competition offers chefs a brilliant opportunity for both professional and personal development," said Chief Judge Alex Chen, Canada's representative to the Bocuse d'Or and one of Canada's top chefs. After getting his own competition start at the BC Foodservice Expo over 10 years ago, Chef Chen is delighted to come full circle and to be judging here for 2012.

With over 250 exhibit booths featuring new products, foods, ideas and services, the BC Foodservice Expo is British Columbia's largest hospitality trade show. Industry professionals who register will join more than 5,000 attendees who travel from the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan to attend two days of focused trade show, seminars and chef competitions.

Register online at www.bcfoodexpo.ca to take advantage of the special advance discount - $20 off the on-site registration fee.

The BC Foodservice Expo is owned and operated by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, one of the country's leading business associations with more than 30,000 members. CRFA also owns and operates the CRFA Show (www.crfashow.ca) and is the title sponsor of the ApEx show in Halifax (www.apextradeshow.ca) and the Alberta Foodservice Expo (www.albertafoodserviceexpo.ca). Proceeds from the shows fund CRFA's advocacy, research and member services in support of a growing and prosperous Canadian restaurant industry.

Media contact:
Samantha Scholefield, BC Foodservice Expo Show Manager 
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Office: 604-685-9655 x2 Cell 604-838-7956
[email protected]