| Aziz Idris |
DAYANGKU Fatin Nasibah binti Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan with her dish of Aussie Nasi Katok won the judges’ hearts at the Culinary Challenge held at the Taste of Australia in Brunei food fair at the Radisson Hotel yesterday.
Dayangku Fatin Nasibah the winner of this year’s challenge won the grand prize of two return tickets to Brisbane.
Other winners were IBTE student Mohd Fadhlullah Muayyad bin Abdul Majid, who won the Culinary category; Ryan Sim, who won the Youth category; and Nur Haji Mustapa, who won the Open category.
All winners received Australian food hampers and gift vouchers from the event sponsors.
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong was the guest of honour at the event which saw hundreds flocking to sample a smorgasbord of culinary delights from the ‘Land Down Under’.
Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Nicola Rosenblum was also present.
The highlight of the event, organised by the Australian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam, was the appearance of 2018 MasterChef Australia winner Sashi Cheliah.
Sashi displayed his culinary skills and prepared two dishes – grilled prawns with Lemon Myrtle Butter and glazed beef steak roll – before a packed audience.
Lemon myrtle is a delicious plant native to Australia, used as an ingredient in health products and for cooking.
In her opening speech, the Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam expressed her delight at the event’s success.
“Sashi wowed our crowd with his cooking demonstrations. He showed us various aspects of Australia’s culinary traditions from our flavours to our ingredients, to how they can be creatively prepared into a delicious meal,” she said.
The event also featured a number of exhibitions showcasing fresh Australian produce, from dairy products and meat, to pantry staples such as honey and rice.
The food fair’s showpiece event was the Culinary Challenge, which saw 36 amateur chefs competing against one another to create the best dish featuring at least one Australian and Bruneian ingredient or flavour.
The challenge was divided into the following categories: Youth (under 21 years), Culinary (Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) students), Open (all ages), and Grand Prize.
Local food blogger Thanis Lim and Chef Sashi were the judges.
According to Rosenblum, the winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced today.
“Australians and Bruneians are both passionate about food, so it was a joy to see that in the fantastic response from everyone,” she said.