A visit to the UAE’s East Coast Culinary Competition in Fujairah

The 2014 East Coast Culinary Competition brought out the best in more than 100 international chefs who competed in Fujairah.

A Chef taking part in the cake competition in the East Coast Culinary Competition. Pawan Singh / The National

It was hard to tell who the bigger stars were at this year’s East Coast Culinary Competition in Fujairah: the chefs or the masterpieces they created. The third annual event was held on Monday and brought out the best from budding and experienced chefs alike. Chefs came from all corners of the UAE as well as from Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Croatia and Oman to compete in what’s quickly becoming a high-profile competition.

Most of the chefs competing at the event are employed at high-end hotels, but there were also groups from Bentley Bistro & Bar in Abu Dhabi, Emirates Flight Catering and the Sharjah Ladies Club. The event was open to the public and had 14 categories that chefs could enter.

A highlight for visitors to the event was the chocolate showpieces. The kitchen artists who visualised and executed the pieces had given close attention to detail. A crowd favourite was a white-chocolate pegasus, complete with defined muscle tone perfectly carved into the sculpture.

The gold-medal winner was a chocolate carving of two men balancing carefully over a crocodile.

Creative showpieces

Some of the breads on display in the bread category included rhubarb with sunflower seeds, coconut and lemongrass skewers, purple potato and sweetcorn loaf and beetroot bread. The chefs’ bread-baking creativity would have been enough to impress, but all of the breads were displayed within larger-than-life showpieces that, though hard to believe, were, in fact, also made of bread.

The pastry showpiece category was another way for chefs to show off their artistic talent. The pieces included statues – all edible – depicting fire and ice duelling dragons, a warrior holding a javelin in one hand and a bald eagle in the other, and one called Happiness of Love, which looked like an antique piece better suited for a museum than a food competition.

There was also a live vegetable-carving competition which had many chefs meticulously chopping and carving large pumpkins into human faces.

Pride in their work

It was evident on the chefs’ faces that they were proud of what they’d brought to the competition. After their pieces were finished, the chefs were often found sitting side-by-side on a small stage – with nervous smiles – waiting for the judges to dissect their hard work. As with any competition, these chefs had come to win. But as the event carried on, there was a distinct feeling in the air that this was not about winning or losing. These chefs were here creating, collaborating, learning and growing.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to see what others can do and learn from them, as well,” said Mo Badri, a young commis chef from The Address Montgomerie Dubai. “It’s getting me to think much deeper. It’s a good experience to be here.”

Rami Hammoud, a 31-year-old Syrian sous chef at the Madinat Jumeirah Dubai, competed in the three-course gourmet dinner category. His father owns two restaurants in Syria and he learnt his craft by cooking for his three brothers and two sisters. Hammoud says he likes the acknowledgement that comes with events such as these: “I like to show my experience. I push myself to do well.”

Detailed organisation

A driving force behind the competition is K A S Prasad, the executive chef of the Miramar Al Aqah Hotel in Fujairah. He’s also the East Coast vice president of the Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG). In addition to his regular chef duties, he has spent the past four months organising every detail to pull off this international event. Surveying the crowd, Prasad knows he’s succeeded. “I’m very proud,” he says. “I cannot describe how happy I am.”

The competition is hosted by the ECG and the World Association of Chefs Societies. Uwe Micheel, ECG’s president and the head judge of the competition, says these events are vital for budding chefs in the UAE and abroad. “We have some really good [chefs] here. They see what others are doing, they learn what others are doing – it’s what they take with them,” he says.

Micheel, who is also the executive chef at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, has lived in Dubai for 22 years. His work with the ECG aims to keep the UAE in the culinary spotlight. “When I came here, there was close to nothing,” he says. “There was very, very little and when you see what has been built up and to be part of it – I think it’s very rewarding.”