Two students from Hanoi on Thursday won the Taste of Australia culinary competition after beating three other teams at the final of the first nationwide culinary contest.

Winners Nguyen Phuong Dieu and Nguyen Hong Quan from KOTO Hanoi at the final of the first nationwide Taste of Australia Culinary Competition. 

The winners Nguyen Phuong Dieu and Nguyen Hong Quan are from the social enterprise KOTO (Know One, Teach One).

The winners will receive a free trip to Sydney courtesy of leading Australian culinary institutions, William Blue College of Hospitality Management and Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School under Torrens University.

They will also receive scholarships paying for half of their tuition to study culinary arts in Sydney.

On April 18, 17 teams in Hanoi, HCM City, Da Nang and Nha Trang took part in the competition, including challenging skills tests and an intriguing mystery box full of premium Australian ingredients.

Teams from KOTO in Hanoi and HCM City, Sunflower School in Nha Trang and Viet-Uc Vocational College in Da Nang won the competition and went on to compete in the final at the Intercontinental Sun Peninsula Da Nang.

Speaking at the competition, Australian Consul-General Karen Lanyon said: “Australian culinary education is world-class. The winners of this competition will have a life-changing opportunity to experience some of the best international culinary training environments, taking their skills and knowledge to the next level.”

This was the competition’s second year in Viet Nam, but the first year it was held nationally.

Judges and coaches for the final were Taste of Australia Ambassador Celebrity Chef Luke Nguyễn, MasterChef Viet Nam Ngo Thanh Hoa, MasterChef Korea Sid Choi, Australian Consul-General Karen Lanyon and Madame Anh Tuyet.

Taste of Australia is a celebration of Australian food, beverages, cuisine, fashion and design, held throughout Viet Nam every April.

Taste of Australia encompasses a wide range of exciting and delicious events and activities in Hanoi, HCM City, Da Nang, and Nha Trang.

It aims to promote Australia’s high-quality food, premium wine and beverages, and delicious cuisine, as well as the country’ creative film, education and world-class fashion and design. 

VNS