VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty-one-year-old Vietnamese student Ola Nguyen has just won the seventh edition of MasterChef Poland.

Ola Nguyen (second from left) receives her prize at the event.

Born as Nguyen Hoang Minh Tam, she was the first Vietnamese to join the contest and the youngest ever champion of the event in Poland.

Over the fierce rounds of the contest, Ola showed off her strength despite being among the youngest competitors.

The judges praised her desserts, which have been a weak point of amateur Vietnamese chefs in the past.

Ola also showed her sense humour, saying she was even willing to put traditional nước mắm (fish sauce) on her sweet dessert.

In an interview with a local journalist, she said she was excited to have her Vietnamese grandmother there to cheer her on while competing at the studio.

“My grandmother gave birth to seven children and she has 24 grandchildren,” she said. “She has worked hard throughout her life. Now, though she is suffering from diabetes and some other diseases, she still travels every year and plants her own vegetables…Though we rarely talk about this, each of us is proud of her.”

Ola Nguyen settled in Poland with her parents at seven years old. From a young girl who did not speak any Polish, now she is a third-year student of finance.

She walked away with 100,000 zloty (approximately US$27,000) and will publish a book on cuisine soon. 

Ola Nguyen said she is proud of her grandmother.

Source: VNS