Winner of 'Masterchef Vietnam 2013': Vietnam has not yet recognized cooking as a professional profession

 Masterchef Vietnam 2013 Ngo Thanh Hoa shared that in the perception of many Vietnamese people, cooking is still a luxury, time consuming, or just a 'responsibility'. And the kitchen profession is still not properly recognized.

Masterchef Vietnam 2013 Ngo Thanh Hoa

Masterchef Vietnam 2013 Ngo Thanh Hoa

 

 

 

Ngo Thanh Hoa was born and raised in Phan Thiet. At the age of 21, he decided to go to Australia to study at Central Queen's University. After 18 years of living and working in Australia, he returned to Vietnam in 2012. Since then, his life has really turned to a new, completely different page.

His passion for cooking is rooted in the flavors of his mother. "I've known how to cook since I was 6 years old. As the eldest son in the family, I help my father in things like cooking rice, boiling vegetables, boiling eggs... Initially it was my responsibility, but it took a long time. gradually it becomes a passion that is always unknown," he said. Through the program "King of Chefs of Vietnam", he has shown that he is an extremely passionate person about the taste of fish, cooking fish dishes is always interesting to him.

Leaving the position of marketing manager of a famous furniture company to pursue a career as a chef, Masterchef Vietnam 2013 laughed when sharing: "After 8 years of hard work and study to receive a university degree majoring in hospitality Marketing and the necessary skills, all of which can't be compared with my passion for cooking."

Winner of 'Masterchef Vietnam 2013': Vietnam has not recognized cooking as a professional profession - photo 1

Ngo Thanh Hoa (left) with famous Malaysian chef James Won

Winner of 'Masterchef Vietnam 2013': Vietnam has not recognized cooking as a professional profession - photo 2

We must recognize that chefs are professional and they also work as artists, also creating art, not just making ordinary dishes.

MASTERCHEF VIETNAM 2013 NGO THANH HOA

* Since you were crowned Masterchef Vietnam for the first season, have you changed a lot in your work?

- Ngo Thanh Hoa: Yes. It's only been a few years since the program ended, but for me, there are so many valuable lessons. I have the opportunity to interact with many different chefs, both inside and outside of Vietnam, which enriches my work. I also get to share what I've learned in the past. I have the opportunity to combine my experiences with new ones to create more to help young people who are passionate about food in Vietnam have a new perspective and perspective on Vietnamese cuisine. Each such trip cannot be calculated in money, but it has higher values. I have made products with novel combinations, called little achievements along the way.

* Is your career destination the Michelin stars (a prestigious award in the culinary industry) and why are these Michelin-starred chefs so rare in Vietnam?

- A Michelin star or a one-star or two-star level seemed to me a few years ago a luxury, something I feel I don't even want to think about. But for about 1-2 years now, I thought why don't I set a criterion for development and aim for me to improve, both knowledge and skill... While in Vietnam, I have many opportunities. there. I think if we try we can do it.

The fact that in Vietnam I have not had or have not achieved many Michelin stars is because the chef profession was still considered an unprofessional profession. Although people can call us professional chefs or something, people seem to forget that to achieve those things it also requires a lot of skills and knowledge. In Vietnam, the chefs rarely do new things combined with novelty. And we need to recognize the problem that we have to learn more, cultivate more. Then one day, the standard of Michelin-starred international chefs is no longer a luxury for Vietnam.

Winner of 'Masterchef Vietnam 2013': Vietnam has not recognized cooking as a professional profession - photo 4

A dish of Ngo Thanh Hoa has a blend of French-style cuisine and special ingredients from Vietnam such as lettuce, green lobster...

* Have you noticed that the Masterchef Vietnam contest is not as popular as other international editions?

- Actually, we have to look at this issue from many perspectives. We have to see that the profession of chef is quite appreciated abroad and cooking has become a skill. In Vietnam, we have a dish every time we step out onto the street. Cooking abroad after a day's work is something of a thrill, an experience in its own right. In Vietnam, it is easy for them to think of cooking as something very time consuming, a task... With the Masterchef program, the program helps to transform a person from "likes to cook" to a "professional chef". , that's what I'm missing. We only have people who love to cook, but we don't see cooking as a real passion. The Masterchef program needs people who love to cook and have passion. I believe that