Last night, the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia (ACAC) proudly launched the first in a new series of competitive dining events in collaboration with Indoguna Cambodia, featuring premium Australian beef by Harvey Beef – Western Australia’s oldest and most trusted beef brand.
The event brought together education, industry, and innovation, offering a unique opportunity for students to apply their culinary skills in a real-world setting.
As part of their final project in the Advanced Practical Culinary course, 36 students were divided into 6 teams, each responsible for designing and executing a five-course dinner menu. The challenge: build an original menu around two exceptional beef cuts—Grain-fed FLAP meat and OYSTER steak, provided by Harvey Beef. In addition, each menu had to incorporate a sorbet, a fish course inspired by tuna loin, a lime- or cherry-based drink, and a vanilla cream dessert.
Over the past week, the teams developed their concepts, recipes, and service strategies. Then came the big night: each group presented their dishes to a table of invited industry professionals and chefs, who acted as judges. Every guest received a dish from each group, out of the six unique menus and scored each course on taste, presentation, creativity, and overall concept.
“We’re excited to support a new generation of chefs,” said a representative from the Harvey Beef team, who had just arrived from Australia earlier that morning. “Seeing how these students handled our product with such creativity and enthusiasm was truly inspiring.”
Founded in Western Australia, Harvey Beef is renowned for its high-quality, sustainably raised cattle and commitment to delivering premium grain-fed beef to global markets. Their presence at the event marked the beginning of deeper engagement in Cambodia’s growing food scene.
The event was made possible through collaboration with Indoguna Cambodia, a leading distributor of high-quality meats, seafood, and fine foods. Indoguna’s long-standing partnership with ACAC reflects a shared mission to elevate culinary standards and support talent development in Cambodia’s hospitality industry.
Guests were equally impressed.
“The level of creativity and professionalism from the students was impressive,” shared Sao Sopheak, Executive Chef at Thalias Hospitality.
And for the students, the evening offered more than a competition — it was a bonding experience filled with real-time learning and teamwork.
“Working under pressure with my team pushed us to new limits. We learned so much,” said Vann Vitra, ACAC Advanced Culinary student.
“I’ve never been prouder of what we accomplished together,” added Bun Bona.
When the scores were tallied, Group 3 emerged as the winning team, followed closely by Group 5 as runner-up and Group 2 on third place. Each student in the winning team was recognized for their creativity, execution, and collaboration.
Beyond the food and the competition, the event embodied ACAC’s mission: preparing young professionals through immersive, hands-on learning experiences that reflect the demands and standards of the global culinary industry.
Stay tuned as this series continues—more challenges, more innovation, and more opportunities for Cambodia’s future chefs to shine.
