During our special early bird enrollment event today, our future students had the opportunity to meet each other before the spring term starts, participate in an engaging workshop and share a delicious meal together.
After a refreshing welcome drink, the students were divided into 3 equal groups: the hot kitchen team, the bakery team, and the pastry team. Each group under the guidance of our ACAC chef faculty prepared a Korean Style dish for dinner and started to get familiar with the other students and the kitchen facilities. While at first, they seemed a little shy, once they started to engage with the chefs, the students quickly opened up and participated with much enthusiasm.
20 years old Thong Sorinneathvoleak, the first student to enrol for the upcoming spring semester, happily expressed her excitement about becoming a culinary student soon:
“I have been waiting for this moment for so long! I can’t wait to finally start my studies and learn new things. I’ve been cooking at home for many years, and I do have some experience in food preparation but here it’s a different level of professionalism and knowledge and I’m excited to soon be part of it”.
During the 1 ½ hour workshop, the students received instructions and support from their team-leading chef faculty, showing their talent and preparing their very first dish at the academy. They applied different preparation methods and items such as wok, grill, smoker, and oven.
The hot kitchen team, under the guidance of chef Pieter and chef Sochitra, cooked:
- Bao Bun filled with pulled pork and vegetables
- Steamed bok choy with plum sauce and sesame
- Marinated and grilled beef brisket
- Grilled baby corn, shiitake mushrooms and vegetables
- Grilled and smoked pork belly
- Gyoza in all shapes and colours
- Pickled mackerel, flamed with a torch
- Prawns from the wok with Chinese wine
The bakery team, supported by chef Kitech were responsible for:
- Mochi sticky pink and green rice cakes
- Steamed sweet colourful dumplings
And the pastry team, under the guidance of pastry chef Bunlong, created:
- Dasik mooncakes
- Vanilla cookie decoration
The feedback from the chef faculty was equally positive. They praised the high engagement and motivation demonstrated by the new future students during the workshop. Pastry instructor Bunlong also mentioned how happy he is to be able to have students back on campus for a proper in-person training again:
“After a long period of lockdowns and school closure, we are very glad to have the students back here and engage with them directly. It is possible to deliver high-quality classes online, but it is challenging, and it is not the same”.
For his students, Chef Bunlong emphasizes not only teaching the holistic skills they need upon graduation but educates them in kitchen management, time management and especially promotes the importance of teamwork:
“Everyone can learn how to read a recipe or make a purchase order, but the students have to understand the kitchen as a whole and be able to engage with other team members. The way a team collaborates as an entity determines its success and contributes to the business’s achievements. Today, the participants did a very good job as a team and I’m looking forward to working with them soon”.
The event ended up with a tasty meal shared among the chefs and the students, accompanied by happy smiles and the comment “self-prepared food simply tastes better!”.
To the question of what he enjoyed the most about this evening though, newly enrolled student Phal Hongly, mentioned the opportunity to meet and talk to the chefs and future classmates:
“It was great having the opportunity to meet some of my classmates before the term actually starts. I’ve had so much fun spending time with those who share the same passion as I do, and I feel even more convinced about my decision of becoming an ACAC student”.
The registration for our new term starting on May 23, 2022, is open and we are still accepting new students. Please apply here.