Eleven chefs from the Kingdom's top hotels will be making their way to Singapore next month to cook up a storm at one of the most respected culinary challenges in the world.

They will be competing against professional and student chefs from five-star hotels, restaurants and culinary institutes from all over the world at Asia's largest international food and hospitality trade exhibition, Food and Hotel Asia 2006, which runs from April 25 to 28 at the Singapore Expo. A panel of 56 internationally known master chefs will name the winners.

The competition should give the participants an invaluable opportunity to gain international exposure, exchange information and learn about each other's culinary cultures. The challenge will also serve as an international benchmark for raising culinary standards, food presentation skills and service in the industry.

Endorsed by the World Association of Cooks, the competition comprises of four main challenges - the National Team Challenge, the Gourmet Team Challenge, the Dream Team Challenge and the Individual Challenge.

All the Thai participants are taking on the Individual challenge, which is divided into 15 classes ranging from pastries, desserts, ice carving and cake dressing to cold and hot entrees. The Thai team is being sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Travelling to the island state are Mukda Sinsuwan, the demi-Chef de Partie of the Sukhothai Hotel who will compete in fruit and vegetable carving; Kaweewong Tawatnagul, Commis II of Nai Lert Park Bangkok (plate dishes); Norased Tangkiatkamjai of the Oriental, Bangkok (desserts) and Suparp Wichupunkul also of the Oriental who'll be competing in the pastries category.

Mukda has been in the hospitality industry for 14 years and was with Patong Beach Hotel and Le Meridian Khao Lak before moving to the Sukhothai Bangkok.

In addition to her delicately carved fruits and vegetables, Mukda will also be making traditional pottery to add an extra Thai touch to her work.

Suparp from the Oriental's China House will be creating his showpiece - a colourful underwater scene in the Andaman made entirely of icing sugar. The trick, says the 50-year-old chef who has been with the hotel for two decades, is coming up with a scene that looks real.

Norased from the Oriental's Le Normandie is preparing four desserts for the competition and plans to hook the judges in with his new creation, fried sticky rice with mango, which was inspired by Thai favourite khao mao thod - whole bananas deep fried in a coconut batter. He's also whipping up yoghurt mousse, lotus seed mouse and chocolate mouse.

Kaweewong, of Nai Lert Park Bangkok's Ma Maison who graduated from the Dusit Thani College just two years ago, will be showcasing rack of lamb with dried fruit and vegetable salsify.

Despite his youth and relative lack of experience, Kaweewong showed so much commitment to the challenge that his supervisor agreed to enter him for the plate dish category. His faith in this youngster was rewarded when the Singapore Tourism Board selected the young chef for sponsorship.

Kaweewong's colleague Narongrit Kaewsuwan, who is being sponsored by the Nai Lert Park, Bangkok, is entered in the ice-carving category.

Juthamas Cholthavornpong

The Nation