THE final competition of the Marriott International South China Chef Battle Event was held at JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen on July 6. Six chefs from five hotels in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Sanya, respectively, participated in the event and showcased their great talents.

Christ Dong, the sous chef of Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan won the competition and earned the title of “master chef” of the competition.

Under the theme of “The Five Senses,” Dong made a dish called “the aroma of the sea,” which combined the flavors of Lingnan cuisine with Western seafood. He used the delicate fragrance of dried tangerine peels to strengthen the natural flavor of lobster. His twist impressed audiences and judges and in turn won him the competition.

Chef Ryan Xu from China Hotel Guangzhou was the runner-up with his dish called “setting sail with fully loaded hope.” Chef Jack Wu from The Westin Guangzhou won the third prize and served up “gold and jade fill the hall.”

Jason Ong, regional director of F&B, Greater China, Marriott International, said, “By going through a highly selective and highly competitive process, we invited only six chefs among 47 chefs from 38 hotels located in 13 cities to the final.

To date, Marriott International owns 30 hotel brands in over 110 countries with more than 5,700 hotels and 1.1 million rooms across the globe. We are expecting that with more and more hotels, we can improve the spread of culinary skills and the sharing of culinary experiences with each hotel member.”

For the competition, the chefs were required to not only sculpt the color, smell and taste of their dishes, but also imbue their dishes with a concept that only a chef with a true passion for food could come up with. The Chef Battle is a signature event of Marriott International across Greater China and works to unite all of China in the effort to push the boundaries of culinary experiences.(Tan Yifan)