Around 40 chefs from five countries competed for two days at the International 2017 New Zealand Master Chef challenge held at the Fresh Factory—a techni-coloured studio building with full filming kitchen, acoustic curtains, camera, lighting and sound options.
Many guests from east Auckland made their way to the red carpet event with chefs from Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Around 200 guests cheered as the chefs outdid themselves at the challenge hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Auckland, Chung Hua Woman’s Association and Taiwan Business Association.
The challenge was held for the first time in New Zealand along with the Taiwan Food Festival which follows the recently-held Taiwan Film Festival, and is a build up to the Taiwan Day to be held later in the year.
The exquisite works of art on a plate showcased a strong sense of design, aesthetics and incredible skill made it very difficult for the judges to pick a winner.
The overall champions were a team of chefs from Taiwan.
Thrilled with the response, Dr Chung-Hsing Chou, director general Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Auckland, said that food has no cultural boundaries and is a great connector: “This is a great way to strengthen ties between Taiwan and New Zealand,” he said.
