Kumbira 2015 Closing: A Monster win

A TENSE atmosphere greeted guests during the closing and awarding ceremonies of Kumbira 2015 anchored on the theme: Let’s Talk Ingredients as the participants and their supporters awaited for the announcement of winners.

VIP Hotel bagged the runner-up prize for the professional category overall champion with Limketkai Luxe Hotel coming out on top.

The much-awaited announcing of winners for the student category was reserved for last.

There were 31 schools from all of Mindanao which participated during the 19th year of the longest running culinary show and live competitions held from August 12-14 which was spearheaded by the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (Cohara) and the spectators felt the tension as each of the winners was announced.

Three schools placed 2nd: Lourdes College, Liceo de Cagayan University, and last year’s student category overall champion, Tagoloan Community College. Father Saturnino Urios University of Butuan City came 1st runner up.

It was no surprise for everyone when Monster Kitchen Academy was proclaimed student category overall victor.

Meanwhile, the CdeO based baking and culinary arts school had proven once again that they were Kumbira’s team to beat. Jan Uy, owner and general manager of Monster Kitchen CdeO and Monster Kitchen Academy, was all smiles as his team went up the stage, “It’s overwhelming!

This is the first time that we’ve won in the student category,” he added. “We’ve been overall champion for the professional category for three years in a row, from 2012-2014 and we’ve decided to focus on our students this time.”

Numerous diplomas, bronze, silver, and gold awards were handed out for the winners of the various competitions during the three-day event. The gold medal for the Artists Bread Showpiece bearing the theme of Cagayan de Oro landmarks was awarded to Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology. Gold medals were also given to Monster Kitchen Academy for Creative Cake Decorating, Sweet House Pastry School for Dessert Buffet, and Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro for Plated Dessert.

Aside from the student and professional categories, Kumbira 2015 also featured cooking challenges for two more categories, the junior (high school students) and the kiddie (elementary students) categories.

No task was too difficult for these young chefs from 14 elementary and high schools in Mindanao as they battled it out in four events. The top prizes for the Junior Pastry and Dessert and the Junior Pantry Chef categories were bagged by Liceo de Cagayan University and University of Southern Mindanao Kidapawan respectively.

Not to be outdone by their kuyas and ates, adorable elementary students also impressed the judges with Puerto Elementary School placing first for Kiddie Pastry and Dessert while the Kiddie Pantry Chef champ was Kong Hua School.

Two schools will also get the chance to represent Mindanao during the Umami Culinary Challenge in January of 2016 after creating the best dishes in two categories during this year’s Kumbira.

My Own Umami Creation winner was Liceo de Cagayan University while the Best Filipino Umami Dish was made by University of Southern Mindanao Kabacan. The Umami Culinary Challenge is an annual culinary competition sponsored by Ajinomoto.

Also announced were the winners for Chef Wars where, for the very first time, both professionals and students competed in the same arena.

A bronze went to Lim Ket Kai Luxe hotel, while two silver medals were handed out as top prizes, Monster Kitchen Academy with 88 points and Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) with 91 points.

MUST will represent Mindanao in the national competition. The MUST team, Chef Raah Pitogo, Teacher Manilyn Rayan, and student Kevin Faith Cabaculan, bested eight other teams and were confident that they won the competition just based on the comments from the judges.

Sticking faithfully to idea of focusing on ingredients, Chef Raah added, “We used truly native Filipino ingredients but the fusion and presentation is modern. We also made sure to focus on coconut.”

Chef Myrna Segismundo, in her message, couldn’t have put it any better, “The Philippines is in the culinary map.” Riain Alfonso

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