Daily Times

LOS ANGELES: “I haven’t chosen the restaurant as yet,” top chef Fatima Ali said, while talking exclusively to Daily Times.

Yes, it has happened. On Monday, Fatima was announced the winner of Chef’s Roll’s prestigious Centre Stage competition, that gives the winner an opportunity to take up a once in a lifetime apprenticeship at any one of the world’s best restaurants for a month.

Eleven young cooks vied to make it to the finals. The four most promising applicants got flown to Los Angeles for a final test at one of the premier chef placement agencies in the US, Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions Hospitality Recruitment. The Final Round was sponsored by Minor’s and Arc Cardinal. The four finalists faced a definitive series of challenges to determine the winning Stagiaire.

Fatima, the winner, will now go on to complete a one-month stage at the participating restaurant of her choice, paid for by Chef’s Roll. “There were three rounds; the appetiser, the entrée and dessert. In the first round I made a steak tartare with avocado, heirloom tomatoes and blue cheese foam. In the second round, we had to scale and butcher a whole sea bass and use that to make a jasmine rice pine nut pilaf with a curry leaf mushroom temper and a coconut ginger broth,” Fatima told us.

“In the second round, the secret ingredient was a Callebaut dark chocolate and chocolate pearls, and I made hazelnut fritters with a chocolate rose water ganache along with salted caramel vanilla ice cream,” she added.

There were more than 200 contestants, all eager to get their hands on the coveted prize. Towards the very end, only four remained who competed in a live final which went from 9am to 8pm!

Fatima is truly the pride of our country and we wish her the best for all her future culinary endeavours!