Sarawakian chef wins Special Gold Medal at 22nd Shanghai Hongbo Food Festival Culinary Heritage Performance Competition

Chef Lee Cheng Choong. Photo credit: Lee Cheng Choon

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 23: Chef Lee Cheng Choong, 38, has shone an international spotlight on Sarawak by winning a Special Gold Medal at the 22nd Shanghai Hongbo Food Festival Culinary Heritage Performance Competition on Oct 22.

According to a press release today, Lee, who hailed, from Bintulu, is a head chef at a Chinese restaurant in Sarawak with 18 years of culinary experience.

He specialises in food paste, and sauce making, in particular, curry paste and he is renowned in traditional and modern Chinese cuisine.

At the prestigious event, hosted in Shanghai, Lee said he is happy to have mingled with top culinary talents, from around the world.

He expressed his pride and joy representing Sarawak and is proud to have received the special gold medal.

“Winning this award for Sarawak is an incredible honour. It feels amazing to have our local flavours recognised on such a big stage.

“I hope this achievement inspires more people to explore the rich culinary heritage of our region, he added.

Lee hoped to use his win, to further promote Sarawak cuisine, globally.

“I want to bring our traditional dishes to the international market, especially through my speciality in curry paste.

“This recognition has given me the platform to take Sarawak’s food culture to new heights,” he added. — DayakDaily