It was a East VS West fight!

Charming Claudio Sandri is the Head Chef at Brasserie Wolf, drawing inspiration from traditional French cuisine.

The women at the event were gaga over him! He asked for ONE volunteer to push the Bosch induction hob buttons–Bosch calls stove as “hob”–and almost all the women volunteered. It was the first time I saw Singaporeans so enthusiastic to volunteer!

On the east end, we had the very knowledgable and brilliant Chef John See who was the Chief Chef to former Australian Prime Minister John Howard. It is truly an honor to eat something cooked by Chef See.

Chef See also oversaw the delicious canapes. Which means he can do Western food too! Don’t play play.

Let the food fight begin!

It started with Chef Sandri explaining the uses of Bosch induction hobs. Do you know many foodies at the event use Bosch at home? And do you know Michelin-starred restaurants use induction stoves/hobs because it takes a shorter time to heat the pan or boil water; because the kitchen is less hot, and because it is much safer as you can touch the surface of the hob even when it’s on and it won’t cause fire?

And then we were tossed over to Chef See and then back to Chef Sandri and so on as they prepared and cooked their dishes. It was super exciting, giving us an insight of how it is to work in a restaurant kitchen.

They had to coordinate their timing so that their food would be ready at the same time. They were racing against time. The atmosphere was electrifying, seeing these two great chefs at work. It was like a fierce gladiator fight, except they were both on the same team. Team Bosch! that can be used to cook both western and eastern food.

Chef Sandri prepared fish stuffed with ratatouille, a quintessential French dish.

Recipe of Ratatouille: saute onion, zucchini, mushroom, bell pepper. When cooked, blend with cream with salt. Chef Sandri uses a Bosch hand blender.

Stuffed Fish with Ratatouille: on a piece of aluminum foil, lay down tomatoes, mushrooms, put the stuffed fish on top. Add salt. Put LOTS OF BUTTER. LOTS. Chef Sandri said, “I’m already being conservative here. You should add more.” And after the butter, add truffle oil. LOTS. Wrap it up and stick it into Bosch oven.

Done!

Chef See said, “I was thinking of what a very Chinese dish is…and I thought, ‘Fried rice.'” I love his thinking! Because it’s the same as mine. hurr hurr hurr. To see if a Chinese restaurant is truly good, you must order fried rice, which is the hardest dish to cook: Each grain must be coated with egg and separated and distinct from one another. Add to all that, a good fried rice must also have the mystic “wok hei” or the qi of the wok.

Someone asked: It is said that only “fire” stove can achieve wok hei. Can Bosch Induction hobs achieve wok hei?

Chef See answered, “There is a very thin line between burnt food and wok hei. Wok hei is burnt food that fools the tongue. You must at least have 5 years of rigorous training before you can achieve wok hei. It has nothing to do with the hobs. So yes, Bosch Induction hobs can achieve wok hei.”

Other tips Chef See gave:

1. For every Chinese dish, the onion and garlic must be fried very well. If you fry it well, they will give off a sweetness. But if you do not, they will “bite” you as the Cantonese say. How to fry it well? It must be a golden brown and have a fragrance first before you add other ingredients.

2. The ingredients of the fried rice must be more than the rice.

3. Secret ingredients in his fried rice: pork floss, cai po (get the salty one), black and white sesame seeds, and just a little bit of green apple to give it a tangy taste.

Chef Sandri ended by saying, all you need in your kitchen are Bosch induction hobs and oven.

At the end of the cook-off, we were taken for a tour of Savour. Bosch sponsors the ovens, hobs, refrigerators and wine-coolers at Savour. For example, the Brazilian chef, who works at a Michelin-starred restaurant, used the Bosch ovens to lecture to the audience in a Masterclass.

Please visit Bosch Home Appliances Site.

PS: Big thank you to Jolynn and Bosch for inviting me to this eye-opening and amazing cook-off. Can you also sponsor me an induction hob and oven please?? THANKS, THANKS!  I <3 Bosch.