Six chefs participated in the “Golden Chef” contest: Robert George Andrei (Mesogios), Georgeta Codarleanu (Intercontinental), Mihai Ionita (Carol Parc Hotel), Ashlie Dias Thomas (Crowne Plaza), Cristian Vaduva (independent) and Orlando Zaharia (Noblesse).
The international jury composed of Wynand Vogel (Holland), Joseph Vella (Malta), Gordon Amato (Malta) and Antonio Passarelli (Romania) decided that the winner deserves to be Orlando Zaharia. One of the most talented masters in town (in 2006, when being 25, he became Master in Culinary Arts), will hold the golden statue for a year, as the rules say. The winner received from „Chefmalta” Association a five days training in a five stars hotel in Malta. Cristian Vaduva (second place) received a professional trip to Antalya (sponsor Winterhalter), and Aslie Dias Thomas (third place) a Morinox cooking set.
The prepared delicacies have been sold to the guests and the collected amount of money made the subject of a donation to Special School no. 8 in Bucharest. “The Golden Chef of Bucharest, at its second edition, became a reference event. Sommelier Sergiu Nedelea made demonstrations, one had the chance to admire fruit sculptures etc.” – said Gabriela Berechet, general director of The Company for Investment in Tourism SA (CIT). Traveller Magazin was one of the media partners of the contest, awarding the winner with tourism books, signed by Marian Constantinescu.
