Demi Chef de Partie at The Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg, Kgomotso Rasepae, will be part of the South African Junior Culinary Olympic team 2012. Soweto born and just 21, she is proud to have been chosen out of thousands of other hopeful, talented local chefs.
Her two dishes that won the votes - and taste buds - of the judges were a broccoli and blue cheese tart with shortcrust pastry and home-made pasta with fish veloute', and smoked kingklip with a rooibos reduction. The SA Senior Culinary Olympic Team judged, and said the short crust pasty was the most flavoursome; the pasta was "just the tastiest".
Kgomotso loves making classic dishes from scratch and she chose these two specific dishes as she wanted to show the judges her diverse cooking skills and her mastery of many methods.
As part of the South African Junior Culinary Olympic team, Kgomotso will now start training for the international Culinary Olympics taking place in 2012, where she will represent her country. For the next year, she will in effect be having two jobs, as her position as Chef de Partie in The Westcliff kitchens is very demanding but also one that she loves and appreciates. This is a huge challenge for her, but proud Executive Chef Nicky Gibbs says she is up for the challenge as she puts "her heart and soul" in every dish she cooks.
issued by Gabrielle Palmer, PR Manager, ph: +27 11 481-6030; e-mail: Gabrielle.palmer@orient-express.com; www.westcliff.co.za
