Pollock Unites: RFC, Culinary Schools and Restaurants of Vladivostok Train the Best “Mintalier”
There were nine students in total majoring in “Culinary and Pastry Arts” from various cities in Primorye who successfully passed the qualifying stage met in the culinary battle. The contestants had two hours to prepare one hot dish and one cold appetizer from pollock, supplemented with a side dish and sauce of their choice.
"One of the main innovations this year is a professional skills competition among students of culinary schools in Primorsky Krai. This is a pilot project, and you have a unique opportunity to be the first to showcase your professional skills and creativity, becoming an example for other students and earning a ‘ticket’ to the teams of Vladivostok’s best chefs. We’re sure everything will be ‘O! IMega Delicious,’ and next year the competition, as well as the pollock festival, will reach the all-Russian scale",
The jury, which included chefs from Vladivostok’s leading restaurants — Tooman, Uliss Asia, Madame Mei, Vinoterra Steak-House, Omelet Station and Agar-Agar — assessed not only the taste and quality of the dishes, but also the originality of presentation, creativity of concept, harmonious combination of flavors, textures and aromas, as well as adherence to cooking techniques. As a result of the competition, six participants who managed to impress the experts with their professional approach made it to the finals.
"We are grateful to our industry partner, the Russian Fishery Company. We’ve been working together for a relatively short time, but we’ve already launched such a large-scale competition. We’re sure it will become a valuable professional experience for the students, helping them reveal their abilities, demonstrate their skills, knowledge and genuine passion for the profession. For students, this is truly a great opportunity for growth and development",
According to Larisa Khasbutdinova, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education of Primorsky Krai, such events help solve two important tasks at once: they cultivate a culture of seafood consumption and become a platform for students’ professional self-determination and building their future career trajectory.
"The culture of consuming seafood and fish as valuable and healthy as pollock will inevitably influence future chefs. These students will remember the role of seafood cuisine and will embrace and popularize this area. Therefore, this event is very valuable both as a culinary endeavor and as a platform for exchanging experience and forming a culture of seafood consumption",
Tasting Amid Delicious Aromas
Some participants were working with fish for the first time, but they noted that pollock was fairly easy to cook even for beginners.
"Today I’m making pollock soufflé according to the recipe card and onigiri. This is my first experience with cooking fish, although I previously participated in the regional stage of the ‘Professionals’, the all-Russian professional skills championship. By the way, pollock seems quite simple to cook",
For some participants, this competition was their first experience performing on a professional platform, while others had already proven themselves in culinary competitions. Some of them adhered to basic culinary concepts, while others gave free rein to their imagination and choose to experiment. Over time, the kitchen filled with rich and appetizing aromas, and the interesting gastronomic solutions using white wild fish and Far Eastern products were placed on the tables.
Among the dishes presented were pollock zrazy with cream cheese filling, shrimp with garlic, farmer cheese balls with shrimp and pollock on shortbread dough, baked pollock with potatoes in sour cream and garlic sauce, the famous New Year’s table salad “Mandarins” with white fish, as well as pollock cutlet with cauliflower purée, pine nuts and béchamel sauce, and other culinary masterpieces.
All the dishes turned out remarkably different — both in presentation and flavor profiles. Despite the participants’ nervousness and concerns about not finishing within the allotted time, all the students completed the task and managed to present their dishes for tasting.
The six finalists will undergo internships at Vladivostok restaurants. During this period, they will be able to develop professional skills in the kitchens under the guidance of their experienced mentor chefs. The final of the culinary competition “O!Mega Battle” will be held on May 30th as part of the pollock festival at the Sporting Harbor waterfront. The winner will receive the title of “Mintalier” as well as gifts from the organizers and partners.
“O!Mega Battle” is the first Professional Culinary Skills Competition held as part of the gastronomic Pollock Festival “O!Mega Taste” in Vladivostok.
The main objectives of the festival are: raising the prestige and popularizing of the chef´s work, developing restaurant culture in the region, and promoting healthy eating through the promotion of pollock products.
The project is organized by Russian Fishery Company with the support of the Ministry of Professional Education and
Employment of Primorsky Krai, the Regional Training and Methodological Association “Culinary and Pastry Arts”,
and Vladivostok restaurants.
