Grocery Shopping

07/14/2014

Aside from possessing extraordinary cooking talents, the Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver finalists must also learn the skills to shop for the best ingredients. Chef Alex and nutritionist Jojo brought the young chefs to the supermarket to show them how to select the best ingredients and share with them tips for a good shopping experience. The 6 finalists first visited the supermarket with Chef Alex to learn about the good qualities of each ingredient, understand how to select the best and freshest ingredient by examining its color, luster, density, shape, and aroma, and differentiate between various types of cuts of proteins. Jojo then led the young chefs to the farmers market to look at fresh, locally grown summer fruits and vegetables. Jojo educated the finalists on the nutritional value of fruits and introduced the organic and super foods to the young chefs in order to help them prepare for their menus at the Final. Under the shining sun and warm summer weather, the finalists all enjoyed a wonderful half-day of educational and fun shopping!

Training Session

06/27/2014

Continuing on with promotional activities, the 6 young chefs are now receiving professional culinary training in preparation for the final competition. In order to provide the best environment for the young chefs to learn, the Vancouver Community College has graciously lent their fully equipped kitchen for the training. Stepping into a professional kitchen for the first time, the junior chefs gave their best into the training as if it were the real competition. Their mentor Chef Alex, guided and taught the young chefs, first carefully going over each safety detail in the kitchen then meticulously demonstrating the proper way to cut various vegetables. Teaching along as he cooked, Chef Alex not only demonstrated cooking skills, but also gave the young chefs tips on food preparation, time management, grasping control of the dish and presentation. Cooking in a professional kitchen for the first time was a big step from the average household kitchen that the young chefs are used to. Each piece of kitchen equipment needed to be handled with extra care. With Chef Alex personally teaching each young chef, nervousness was sure to appear. Despite the pressuring environment, each junior chef handled the situation masterfully, showing off the professionalism that ought to be commended.

For this first season of Chef Corner Junior Vancouver, finalists must create their own menu for the competition. Aside from the protein portion of the dish, side dishes must also meet 3 major requirements: the ingredients must be locally produced, the dish must contain Super Foods (healthy, low calorie ingredients), and must represent Vancouver’s environmentally green lifestyle. To find out just how talented and creative these young chefs really are, tune in to Fairchild TV from now on until August 8th for the broadcast of Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver mini program aired every Monday to Friday at 8:55pm. Want to experience the wonder of these young chef’s talents even earlier? Don't miss out on Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver pre-show taking place live at Aberdeen Center on Friday July 25th at 2:00pm!

Promo Shooting

06/17/2014

The Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver finalists recently participated at the filming of their television promotional videos, which brought along many different first time experiences. The 6 finalists received professional makeup and hair styling, and became the main characters in their own promos, a great excitement among the group. These energetic and lively kids when putting on their Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver uniforms immediately became professional and passionate young chefs. Each of them took it very seriously and stood in front of the blue screen while listening carefully to the producer's instructions. For these young finalists, entering the world of the grown-ups was fascinating. Not only were they able to learn about production, but they also opened up their eyes to new experiences. It is indeed a meaningful and fun summer vacation to remember.

Journey Started Officially

06/13/2014

After many rounds of tests and challenges, the final 6 young chefs of the very first Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver competition have been selected. They have just signed a contract under the agreement of their guardian and witness of a lawyer, officially starting this exciting culinary journey. The finalists first attended a meeting with the production crew to understand the upcoming chain of filming processes and events happening throughout the competition. Although young at age, they showed tremendous attention as they listened and wrote down every detail. The finalists also met with image director, Betty, to learn about the professional image that they should be upholding in the coming months. Aside from the on screen aspects, the contestants sat down with Chef Alex to discuss their ideas on their dishes for the final. As well, they are currently working hard on practicing and perfecting their culinary skills in order to produce the best fine dining dish ever in their lives on show day.

Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver Audition

06/10/2014

The lucky few aspiring chefs who passed the Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver preliminary interviews were confronted by an even greater challenge this weekend as they entered into the secondary auditions for the final competition. Two local popular food lovers, Chef Alex and nutritionist and gourmet foodie, JoJo were invited to be the judges for this special event.

The contestants made their entrance in pairs under the introduction of host, Leo. For this first round of cooking, the young chefs were allowed to select their own dish. Another challenge that the competitors had to face was time management. From prepping the ingredients, to cooking, to plating, each young chef was only given 30 minutes to complete every component. Although the contestants were just 11-13 years old, they all performed with great talent and each completed their dish within the time limit. Some of the dishes included lamb chop with couscous salad, seafood spaghetti, cheese and herb baked escargot, and cheese soufflé, reflecting an assortment of different cooking styles and cuisines. One contestant even managed to bake salmon, cook spaghetti, and make sauce at the same time! All the contestants demonstrated their cooking talent and balanced management skills and made delicious dishes while answering the judges’ questions all at once. After completing their dishes, the contestants were required to present their dishes in front of the camera. One contestant explained that she used sweet peppers to show off her technique because sweet peppers were easy to burn and required some tricks to cook well. Chef Alex and JoJo expressed their appreciation at each dish and the devotion of each contestant to planning, executing and plating their cooking. To see more of these delicious and appetizing dishes, please visit our Facebook page.

After this competition segment, the young chefs had to undergo a test on their chopping skills as well. Chef Alex first demonstrated how to accurately and safely cut a variety of vegetables as the children watched. Many of them were quick to pick up the correct method. However, accidents are bound to happen to kids while cooking. One contestant accidently cut the tip of his finger, but fortunately there was a paramedic standing by. Another contestant put a hot pan on top of a plastic tablemat, melting the mat by accident and yet another contestant forgot to taste their dish, causing the dish to be over seasoned.

After a full day of auditions, along with the professionalism of our expert judging team and advice from the Hong Kong nowTV Chef Corner judging team, 6 finalists were able to proceed to the next stage of the competition. They will put on their official Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver uniforms and go through a series of training in preparation for the Final in July. Please visit our website for updates on Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver!

Interviews of Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver

06/05/2014

The recently concluded interviews of Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver were met with extreme popularity. From the reception desk, to inside the studio, Fairchild TV was swarmed with groups of exciting applicants and their families. The crowd of interviewees aged 8-14 came from an array of ethnic backgrounds. Apart from children born within the country, there were also applicants originally from Switzerland, Belgium, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China, reflecting the multiculturalism that makes up Vancouver. The Hong Kong reality series Chef Corner Jr. is not only a hit in Vancouver, but in Calgary as well, as one of the applicants especially flew over to Vancouver to participate in the interview.

Applicants and their parents were confronted by the judging panel composed of Fairchild TV’s Sales and Marketing Controller, Helen Lee, renowned program host, Delon Lew, and Senior Producer, Leo So. Through casual conversation, the judges were able to better understand each child’s passion and interest in cooking while testing their initiatives and ability to engage in conversation. Many parents also prepared videos of the children cooking and photos of their completed dishes for the judges to further examine. The applicants not only showed off a variety of desserts such as cookies, cake, pudding, and even soufflés, but also fried, steamed, and baked dishes as well. Even preparing for a full course dinner was not a challenge for these talented children! The majority garnered an interest in cooking beginning at the age of 6 or 7 and have since learned by watching family members cook in the kitchen or looking up recipes on the Internet. One applicant showed a cake that appeared plain on the outside, but revealed a panda decoration on the inside! Another applicant was inspired by the TVB drama Swipe Tap Love to create her own recipe for glass cookies. The families of the applicants were very supportive of the children’s interest in cooking, commenting that it is another life skill that teaches them to be independent as well. Even more interesting was when the judges asked the children whether they learned to cook from their mothers, a number of children replied that their mothers’ cooking was only average, thus sparking an incentive for them to cook a better meal for themselves.

The judges were impressed by how passionate the children were and the level of skills each of them demonstrates. The lucky few talented junior chefs that were selected to participate in the cooking audition taking place on June 8th must work hard to reveal their true skills and talents to win a chance into the Chef Corner Jr. Vancouver Final. The finalists will soon be putting on their Chef Corner Jr. uniforms to meet with the public and show off their talent!