he Tsogo Sun’s Chefs Challenge takes the hospitality group’s leading chefs out of the comfort zones of their restaurant kitchens and challenges them to prepare a meal for a select group of invited foodies in a unique location within the property.
The first challenge saw chef Gareth Jordaan of the elegant Lucé Restaurant in Southern Sun’s Hyde Park Hotel presenting 15 lunch guests with tasting portions from his new menu in the porte cochère (large covered entrance) of the hotel, much to the delight of passing hotel guests.
The second exclusive gathering of foodie bloggers and media on 26 January, challenged chef Kenny Ngubane of Aarya Restaurant to produce tasting portions of selected dishes from Aarya’s menu. Aarya is a collaboration between Deena Naidoo, the first winner of Master Chef SA, and Tsogo Sun, and is located at Sun Square Montecasino in Fourways.
Tsogo Sun Chef Challenge produces spectacular food for a select group of guests.
The menu for the event included canapés, smoked salmon, cream cheese with blinis and caviar, grilled Mediterranean vegetables, basil pesto and parmesan shavings and parma ham with marinated vodka melon balls.
The first course brought platters of exotic pizza starters and delicious intermediate salads. The main course was an Aarya speciality – a trio of curry consisting of rich, decadent butter chicken, beans and prawns, served with condiments, Jeera basmati rice and roti.
Dessert was the perfect ending to the Aarya showcase – upside down cheesecake with lemon curd and a South African cheese selection with preserves and water biscuits.
Chef Kenny Ngubane, who began his career in 1990 and has been with Tsogo Sun since 2007, is now executive chef at Montecasino with a strong involvement in Aarya. He said of the event, “To be in an environment that I am not accustomed to is very liberating and a breath of fresh air.” The biggest challenge was being outdoors without easy access to resources.
His favourite items on the menu are the welcome snacks, “… because that’s something we don’t do much at Aarya,” added Ngubane.
Group communications officer of Tsogo Sun, Priya Naidoo said the group has tremendous confidence in its chefs’ abilities to deliver excellent food, under just about any circumstances. “They and their teams make us proud.”
