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HKTB launches 4th Best of the Best Culinary Awards
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Arlene Dabu-Foz
Date: 2004-08-20
 
Food, shopping and sightseeing are just some of the best things that one can enjoy in Hong- Kong, the city where people, as they say, just “Live It and Love It.”





As one of Hong Kong’s perennial attractions, gastronomic trip is always on top of every guest’s list.

No wonder, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) never runs out of sumptuous ideas to dish out so guests from all over will keep traipsing the city for its culinary delights.



Recently, the HKTB kicked-off the 4th Best of the Best Culinary Awards (BoBCA), a three-month long event, which will wrap up come October 2004.



The 4th BoBCA, featuring four new categories – Beef, Casserole (clay pot), Dessert (non-liquid) and Egg — will showcase Hong Kong once again as the culinary capital of Asia. These four new categories are expected to lead the awards to a new milestone.



The event is set to rediscover and showcase the best of Hong Kong’s classic dishes and beyond.Since its launch had an overwhelming turnout, the BobCA has become one of the most effective marketing and promotions strategies about Hong Kong.



“Since their inauguration, the Awards have attracted extensive coverage by local and overseas visitors to come and experience Hong Kong’s culinary excitement.Last year, the publicity value created by the Awards chalked up a matching HK$20 million tab,” beamed HKTB director Clara Chong.



On hand with Chong at the recent 4th BoBCA launch were James Kwan JP, executive director and chief operating officer of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd. (Towngas); Nelson Chow, chief food and beverage instructor of the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute; Robert Chow, HKTB member and chairman of the 2004 BoBCA advisory committee; Doreen Leung, event consultant and head judge, and panel of judges William Mark, Wai Kee Shun, Eric Wong and Wilson Yeung.



The new four categories, Chong explained, will highlight the distinctive Hong Kong flavors, allow greater flexibility and expand beyond traditional Chinese cuisine, while using international cooking methods and ingredients for selected categories.

As a winning upshot, the Best of the Best Culinary Guide was published.It uncovers much-raved about dishes and restaurants that eventually became very hip among the trade players and visitors.

Aside from furnishing a rundown of the yearly BoBCA, the nifty culinary guide has been very useful to the HKTB in particular as it revs up all the great works – presentation, fragrance, taste and quality of the dishes — to visitors worldwide, flaunting the stylish scope of Hong Kong’s dining experience.

The Awards turned out to be a prolific break for the ever-thriving catering and tourism industries.Tapping the travel trade in different markets helped the organizers to develop themed culinary packages.



The brisk-business-making episode spawned gourmet tours and special trips all over Hong Kong for the much-coveted new culinary finds. It churned out a hefty 50 percent hike in sales, particularly in restaurants.



“We’ll continue to encourage the winning restaurants to develop special visitor menus to promote their signature dishes.In addition to generating further business, the Awards will enable local chefs to enhance the quality standards of their cooking through competing and learning,” Chong related.

According to HKTB records, nearly 70 percent of visitors rate Hong Kong’s dining as extremely great.Last year, some HK$6.7 billion of overnight visitors’ spending went on meals outside hotels.



“In staging the Awards once again this year, we aim to enrich the visitors’ dining experience by helping them discover more of Hong Kong’s unique culinary culture,” Chong said.



Likewise, HKTB’s travel trade partners will be expected to work out new itineraries that let visitors try out the award-winning dishes.The event will be played up via familiarization tours and other initiatives.



One more exciting BoBCA element is the Hong Kong Winterfest classes set up by the award-winning chefs last year.It was noted that about 42 percent of the participants were visitors who found Hong Kong cuisine to be very appealing.Thus, HKTB encourages the travel trade to include these classes in culinary tours to complement shopping, sightseeing and other activities.



Recruited BoBCA candidates need to go through three stages.Patrons of the short-listed restaurants are being invited to vote for “My Favorite Dish” in October.Total votes for each finalist restaurant will make up one-tenth of the over-all score in the final competition.



The finalists will then be spotlighted in a “cook off” at the prestigious Chinese Cuisine Training Institute.The judges will then vote on the winners of the BoB Gold with Distinction Awards, BoB Gold Awards, and BoB Silver Awards.



According to Kwan JP, “Year 2004 marks the recovery of Hong Kong’s economy and it is even more optimistic for the culinary industry.I believe that high quality cuisine is still the key to success.I sincerely hope that the industry will continuously support the 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Awards and promote the unique dining culture of Hong Kong.”
 

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