Columbia Asia Master Chef Challenge 2015

For many Malaysians, it is no secret that they live to eat more than they eat to live....Self -reward and indulgence would never be complete without having food in the equation. Malaysians are willing to travel across great distances in pursuit of a bowl of authentic Penang Assam Laksa or even a lovely plate of East Coast's favourite Nasi Dagang.

And it's not just about eating. Malaysians love to savour their flavours. Malaysian food are among the most flavourful in the world... The food have to be sweet, salty, savoury, sour, spicy and the list goes on.... Just take me , myself as an example...I love my Milo kosong kaw.... for the chocolatey taste.. and my tomyam soup must have the right amount of sour, spicy, salty and sweet... Many Malaysians are just like me, we do not like bland food and that is why to us, Malaysian food is always the best....

But....the downside of this obsession is that Malaysians also happen to be the most obese in South East Asia and among the sweetest people in the world... literally!!! We are not just obese, we have the highest percentage of diabetic patients in the world too..

Malaysians often overindulge in the myriad of sumptous but unhealthy local fare because almost all of us just give in to the temptation that takes precedence over good health.....

Healthy food is very often shunned as it is either too bland or way too expensive to prepare....

Columbia Asia- South East Asia CEO , Kelvin Tan says, " We realize that it is a mission impossible for Malaysians to barter trade their favourite dishes for good health. However the good news is that Malaysians do not really have to part with delicious food because there are ways to enjoy food in a health promoting manner!"

Nine chefs from across Columbia Asia hospitals nationwide came together and face off in the Columbia Asia Master Chef Challenge 2015. They worked closely together with Columbia Asia's in house dietitian to reinterpret Malaysian favourites and recipes so that a diabetic-safe meal can be created without compromising on taste...

Yours truly was there at the Cooking House in Bangsar where the Master Chef cook off challenge happened..

Seeing the chefs at work was indeed a treat as all of them had their own strengths and methods on how to create their dishes.

It was also a great photo opportunity with so many things to capture though not I do not have that much captions to go with all the pictures... LOL...

Chef Khairudin Nordin  from CAH PJ preparing his wantan  for his Wantan Noodles with Baby Kailan....

Cef Megat Basarudin from CAH Cheras making his Crunchy Nut Apam Balik...

Chef Nik Shaiful Rizal from CAH Puchong preparing his Frittata Omelette with love.... heheeh.. this omelette contains only egg white and has green peas, tomato, red onions and carrots in it...It is part of his Roti Jala  dish served with Curry Masala

Chef Ravindran from CAH Seremban, cooking his sambal for his Nasi Lemak which is made with brown rice....

Chef  Fauziah from CAH Setapak preparing her Chicken Roll, which is a part of her dish, Stir Fried Brown Rice A La Kerabu Style served with Chicken Roll and Percik Sauce....

As the Chefs were left to prepare their dishes, we had a sharing session with the Chief Medical Officer of CAH Bukit Rimau Dr Ng Lee Li and the Dietitian of CAH Dr Kong Woan Fei...

The chefs proved with their creativity that healthy eating is not limited to vegetarian and gluten-free options. Many of the current favourite dishes we are enjoying can be made healthier by making serving adjustments as well as replacing the sweetened and rich ingredients with more fibers and sweet alternatives....

" It is ok to eat your favourite nasi lemak or char koay teow once in a while.The key is not deprivation but rather moderation and substitution.... We as Malaysians need to learn to eat more balanced meals by opting for healthier alternatives, " CAH dietitian Dr Kong says.....

Shortly after their sharing, the three judges as the rest of us were all served tiny portions of all nine chefs' dishes.... To our surprise... the dishes were all really delicious...

And for hospital dishes, they look super duper appetizing and yummy....and some of these dishes will be available at certain Cafe Columbia outlets. Cafe Columbia is known to offer a wife range of fresh, nutritious and healthy meals. This in-house Columbia Asia Hospital cafeteria can be found at Columbia Asia hospitals in Puchong, Bukit Rimau, Cheras, Setapak, Petaling Jaya, Nusajaya, Taiping and Seremban on the Ground Floor and opens daily from 7am to 9pm...

Columbia Asia has always champion the cause for diabetes awareness through its CSR efforts. Besides this cook-off, this year's campaign also focuses on giving voice to the children with diabetes through Columbia Asia's short story and poetry competition

Diabetic kids under 12 years old are encouraged to express themselves in writing, sharing what it is like to live with diabetes. The theme of this competition is "My Life as a Diabetic Child."

Sadly, there has been cases where these unfortunate Diabetic kids are picked on by their peers. This is sad. People in general  (both you and me) should educate their children not to poke fun on others who suffers from Diabetes but to accept that these people are suffering from this health challenge but are also trying to live normal lives. 

Cash prizes valued at a total of RM19,000 will be awarded to the winners.

So..... the moment of truth..........

The winners for the Media Choice Awards who were voted by members of the media and yours truly are... Chef Mahmor Abas for his Nasi Dagang with Baked Fish Curry, Chef Ravindran for his Nasi Lemak and Chef Khairudin for his Wantan Noodle with Baby Kai Lan and Steamed Chicken.....

Chef Mahmor Abas from CAH Nusajaya also won the third placing by the main judges for his Nasi Dagang with Baked Fish Curry....

Chef Ravindran from CAH Seremban got second place for his Nasi Lemak ...

.....and Chef Fauziah from CAH Setapak won the first place for her Stir Fried Brown Rice a la Kerabu served with Chicken Roll and Percik sauce......Congratulations to all the winners... it was definitely well deserved...

For more information about Columbia Asia and its diabtes campaign, do visit it's website at www.columbiaasia.com/malaysia

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