FHM 2011 !! No, not the MAGAZINE!

FHM 2011! Yes I looking forward to this since the beginning of the year! Very exciting week for the Academy  of course as our chefs were going to compete in the competition! Those above were there 'masterpieces'! Amazing isn't it?! Sugar was Chef Tan and Chocolate was Chef Fred Well for some who are not so familiar with FHM, it's a Food & Hotel Malaysia Exhibition, where anything and everything about the F&B is there. But most of us were there to see the competition mostly, but sadly it wasn't what I expected it to be and most of the chefs were thinking the same way. Hopefully the next one would be better but still it was a good first experience. Next up FHA in Singapore! That should be more exciting =)!

I had the pleasure of escorting the chefs on their 'BIG DAY'! yes at 2 am in the morning we were already all at the Academy preparing to go to KLCC! Here are some of the pre-preparation work =)

Well at the Hall we weren't allowed to take any pictures =( and there was a very annoying man chasing us away! So, Sheila and I had to wait patiently for the chefs to finish and went it when it was almost done =). Then during the day Chef Tan had his all so exciting live competition for sugar! We were all there to support him of course! Poor guys doing all preparation 48 hours straight! Believe me there was some funny stories and dramas in between due to everyone's lack of sleep haha.At 10 am, finally the Hall was open for everyone to visit! Here are some of the showpieces other contestants prepared. Of course I was mainly on the pastry side.

Oh this angry bird one had a good story! Apparently it traveled all to way to KLCC by FOOT, with an army of chefs! haha

Here are the wedding cake category! Everything was skillful but colour wise was pretty.....'yawn'

Paper thin! omg

Man this bridge is super fragile..must took forever to pipe it out!

Chef Tan during his LIVE competition. Stress but 'focus' haha!

Cake tasting time!

His cake layering

At the LAST hour! 

haha them helping him clear stuff at his station when it was ALL OVER! HAHA notice so much difference in the facial expressions

His Sugar showpiece

His opponents

Everyone made him take a proper picture

Before we left, just in case it doesn't survive the next day

Look At the amount of PEOPLE

The winning chefs =)

Prize presentation

HAHA our OUTSTANDING PASTRY Chef OF THE YEAR! Congrats! 

Well that's all for this FHM. Can't wait for the next big pastry event! More pictures on my facebook =)

XIAO by crustz!!!!!!!!!!!! it's FINALLY HERE!

Yes's it's finally here!! As some of you might know that I've been keeping this under wraps for a while now. Since I've graduated from the academy, I've been working on it and now it's finally ready to see the world!!!! =) 

What is it you may ask? Well.....It's my version of an online based pastry shop called xiao by crustz! You maybe a little confuse with the name yes? Why isn't it crustz by xiao? The story goes like this....when we were thinking of the logo, my sister came up with this awesome one! but then......no one could really figure it out at the first glance, so........we decide to add in 'by crustz' since most of you know me by the blog! Hence XIAO by crustz is born! LOGO = XIAO lol hope you can see it! =) 

So please come visit the site!!! =)

XIAO by crustz

http://www.wix.com/xiaoly/crustz

or just give me a 'thumbs up' LIKE on my facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Xiao-by-crustz/233186050059635

We offer cakes, chocolate and all sweet stuff to make you feel happy! =)

Thanks for your support and tell me what you think! 

More to come!! =)

My 'Last' Chocolate Showpiece at Academy!

Well most of you know I've been out of school for quite a while now, but I've been stirring up something of my own at home! Haha well you shall find out soon enough. For now, just a little reminiscing the good ol' days in academy! One of the few things I don't think I'll have any chance to encounter again, is making showpieces for pastry! It's sad but true these thing are just pretty to see, edible...but.......I don't think you would eat 2 feet of sugar or chocolate yes? haha!

For my last 3 months of my course we learnt to design and made the whole showpiece ourselves but of course with chef's supervision. Out of all the edible showpieces, CHOCOLATE is obviously my FAVOURITE!! =) Not because I get to eat it in the end, which I don't, but how amazing chocolate can be! You could practically make anything from it!As long as the room is cool enough for the chocolate to survive it's pretty stable and quite easy to handle. I love the fact that if you want to make changes you can just melt the chocolate back in the pot and make it again! But of course I know some people who just HATES this! From the tempering to the whole mess at the end of the day! Believe me A LOT of chefs wear black when the work with chocolate hahaha!!! no explanation needed. What makes it interesting is that the skill you use making the showpieces can actually be applied to regular chocolate deco and bonbons! Pictures for now!

Shiny Chocolate Spheres =)

I was quite happy with the outcome of the whole showpiece =) More to come! Hopefully ONE DAY I'll be given a chance to do this again =)