Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-: Yas Plaza Hotels, renowned for its exceptional gastronomic experiences, has been awarded a total of 27 medals across three globally recognised culinary competitions. Boasting several wins spanning multiple categories at the prestigious Emirates Salon Culinaire 2023 – Sharjah, the FHAM Global Culinary Challenge – Maldives, and the Culinary Art Food Expo 2023 – Sri Lanka, the expert team continues to push the boundaries of culinary quality in international hospitality.
Yas Plaza Hotels’ talented team of chefs, led by Chef Anup Pawar and Sanjeewa Chamil, accepted 11 medals at the 26th edition of the annual Emirates Salon Culinare 2023. Organised by The Emirates Culinary Guild and held in Sharjah, the competition is considered the largest internationally, attracting over 2,000 chefs and industry professionals from around the world. Among the standout performers was Chef Sakher, who secured the gold medal in three categories for his exquisite “kebbeh” dishes. Other members of the team snagged podium positions in various categories, including live cooking skills in the fish and seafood category, and the preparation of salt-baked potatoes.
The team continued to lead with their performance at the FHAM International Culinary Challenge, hosted in May in Hulhumalé, Maldives. The annual competition, endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies, is a platform through which hundreds of global culinary experts compete for the favour of an internationally acclaimed panel of judges. Ishara Mayanga, a Chef de Cuisine at Yas Plaza Hotels, dominated with his acceptance of Top Gold and Gold medals in the beef and seafood hot cooking categories. His colleagues, Nishan Nayanakanth and Dilip Rajapaksha also received awards of note.
Competing in the 18th edition of the three-day Culinary Art Food Expo in Sri Lanka, Yas Plaza Hotels’ culinary team continued to display their passion for and commitment to culinary excellence. The comprehensive food and beverage exhibition, overseen by the Chefs Guild of Lanka, gathers over 2,000 professionals to display the latest and greatest in hospitality’s culinary techniques and offerings. The team of chefs claimed a total of nine medals, with leading performances across hot cooking, plated desserts, and set menu categories.
“We are thrilled and immensely proud of our team’s exceptional achievements across the three competitions”, said Anup Pawar Area Director, Culinary at Yas Plaza Hotels. “The extensive collection of medals is a testament to the unwavering dedication, talent, and passion of our chefs, who consistently strive for culinary excellence and continue to elevate the standards of dining experiences for our guests.”
The impressive medal tally for Yas Plaza Hotels’ culinary team includes ten gold medals, nine silver medals, and eight bronze medals.
Yas Plaza Hotels remains committed to offering exceptional hospitality experiences, and the recent culinary successes at Emirates Salon Culinaire 2023 – Sharjah, the FHAM Global Culinary Challenge – Maldives, and the Culinary Art Food Expo 2023 – Sri Lanka only serve to reinforce its position as a regional industry leader.
A full list of the medals won can be viewed below.
EMIRATES SALON CULINAIRE, 2023 – SHARJAH
Asitha Amarasinghe
Fish & Seafood – Practical Cookery – Bronze Medal
Sustainable Three-Course Vegetarian Lunch Menu – Gold Medal
Darshana Mendis
Cake Decoration – Practical Class – Bronze Medal
Mayura Wijesinghe
Four Plates of Dessert – Bronze Medal
Cake Decoration – Practical Class – Bronze Medal
Nishan Nayana
Sustainable Three-Course Vegetarian Lunch Menu – Gold Medal
Beef – Practical Cookery – Gold Medal
Vinod Deepati
Beef – Practical Cookery – Bronze Medal
Rajib Kumar
Beef – Practical Cookery – Silver Medal
Roshan Buddika
Beef – Practical Cookery – Silver Medal
Dilip Rajapaksha
Petites Four, Pralines – Silver Medal
FHAM GLOBAL CULINARY CHALLENGE – MALDIVES
Nishan Nayanakanth (Senior CDP)
Class L11 – Seafood, Hot Cooking – Top Gold Medal
Class L13 – Beef, Hot Cooking – Silver Medal
Dilip Rajapaksha (Pastry Chef)
Class S1 – Petits Fours or Pralines, Pastry – Gold Medal
Class L7 – Dress the Cake, Pastry – Silver Medal
Dilip Rajapaksha (Pastry Chef) & Ishara Mayanga (Chef de Cuisine)
Class L – Team Event, Hot Cooking (Three-Course Meal) – Gold Medal
Ishara Mayanga (Chef de Cuisine)
Class L13 – Beef, Hot Cooking – TopGold Medal
Class L11 – Seafood, Hot Cooking –Gold Medal
CULINARY ARTS FOOD EXPO – SRI LANKA
Nishan Nayanakanth (Senior CDP)
Class B3 – Hot Cooking, Open (Local Beef, Pork, Lamb) –Gold Medal
Class B4 – Hot Cooking, Seafood – Silver Medal
Class A2 – Five-Course Set Dinner Menu – Silver Medal
Dilip Rajapaksha (Pastry Chef)
Class A5 – Ritzbury Plated Desserts– Bronze Medal
Panagoda Arachchige Heshan Cristopher Perera (Sous Chef)
Class A2 – Five-Course Set Dinner Menu – Silver Medal
Class A3 – Hot Cooking, Seafood – Silver Medal
Ishara Mayanga (Chef de Cuisine)
Class B4 – Hot Cooking, Seafood – Bronze Medal
Krushnath Jadhav (CDC)
Class B4 – Hot Cooking, Seafood – Gold Medal
Class A2-B3 – Hot Cooking, Open (Local Beef, Pork, Lamb) – Bronze Medal