Silverstar chef selected for SA culinary team

Silverstar senior chef Jasmin Marsal has been selected to join the South African junior culinary team.

The team is made up of six participants who will travel to Seoul, South Korea in November to participate in the International Young Chefs Challenge taking place from 6 to 9 November. This competition is viewed as a platform to promote the skills and abilities of young chefs from around the world. It further provides young chefs with an opportunity to network with their global peers.

Marsal said she and the South African team will design various menus showcasing South African-inspired food.

“There are no individual sections in this competition and all the team members practise together. We practise together monthly as well as individually. I have been very lucky because chef George Georgiou [Silverstar’s executive chef] has been very accommodating and is allowing me to practise at Silverstar too,” Marsal said.

She does not have a favourite dish but loves cooking with seafood because it is versatile, and emphasised that whatever she uses must be on the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) list. She is quick to note that she does not cook any kind of offal.

“I love what I do and my job allows me to meet new people. It is filled with learning as there are always new trends in this industry. I am inspired by my chef George Georgiou, as he has done nothing but encourage and guide me along my culinary journey. I really do hope to follow in his footsteps and to one day also be inducted into the Academy of Chefs. On an international front I really admire Gordon Ramsay because of what he has achieved at his age. I also like his personality,” she added.

Marsal’s advice for young chefs is to nurture their talents, to be knowledgeable about trends and new methods of preparing food and to never be afraid to try something new. She added that aspiring young chefs should enter competitions to make a name for themselves and network with fellow chefs.