tvN Asia elevated the experience of its original production Wok The World with a spin-off culinary journey, which concluded with a spectacular Gala Dinner at S.E.A. Aquarium, Resorts World Sentosa Singapore on 4 January 2019; followed by a Cooking Competition on 5 January 2019 at Adventure Cove Waterpark, Resorts World Sentosa.
Wok The World Gala Dinner was held at S.E.A. Aquarium’s iconic Open Ocean Habitat, home to more than 40,000 marine animals such as majestic manta rays and zebra sharks, and welcomed over 200 guests in attendance. The exclusive four-hands menu co-created by Michelin 3-star Demon Chef Alvin Leung and Executive Chef Li Kwok Kwong of Feng Shui Inn, Resorts World Sentosa, allowed guests to taste some of the iconic dishes that Alvin re-created in Wok The World, giving them a truly immersive show experience.
The star-studded Gala Dinner saw special guest appearances by Hong Kong celebrity Andy Hui and guest host Alexander Lee, a.k.a. Xander, of Wok The World. When chatting with the emcee, Belinda Lee, and the Demon Chef, Andy Hui remarked that he would like to see Alvin re-construct pig’s tongue, which symbolises prosperity and luck, into something unexpected. Xander and Eric Chong, protégé of Alvin also shared the stage to re-visit some of the funniest moments when shooting Wok The World, and how they had great chemistry with Alvin despite the age gap. The dinner concluded with a lucky draw, where winners brought home a beautiful WMF cutlery set, a luxurious Maurice Lacroix watch, and Resorts World Sentosa dining vouchers, sponsored by WMF Singapore, Maurice Lacroix and Resorts World Sentosa respectively.
Apart from the Gala Dinner, the Wok The World Cooking Competition at Adventure Cove Waterpark was a perfect finale to this immersive journey. Five home cooks from Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines competed against each other for the grand prize, a luxurious watch worth SGD2,700 from Maurice Lacroix. Contestants also took home cooking utensils and cutlery sponsored by WMF Singapore as well as admission tickets to Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark, The Maritime Experiential Museum and Typhoon Theatre, sponsored by Resorts World Sentosa. All contestants were required to make use of the limited edition sesame oil as well as dark and light soy sauce especially made for Wok The World, produced by Chee Seng Oil and Kwong Cheong Thye, respectively.
The competition saw renowned chefs, Alvin Leung, Eric Chong and Li Kwok Kwong, along with Xander as the panel of judges, as they graded the contestants’ dishes according to the taste and presentation, as well as on the creativity and inspirations behind the home cooks’ inventions. Guests in Adventure Cove Waterpark were also welcome to vote for the contestants and win attractive prizes.
After an intense hour-long competition, Marie, a regional contestant from the Philippines emerged as the winner. Chef Alvin remarked that Marie's dish (Pork Adobo with Chicken Liver) was well-balanced, using ingredients like chicken liver and tomato. Xander was similarly wowed by Marie’s interpretation of the Adobo, where she used creative ingredients like the salted egg to create a winning concoction. Marie was overjoyed by her win and felt honored to be recognised by renowned chefs that she looked up to. She also hopes that more people will be interested in Filipino cuisine and try different versions and variations of the Adobo.
The 6-episode series, Wok The World, is in partnership with Viu and the third original production by CJ E&M HK this year. The show sees Michelin 3-star chef, a.k.a. Demon Chef, Alvin Leung along with his protégé, MasterChef Canada Season 1 winner, Eric Chong and K-pop heartthrobs, Nichkhun of 2PM, JinJin of Astro and Alexander Lee, a.k.a. Xander, embark on a quest to bring Chinese culinary traditions to a new level. The journey covers Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. With their unbridled ingenuity, the chef duo transforms celebrated traditional Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines into new masterful gastronomic creations.