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Table of Contents
1. Introducing YTL College
YTL International College of Hotel Management (YTL ICHM), established in 2003, is a hospitality institution that offers a “boutique education” concept, where students receive personalised attention to support their development into industry professionals.
Courses that are offered at the college include:
- Diploma in Hotel Management
- Diploma in Culinary Arts
- Diploma in Pastry and Bakery
- Diploma in Event Management
The institution is nestled in the heart of Bukit Bintang, in between two award-winning hotels, one of them being J.W. Marriott, which happens to be part of YTL Group’s portfolio. Given that there’s employment guarantee from YTL ICHM to the students, they will also get the opportunity to work here.
Students study in a “live classroom”, supplemented with state-of-the-art facilities from mock hotel rooms to industrial kitchens, meaning they are exposed to the industry from the day they set foot into the classroom.
This industry-led teaching also means they learn from experts in the hospitality scene, learning from those who have mastered the craft. They are also known to put heavy emphasis on industry placements as part of their syllabus, ensuring that they will be one foot in the door of the internationally acclaimed properties of YTL Hotels.
Have a look at the campus through this tour we prepared for you!
2. The Nasi Lemak Challenge: Where Learning Meets Real Life
Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, is famous not just for its taste, but also for its truly Malaysian character. The fragrant coconut rice, the sweet-sour, spicy sambal, and the savoury accompaniments of the fried anchovies and peanuts can produce such a harmonious flavour when put together.
We challenged Yuwenshan (2nd Year, Diploma in Culinary Arts) and Teh Hoe Jun (2nd Year, Diploma in Hotel Management) to a “Pro Vs Amateur” style cook-off match, where we see both students apply what they have learned in the classroom, albeit just a part of it for the latter.
To ensure a level playing field, we gave both of them a set of rules and handicaps to follow:
- Both students must finish their dish within 2 hours.
- Both students are allowed to fully utilise the industrial kitchen and equipment provided at YTL College during the whole challenge.
- Yuwenshan, being the “Pro” since he comes from the Culinary Arts Course, has to prepare Nasi Lemak from memory.
- Hoe Jun, the “Amateur”, was given a recipe to follow and a “Chance Card”, where he could receive help from a professional chef, a lecturer in YTL College.
Two words summarized how we felt about the students we challenged: Simply amazing.
Yuwenshan, a Penangite, was inspired by his parents’ love for cooking to study for a Diploma in Culinary Arts. He came into the challenge with the foundation of technical kitchen training and a set of knowledge of preparing the dish, as he was taught in the multiple courses (cuisines) that he was exposed to in class.
On the other hand, Hoe Jun, a Diploma in Hotel Management student, stepped into the kitchen with the knowledge from his passion for cooking. However, he has also been exposed to Yuwenshan’s culinary world, as Hotel Management students at YTL College also take Kitchen Operations as part of their syllabus, which gives them hands-on experience in cooking, preparing, and understanding food operations..
While the challenge seemed clear-cut, there were many twists and turns that we did not see coming!
Hoe Jun, who was used to cooking Chinese and Western cuisine, struggled with sambal, an important component of the dish. Utilising the Chance Card, he was aided by Chef Hafiz, YTL College’s lecturer in Pastry and Baking, and over 5 years of experience in the culinary field. With the 10 minutes he had with Chef Hafiz, Hoe Jun managed to extract as much knowledge as he could to get his desired sambal. Phew!
[Spoiler Alert!] Yuwenshan, on the other hand, did the unthinkable and made a rookie mistake with his coconut rice (watch the video to find out what happened!). Given that he only had 50 minutes left in the challenge, he got to work on a new batch, all while managing the rest of the components of his nasi lemak.
At the end of the challenge, Hoe Jun completed his dish first with 40 minutes to spare, while Yuwenshan fully utilised the 2 hours we gave him. Then came the judging – cue ominous music.
3. How YTL College Incorporates Industry Standards For Its Students
Over at the judging segment was Chef Bokhari Khan, or known by his students as Chef BK, a lecturer of the Diploma in Culinary Arts at YTL College.
Chef BK, is a seasoned professional with over 12 years in the industry, a graduate of the coveted Le Cordon Blue, and has experienced being a part of cooking competitions (his accolades include a Bronze Medal at the Cullinaire 2023, a prestigious regional culinary tournament organised by Food and Hospitality Malaysia), making him fit for the role of the judge for this challenge.
Both students’ dishes were graded with the YTL-ICHM grading rubric, modelled after global industry standards, which can be summarized to the criteria below:
- Presentation and Plating
- Texture and Aroma
- Quality
- Taste
- Balance and Harmony of Flavours
- Creativity and Uniqueness
Under YTL College’s Diploma in Culinary Arts, students will learn how to make food that is based on international standards, which prepares them to work at the best restaurants and hotels around the world.
The Verdict!
Chef BK eloquently compared, commented, and judged both Nasi Lemak dishes using the high standards criteria. Watch the video to learn how professional chefs judge!
Both were good nasi lemak, but there was a clear winner between the two, one that ticked almost all the boxes in Chef BK’s mind.
With bated breath, Chef BK called out Hoe Jun as the winner of this cook-off challenge! In another twist of fate, Chef BK noted some faults in Yuwenshan’s final dish, which led to his defeat and loss of points!
Lesson Learned! While the Culinary course prepared Yuwenshan to thrive under pressure during the competition, he acknowledged that his overconfidence led to many mistakes.
The entire cooking and judging experience exemplified what a day in YTL College’s Culinary classes looks like for students, where industry experts don’t just lecture; they replicate real-world environments.
4. What You Learn In YTL College’s Diploma In Culinary Arts
So what did we learn from the challenge? How did preparing nasi lemak give us a sneak peek into what it’s like studying at YTL College?
| Overall Learning Experience | Students are well-equipped through their curriculum, where they can cook from taste alone, and the lecturers are very hands-on when it comes to conducting their classes. |
| Real Life Application | Students can be exposed to their future workplaces in classes, where elements like time management and the ability to work under pressure are part of the process. |
| Cross-disciplinary Learning | Students of different courses at YTL can work together to share experiences, making individuals well-rounded and prepared for various scenarios at the workplace. |
Beyond these traits, throughout the duration of the 2.25-year Diploma in Culinary Arts course, you will also learn core subjects such as:
- International Cuisine
- Food Studies
- Food Safety and Sanitation
- Food and Beverage Operations
- Food and Beverage Value Creation
- Kitchen Management
- Nutrition
Watch the testimonial videos from Yuwenshan and Hoe Jun about their experience studying at YTL College!
Yuwen enjoys that the classroom is a place where he can express his creativity, a lot which he has been able to experience so far during his time here.
He was also exposed to both internal and external competitions that help him level up his skills in the kitchen, one that is valuable for when he graduates. For now, it’s something he considers to keep for his core memory.
Hoe Jun, on the other hand, has this to say when it comes to why students should study at YTL-ICHM, particularly about the prospects after graduation.
So, is studying Culinary Arts at YTL-ICHM good? Watching the challenge unfold provides a resounding answer YES!
However, you can always make that final decision with the help and guidance of experienced education counsellors, who will get you from research to enrolment!
So, if you are keen to give any of the courses at YTL College a go, we know just the people to get you started!
P.S. If you enjoyed our Pro vs Amateur series, subscribe to our YouTube channel, drop us a comment on how you felt about the video, and also share it with your friends!
5. Congratulations To Our Winner!
Sometimes, it isn’t a competition without a reward.
Thanks to Samsung Malaysia, we were also able to gift our winner of the Pro vs Amateur challenge, Hoe Jun, his very own Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra!
We hope you enjoy the gift, or share it with your roomie!
If you want to read more about Culinary Arts courses, check out our full coverage here and find out more recommendations:
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