Michael Wickham, Sous Chef, Royal Automobile Club, wins the Kikkoman Masters 2016 at The Restaurant Show

The Staff Canteen

Editor 4th October 2016

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Yesterday at the Restaurant Show, ten chefs were cooking live for the Kikkoman Masters 2016 final.

Michael Wickham, sous chef at Royal Automobile Club, was selected as this year’s winner and receives the top prize of a ten-day trip to Japan.

He said: “I’m delighted! I’ve really enjoyed taking part in the Kikkoman Masters 2016 competition and to be chosen as the winner is brilliant. All the dishes on show today were of a very high standard so I knew the competition was going to be tough, but I’m really pleased to have won. A trip to Japan is a great prize and I can’t wait to experience the wonderful Japanese culture and cuisine.”

Paul O'Malley, head chef, Culcreuch Castle Hotel and Ollie Hay, head Chef at Nomura (RA), were named runners-up this year.

Kikkoman prides itself on being a versatile ingredient and the chefs proved this, demonstrating a variety of modern techniques and interesting flavour combinations.

Some used Kikkoman as a marinade or a glaze, whilst other opted to make an Asian-inspired broth. Some preferred a more traditional use and featured the sauce as a seasoning or flavouring but each was still a feast for the eyes.

Kikkoman UK Manager and Judge Bing-Yu Lee explained that this versatility comes from the soy sauce’s natural production process: “Not only saltiness but the umami comes from the fermentation process and that umami is versatile and can be used in any kind of dish."

Also judging the competition were last year’s winner Ben Champkin (L’Enclume), Michelin-starred chefs Simon Hulstone (The Elephant Restaurant, Torquay) and Jun Tanaka (The Ninth, London), Brian Turner CBE, editor of Restaurant Magazine, Stephan Chomka, Scott Hallsworth (Kurobuta, London) and David Mulcahy from Sodexo/The Craft Guild of Chefs.

David said: “Competitions like Kikkoman Masters are important because for some people it is part of the beginning of
competing. We've found this year that there's lots of new, young talent coming into the industry and by putting a competition like this on, where they can focus on a single ingredient that actually has a lot of history and a lot of qualities around it, they build ideas for menus that start to focus them as chefs.

"Then to go on to the public stage and to do that in front of an audience, in a kitchen where they've never been before, that starts to build them as a character as well. So they're hugely important for developing chefs.”

The judges were all very impressed with the diversity of flavours and techniques demonstrated in the Kikkoman Masters final. Here is a look at each chef’s two-course menu for those of you who couldn’t be there:

Mark Apsey, Development Chef, L’Ortolan

'You can't make an omelette without cracking an egg'

'Raising the steaks'

Ollie Hay, Head Chef, Nomura (RA)

Miso glazed Cornish mackerel, kaeshi, smoked aubergine and pink peppercorn

Herdwick lamb, fermented garlic, crispy artichoke, burdock and wild chickweed

David Hussey, Executive Head Chef, Sodexo – Eton College

Seared scallops, caramelised apple, ginger and soy puree, pickled apple, crispy chicken skin, yuzu mayonnaise, soy infused music bread

Loin of lamb, mustard and soy glazed sweetbread, soya bean puree, toasted sesame gnocchi, pickled mushrooms, fragrant lamb broth

Nikki Low, Head Chef, Vacherin

Cornish Mackerel, Brogdale Apple and Kikkoman Soy BBQ sauce, heritage beetroot, pan fried English Hispi cabbage

Suffolk lamb rump, marinade loin, Lancashire cauliflower, Kikkoman soy braised Shimonita onion, lamb and charred pickled cucumber broth, mint and lemon oil

Tom Moody, Junior Sous Chef, Slaughters Manor House

Soy poached Turbot, yuzu, Teriyaki trompette

Belted Galloway beef, soy, black tea, kohlrabi. peanut

Paul O’Malley, Head Chef, Culcreuch Castle Hotel

Barbecued Octopus, Kikkoman infused watermelon, avocado, wild rice

Culcreuch Estate lamb, mussels, artichokes, spinach & borlotti bean

Saurabh Prabhakar, Head Chef, Hilton Hotel

Flame Grilled Line Caught Mackerel with Pickled Cucumber, handpicked crab, kewpie mayonnaise, rhododendron and gooseberries glitter

Free Range, Corn Fed Chicken wrap, shiso, wing tempura, chicken liver pate, sweet potato, edamame custard, wasabi buttered corn

David Scarpato, Sous Chef, Gemellis

Pan fried scallops, asparagus, black sesame seeds and an Asian dashi

Soy glazed fillet of beef, celeriac and potato puree, caramelised shallot, roasted chantenay carrots, red wine reduction

Girishkumar Talwar, Sous Chef, Radission Blu Edwardian Sussex

Mackerel with Tandoori spice & Kikkoman soy sauce, tri colour salad, mint and yoghurt chutney

Pork Tenderloin with garam masala, honey & Kikkoman soy glaze, butternut squash fondant and puree, romanesco & girolle mushrooms

Michael Wickham, Sous Chef, Royal Automobile Club

Miso glazed scallop, pak choi, miso broth

Venison cooked in spiced fond, sweet potato dumplings, kohlrabi, sesame

All images from Simon Wright Photography.

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