The art of French cooking

Megat Danial Aizat (right, back row) and the group from Taylor’s University discovering pastry delights at Ferrandi Paris.

CONTINUOUS improvement is better than delayed perfection.

This phrase by Mark Twain certainly echoed with Megat Danial Aizat Megat Ariffin when he found out he would be joining his former university for a culinary trip to France.

Megat Danial Aizat obtained his degree in Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management in collaboration with Universite de Toulouse 2 Le Mirail and Taylor’s University School of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

He joined his lecturers, fellow students and alumni on a nine-day trip to France.

The professional development trip to the European country was a once in a lifetime opportunity for him and was made possible by his former lecturer, Chef Khairul Anuar Muhamad, who invited Megat Danial Aizat to join the trip so he could deepen his knowledge of the global food industry.

A Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor scholarship holder, Megat Danial Aizat’s studies at Taylor’s was fully sponsored by the foundation, beginning from diploma right up to his degree.

The trip started on a sweet note with a visit to one of the best and oldest pastry and gastronomic schools in the world, Ferrandi Paris, one of France’s leading professional training schools in the culinary arts.

There, the entire group toured the school’s facilities, learned about its daily operations, witnessed their practical classes and even met a few chef instructors who shared their respective expertise.

Their tour ended with a look at the French school’s futuristic Samsung demonstration kitchen.

From Paris, the group travelled to Lyon to participate in the largest hospitality and food service event in the world - Sirha.

Here, Megat Danial Aizat said he picked up the latest trends, inventions and innovations in the culinary world, as well as the opportunity to meet some of the most influential people in the global food industry, including Michelin starred chefs and pastry chefs.

Sirha features thousands of new products and services, and is also where all great food trends take shape for the world to follow.

The biennial exhibition also hosts the finals of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or and Coupe du Monde de Pâtisserie (Pastry World Cup) - the world’s most prestigious culinary and pastry competition. Bocuse d’Or is a biennial world chef championship named after Chef Paul Bocuse that takes place over two days.

Taylor’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts is the first and only representative from an education institution in the world to attend such a huge, prestigious event.

What’s more, the group attended the exhibition with VIP passes, normally reserved for renowned chefs and participating team members.

Megat Danial Aizat’s journey through France ended with a three-hour visit to the famous chocolate producer Valrhona’s factory located in Tain l’Hermitage.

Together with the Taylor’s group, he toured their impressive discovery centre La Cité du Chocolat for a mouth-watering, eye-opening trail to learn about all sorts of chocolatey secrets and how they are made.

“I will never forget this journey. It would have remained a dream for me if not for Taylor’s University and Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor.

“I met world famous chefs such as Chef Thomas Keller from the US (winner of Bocuse d’Or 2017), Chef Allain Ducase, Chef Jerome Bocuse (son of Paul Bocuse) and Chef Gabriel Paillasson (founder of Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie) at Sirha,” he said.

He added that the trip was a great way for him to learn more about the culinary world’s best practices.

Megat Danial Aizat, who graduated from Taylor’s last December, is now an executive sous chef.

Chef Khairul Anuar said: “I picked Megat to join the trip because I see the potential in him to grow in the industry. I hope the experience from this trip will help him to become a better chef.

“The trip was a huge success as each and every one of us in the group gained a deeper understanding about the culinary world at the global level, new trends, and innovations in the food industry.

“We also acquired new skills and knowledge, especially the students in the group who are starting their own careers.”