Winning trio turn up the heat at cooking competition
GEORGE TOWN: They may be trained to put out fires, but three Penang firefighters have another skill up their sleeves – whipping up delicious meals.
Their culinary talents shone at the recently concluded 20th Battle of the Chefs (BOTC) 2026, where the trio from the Penang Fire and Rescue Department emerged tops in the Royal Malay Heritage Cuisine by Adabi category.
Hifni Mohd Shahir, 48, Mohd Zakiran Zainol Abidin, 37, and Ridzuan Zulkafli, 36, beat 21 competing teams to clinch first place with an impressive 92 points.
“None of us had formal training. We learnt by helping out at kenduri (feasts), watching older cooks at work and picking up recipes along the way,” Hifni said when contacted.
Hifni, who is with the Bertam Fire Station, said this was the first major culinary competition they entered, apart from the Fire Chefs contest held among fire stations nationwide.
He said they usually put their cooking skills to use by preparing meals for small gatherings at their respective stations.
Mohd Zakiran and Ridzuan are currently stationed at the Butterworth and Teluk Bahang fire stations, respectively.
Hifni said one of their biggest challenges during the competition was adjusting to the smaller portions required, with dishes prepared for only four to six people.“We are used to cooking in large quantities, so it was challenging when we had to scale down the portions,” he added.
“We did not expect to win. The other competitors were all equally good and included chefs from prominent hotels, university culinary experts and participants from overseas.
“Winning first place in the category was a proud moment for us,” he said.
According to Hifni, the trio prepared a selection of traditional Malay dishes for the competition including red snapper curry, beef pesamah (a spiced beef dish popular in northern Malaysia) and mixed kerabu (a herb and vegetable salad).
For dessert, they served durian-flavoured lepat kukus, which is a steamed kuih made from durian flesh, flour, coconut milk and sugar, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until tender and aromatic.
They also served serawa pisang, which consists of ripe bananas simmered in a warm, sweet and aromatic coconut milk broth.
Their efforts earned them RM3,000 in prize money, a trophy and medals.
The team’s manager, Assistant Fire Chief Zara’im Mohd Lazaim, said this is the first time the department was invited to compete in the competition.
“It was a good team effort. We call them ‘Fire Chefs’ and they have made the department proud,” he said.
The four-day competition, held at Setia Spice Arena from Oct 21 to 24, featured over 90 competition classes and was judged by over 100 Worldchefs-certified judges from over 20 countries.
