Pepes Led Juan to Win a Silver Medal

It has become an annual agenda held by the Forum Hotel Malaysia (FHM) in collaboration with the sponsoring brand, Mamee Chef, to organize a competition intended for culinary professionals (hotel chefs as well as culinary students). This competition took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, over the course of three days. On this occasion, Juan presented a traditional Indonesian dish, pepes, as the theme of the competition required participants to create a fusion of their national dishes using Mamee products as the official sponsor. In addition to pepes, Juan also prepared a dessert combining chocolate with tropical fruits. Juan mentioned that he carried out product trials for three months prior to the competition. This prestigious competition was participated in by contestants from several countries across Asia and ASEAN. Each country sent its best candidates to compete in culinary and baking pastry skills. According to Juan, the representatives from Indonesia were selected from APCA and Akademi Sages. Angelus Juan Marian, a 2022 student of Akademi Sages, at that time traveled together with Chef Tius to represent Indonesia and succeeded in winning a silver medal as the third-place winner in the professional category.

Juan explained that the assessment criteria applied were standard for professional cooking competitions, yet the judgment in this event was more rigorous. For instance, excessive food waste or inefficiency in ingredient use would significantly reduce scores. Strict adherence to using Mamee products as stipulated in the competition rules was also evaluated. Other important components of the judging criteria included the cleanliness of the cooking station, cooking procedures, and teamwork coordination. Throughout the competition, Juan encountered several challenges, such as receiving the last competition slot based on a draw. This required him to think carefully about how to properly store the ingredients he brought from Indonesia to ensure they remained in good condition. Additionally, Juan and his team had limited space to prepare their ingredients and tools. However, these obstacles did not hinder Juan from giving his best performance. He expressed that he was highly inspired by, and aspired to learn from, the competing teams from Thailand and Singapore. In the final part of the interview, Juan conveyed a message for future competitors: when participating in competitions, practice frequently, pay attention to time management, and never be afraid. By joining competitions, you will gain valuable experience and better prepare yourselves mentally.