Sum have the talent

Six Young Post readers faced four older contestants on Saturday in the semi-finals on the VTC campus in Pok Fu Lam. Under the watchful eye of the Peninsula Group's executive chef, Florian Trento, and the hotel's dim sum masters Frankie Tang Chung-nang and Henry Fong Lee-hing, contestants had to make two dim sum, a chicken-filled spring roll and a vegetarian dumpling.

The youngest were 16-year-olds Chan Ka-hei from St Paul's Convent School, Chan Ming-ip from Christian Alliance S.W. Chan Memorial College and Karen Chan Yin of Our Lady's College. The oldest competitor was Au Chun-ki from the Hong Kong College of Technology, School of Vocational Training.

Karen battled to make her dumpling skins but impressed the judges with her determination. In the end, she produced a beautiful vegetable dumpling that won her many comments and a place in the finals. She will be joined by Tse Hin-wing from Holy Trinity College; Leung Hin-wa, who has been with Super Star Seafood Restaurant in Kwun Tong for two years; Lau Hiu-kui, who has been at the Langham Place Hotel for five months; and Law Siu-long, who is at the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute.

"I was excited and nervous when I heard I'd got into the top 10 because I'm not a professional dim sum chef and haven't taken any courses," Karen said. "I tried to solve the [dumpling skin] problem by trying to remember what the chef had taught us."

Young Post will be following the action.

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- Budding chef Vanessa Tsui Wing-yin was crowned the winner of the Towngas Young Master Chef competition