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2019 Bocuse d’or Team USA chosen
CHEF Matthew Kirkley and Commis Mimi Chen will represent AMERICA on the Road to lyon
(Las Vegas, Nevada; November 9, 2017) – The ment’or BKB Foundation proudly announces that Head Chef Matthew Kirkley and Commis Mimi Chen have been chosen to represent the United States as the 2019 Team USA. The Team USA selection, which was held at The Venetian for the second time, followed the Bocuse d’Or format during which the chefs had 5 hours and 35 minutes to prepare and present a platter composition and a plated dish to a panel of 21 of the ment’or chef Culinary Council members.
This year the competitors have been given a protein of Whole Bone-in American Wagyu Rib Roast provided by Snake River Farms as well as Steelhead Trout provided by Norwegian Seafood Council.
“I am very proud of Matthew and Mimi for having the confidence and the courage to have participated in this competition. It takes great teamwork and collaboration to achieve this goal. It’s a monumental moment that signals the beginning of the Road to Lyon. They are here not only to represent the United States, but to defend our gold medal,” Chef Thomas Keller, president of ment’or.
“Since 2007, when I first saw the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, I have dreamed of competing for my country on the world’s greatest culinary stage. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to do so. I look forward to the challenges ahead, and to work with the great group of people that make up Bocuse d’Or Team USA,“ says Chef Matthew Kirkley.
Chef Robert Sulatycky, the Head Coach for Team USA 2019 remarks, “I’m very excited that we concluded a successful and competitive national selection and I commend all the competitors. Congratulations to Matthew Kirkley for being selected to represent the USA at the upcoming Bocuse d’Or America’s continental selection next April, then hopefully onto Lyon in January 2019. I look forward to continuing to showcase the exceptional culinary talent and cuisine that we have in our country.”
On November 8, The ment’or Young Chef & Commis Competitions were held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Paris Dreibelbis and his assistant Zach Nelsen placed first for the Young Chef Competition, while Commis Ethan Hodge won the Commis competition. Each of these winners will choose from a cash prize or the unique opportunity to train alongside 2019 Bocuse d’Or Team USA.
The Bocuse d’Or competition is amongst the most demanding cooking challenges, and every two years 24 countries make it to the finals to compete in front of thousands of cheering fans. Team USA is recruited, trained and funded by the ment’or BKB Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization devoted to inspiring culinary excellence in young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of cuisine in America.
For more information about the foundation visit www.mentorbkb.org or find the organization on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the ment’or BKB Foundation
The ment’or BKB Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire excellence in young culinary professionals and preserve the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. Ment’or is led by a Board of Directors including Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, as well as an esteemed Culinary Council of over 50 renowned chefs nationwide who act as mentors for young chefs, serve in an advisory capacity to the organization and participate in fundraising events. Educational grants and internships are offered to young professionals through the Grant Program and a series of Young Chef Competitions for young professionals provide further opportunity to advance their careers in the culinary world. Ment’or is also responsible for recruiting, training and financially supporting the promising young American chefs who compete on behalf of the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition, held in Lyon France, every two years.
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