JAYMIE Si Tu has a flair for French cuisine.
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Having grown up in her Wodonga family’s Chinese restaurant Lee Corner, Ms Si Tu’s French connection is even more inspiring.
“Traditional French cuisine is the base for everything in cuisine,” she said.
“French cuisine can be challenging and I like a challenge.”
A Wodonga TAFE Commercial Cookery apprentice, Ms Si Tu, 18, hosted a French bistro restaurant at The Valleys Restaurant at Wodonga TAFE yesterday.
Third year Commercial Cookery and Certificate III Events and Hospitality students jointly hosted the first of 10 events, which would open to the public fortnightly until September 11.
Wodonga TAFE Commercial Cookery teacher Sarah Whitling said each student was responsible for their entire event – from concept, food costings, menus, marketing, flyers, staffing, through to presentation and event evaluation.
Ms Whitling said each student in the head chef role was responsible for creating their own service style.
“Jaymie has really effectively stepped out of her comfort zone,” she said.
Ms Si Tu’s French bistro, Les Vallees, offered steak tartare or creme du barry for entree; seafood bouillabaisse or beef richelieu, madeira sauce, tomato, potato and mushroom for main; and strawberry mille feuille with vanilla custard and berry sorbet or creme brulee for dessert.
The former Wodonga Senior Secondary College student who worked in her family’s restaurant while training at TAFE, Ms Si Tu said hosting her own restaurant was a valuable exercise.
“There were some challenges with the creme brulee to make sure it didn’t curdle!” she said.
“But it was fun to do the whole experience.”
Commercial cookery students dined at a broad range of Melbourne restaurants for inspiration during a TAFE excursion in March.
The remaining events open to the public in The Valleys Restaurant in Wodonga include Traditional A la Carte (May 10); Contemporary Middle East Banquet (May 15); Filipino Street Food Pop Up (May 29); Andrea Pasta Masta (June 14); Mediterranean Tapas (June 19); Japanese Degustation (July 24); Thai Cafe Takeaway (August 7); Italian A la Carte (August 21); and Afternoon Tea Buffet (September 11).
For details and bookings phone 1300 698 233.