HCM CITY (VNS)— The inaugural Aust-Viet Junior Chef Challenge will be held in HCM City from June 17-21 as part of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Viet Nam.

Vietnamese children aged 10-12 will present a sample of their cooking for judges to taste, and will be encouraged to describe their passion for cooking for family and friends.

The top 14 junior chefs will be selected as finalists and later take part in a cooking class with guest Vietnamese-Australian celebrity chef Nhut Huynh, and compete individually and in teams for the title of the first Aust-Viet Junior Chef.

Sydney-based chef Nhut Huynh will teach the junior chefs to use premium Australian beef and lamb to create delicious Vietnamese dishes such as bun bo xao (Australian beef fillet salad with lemongrass) and chao cuu (Australian lamb on sugarcane).

During the week, Nhut will also conduct public cooking demonstrations.

Trainee chefs at KOTO (Know One, Teach One), a local charity providing vocational hospitality skills training for disadvantaged youth, will also have an opportunity to learn from Nhut in a cooking master class.

Children can register for the Challenge contest from tomorrow to June 10 on the consulate's website at www.hcmc.Viet Nam.embassy.gov.au. The number of places is limited to 300.-VNS