Simply Asia hosts a special event in Norwood with celebrities going head to head to be crowned ultimate wok starNorwood heats up with Thai cooking competition

There was excitement and the smell of delicious Thai food in the air as Simply Asia’s Ready Steady Wok event took over Norwood with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry coming out to watch the semifinal showdown.

The event, hosted by the national Thai dining franchise, forms part of a series of celebrity cook-offs from which Simply Asia will crown a local celebrity as the ultimate wok star.

The event saw two celebrities battling it out in front of an audience to see who had superior Thai cooking skills. On the one side was 947 radio DJ, actress and television host Philicity Reeken and on the other side was comedian, actor and MasterChef SA winner Chris Forrest.

Each cook was tasked with making two dishes from the Simply Asia menu, the Khao Phad Thai which is a scrumptious Thai fried rice dish with beef, and Ba-Mee Prik Phao which is a fiery roasted chilli paste and cashew nut noodle dish with chicken.

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The competition was fierce but in the end, it was Forrest who walked away with the prize. The judging panel said he knocked it out of the park with his dishes.

“The flavours and textures were sublime, almost up to the Simply Asia standard,” said Yasser Ismail, who was part of the judging panel and a franchisee in Norwood.

The franchise will host another Ready Steady Wok semifinal event at Parktown Quarter on 29 March. The winning celeb from this event will join semifinalists Forrest and DJ Soosh to go into the grand finale at the Fourways franchise on 8 April where they will fight for the title of ultimate wok star.

How are your skills around a wok? Share your Thai favourite recipes on the North Eastern Tribune Facebook page.