Thomas Keller to oversee young chefs’ competition in Las Vegas
Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud will be in town Wednesday to oversee the Ment’or Young Chef and Commis Competition at UNLV. The event, which will be used to select members of the support team for Team USA’s appearance in January at the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyon, France, will be open to the public. Keller says that for those who have only witnessed cooking competitions on TV, it offers an opportunity to witness “an incredibly exhilarating competition” in person.
“It’s similar (to televised competitions) in a sense where it’s a timed competition with designated dishes to create, though very unique based on the extraordinary young talent showcased.”
It will be followed by a dinner at Keller’s Bouchon at The Venetian, paying tribute to Bocuse d’Or founder Paul Bocuse, who died in January at age 91.
“Chef Bocuse was a luminary, a pioneer who impacted the culinary world beyond measure,” Keller says of the competition’s namesake.
“He was also my dear friend, whose mentorship and guidance helped me better understand our culture. His legacy is more important than ever now, and through this competition, we honor the wishes and dreams of one of the most revered chefs of our time by giving a new generation of chefs a chance to attain their dreams. Continuing to inspire the next generation of chefs in his memory is a great reward for my peers and me.”
Tickets are available at mentorbkb.org.
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.
Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.