Seattle Culinary Academy graduate Varin Keokitvon wins National Jeune Commis Competition
SEATTLE — Varin Keokitvon, a 2008 graduate of Seattle Central Community College’s Seattle Culinary Academy, is the winner of the National Jeune Commis competition held earlier this month in Scottsdale, AZ. He will represent the United States against twenty-five other young chefs from around the world at the international competition in New York City, September 30-October 4, 2009.
“Varin is an excellent example of what one can achieve through hard work and dedication to their profession,” said Gregg Shiosaki, chef instructor at Seattle Culinary Academy. “He is a young culinarian with the desire and commitment to always learn and improve while keeping himself well grounded. We’re very proud of his accomplishment in the Juene Commis competition and wish him all the best at the international finals.”
In qualifying for the national competition, Mr. Keokitvon first won the local and regional competitions, both held at Renton Technical College. Each competitor was given four hours to prepare a three-course meal for four people using key ingredients contained in an identical “mystery market basket”. Tasting judges graded entries on taste and texture, originality, and presentation. Kitchen judges graded kitchen techniques, organization, product utilization, professionalism, and timing.
“It’s such an honor to have won all three of these competitions,” said Mr. Keokitvon. “I’m very excited to represent the United States at the internationals. This will definitely be an experience that I know will help me accomplish my culinary goals.”
In order to travel to New York City for the international competition, Varin plans to take some time off from his work as a restaurant sous chef and chef instructor at Seattle’s Farestart restaurant and from Elliott’s Oyster House, where he is a cook. “Varin is a real ‘go getter,’” said Joy Gulmon-Huri, program manager with Seattle Culinary Academy. “He gets involved and seems to know what’s happening in the industry. He is very passionate and loves to share his culinary knowledge, as evidenced by his work as a chef instructor at Farestart. In our pastry program, he particularly excelled in chocolate and sugar show pieces.”
Mr. Keokitvon offered praise in turn to his instructors and mentors. “Chef Eric Hellner (Executive Chef at Elliott’s Oyster House) has been very supportive and has really helped teach me how to move,” he said. “And the chef-instructors at Seattle Culinary Academy have been amazing, especially Chef Regis Bernard (pastry chef instructor), Chef Gregg Shiosaki (chef instructor), Chef Don Reed (baking chef instructor) who helped me realize my passion for breads, and Chef Keijiro Miyata (chef instructor and ice carving world champion), who urged me to compete in the Jeune Commis Competition. Chef John Fisher (Director of Culinary Arts at Renton Tech) took me under his wing and mentally prepared me for the nationals.”
Speaking about his plans after the international competition, Mr. Keokitvon remarked, “I would like to go to France in October 2010 to apprentice at Patisserie Grandin in St. Germaine en Laye, Le Pré Catelan in Paris, and Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier.” His long term goal is to be a pastry chef instructor at Seattle Culinary Academy. “My goal in life is to give back what I learned to the next generation and that’s why I took the job at Farestart. But ultimately I want to be the next Regis Bernard. The first time I thought I wanted to become an instructor was during a lecture Gregg Shiosaki was giving. He was so passionate and real and so inspiring that it made me want to be in his shoes right there. That feeling never left me. I’ve always wanted to be an inspiration to others one day.”
More about Varin Keokitvon
Varin is a 2008 graduate of Seattle Culinary Academy’s Specialty Desserts and Breads program. He also studied culinary arts at North Seattle Community College where he won a Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) which recognizes and rewards students who excel in career and technical education.
A refugee of Laos, Varin first became interested in cooking and baking as a teenager when he and his sister used to bake cookies and cakes together. However, it wasn’t until he saw the National Pastry Team Championship on the Food Network that he realized that baking could be his profession. “The teams created amazing desserts and sugar and chocolate showpieces that were unreal, and at that point, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he said. “I never knew it was possible to make sugar and chocolate into works of art. I guess I always loved art and loved to eat so I just put the two together. Food, sugar, and chocolate are my mediums; the plates are my canvas.”
For information about Seattle Culinary Academy, please visit the website.
For information about the Juene Commis competitions, please visit chaineus.org.