Peng Looi is Awarded the Jefferson Evans Award by BCA

My e-newsletter today from New Asian Cuisine states the following:




On March 8, Chef Peng Looi of Asiatique Restaurant and August Moon Chinese Bistro in Louisville, KY, will travel North to New York, appearing at the 15th annual Cultural Awareness Salute Dinner to receive the prestigious Jefferson Evans Award. This event is presented by BCA, a nationwide non-profit, educational and networking organization of hospitality and food service professionals, and will take place at the New York Marriot Marquis Hotel (1535 Broadway). Chef Looi follows in the footsteps of another New Asian Cuisine favorite; Chef Robert Okura of The Cheesecake Factory, who received this award in 2004.

For reservation to the exclusive awards presentation dinner, which will include a multi-course dinner and wine pairing prepared by some of the nation's top culinary schools, please call (646) 548-2949 or (646) 548-1886.

For more information about Chef Looi's restaurants, please visit http://www.asiatiquerestaurant.com and http://www.augustmoonbistro.com. For more information about BCA, please visit http://www.thebca.net





from TheBCA.net:

Jefferson Evans Award
This award is given in honor of Chef Evans who was was the first African-American graduate of Culinary Institute of America in 1947. The Jefferson Evans Award is granted to individuals who have exhibited culinary excellence in the hospitality industry, and acknowledges the individual's discipline, consistency, and high standards, all of which are integral parts of the culinary arts.




My personal congratulations to Looi's on achievement of such an award of such prestige.
A wonderful honor!

Nice work Looi!

Congratulations! Well deserved!

Maybe it's me, but once again a well-deserving Louisviole person gets a major national award, and instead of seeing it on the front page of the C-J (or even anywhere in it) I read about it on-line. (Did I miss it in the paper???)

Anyways, CONGRATULATIONS!

Looi- I'm so glad you got this respected honor. It's nice to see our local chefs get the recognition they deserve. Looi, you always strive to be the best and this award underscores it.

[Robin Garr]

My personal congratulations to Looi's on achievement of such an award of such prestige.
A wonderful honor!

Nice work Looi!

Congrats indeed! I thought I had put this on the forum a couple of weeks ago ... we've got a brief announcement of it in the new <I>Food & Dining</i>, which should be out any day now:

Chef Peng Looi earns national honor

Chef Peng Looi, of Asiatique and August Moon, has been nominated for the 2008 Jefferson Evans Award, presented annually by the Black Culinarian Alliance to honor individuals "of color" who have shown excellence in the food-service industry. Peng Looi was born in Malaysia.

The award is named after Chef Jefferson Evans, the first black graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in 1947. "This award symbolizes the importance of discipline, consistency, and upholding the highest standards in culinary arts," the Alliance wrote in an announcement of Peng Looi's nomination. He'll go to New York City to receive the honor in a black-tie gala on March 8.

Thank you for all the congratulations and it is a huge honor and compliment to be in the same category as Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, NYC and Douglas Rodriguez of OLA(s), Miami.

I would like to thank my wonderful loyal staff, past and present, at both restaurants all these years to make this happen. I would also like to say 'thank you' to all the guests and customers who have been very supportive for the past 21 years.