Papi Chulo chef Catalina Rodriguez to compete in Golden Chef’s Hat Award competition

PAPI Chulo chef Catalina Rodriguez is off to Melbourne for the Golden Chef’s Hat Award thanks to her amazing chocolate dish.

Catalina Rodriguez, from Papi Chulo, is a finalist in the 2016 Nestle Golden Chef's Hat Award. Picture: Braden Fastier

• Dining review: Fired up for pizza
• Should a burger just be beef?
• Foodie Friday: Manly’s growing small bar scene

CHOCOLATE is always a winner.

Papi Chulo’s young chef de partie Catalina Rodriguez is off to Melbourne to cook in the Golden Chef’s Hat Award in September.

Ms Rodriguez, 22, and her cooking partner Adelene Stahnke impressed the judges with a knockout dessert featuring a white chocolate cylinder, condensed milk semifreddo, poached rhubarb and thyme meringue.

The pair also showed that they could prepare a creative main course at the recent­ competition cook-off held in the commercial kitchens at TAFE NSW Ryde Campus.

Colombian Catalina Rodriguez is a chef at Papi Chulo on Manly Wharf. Picture: Braden Fastier

The best friends’ winning menu showcased beef prepared two ways, Ms Rodriguez said.

“We cooked a chateaubriand braised short ribs served with charred leeks and roast garlic cream,” Ms Rodriguez said.

“We only had three hours to prepare our dishes, but I think that we came up with some really good ideas.”

The young Colombian chef said that it was her first cooking competition.

“This was my first time entering­ a competition, so it was pretty exciting,” she said. “My friend convinced me because she needed a partner.”

Ms Rodriguez, who has been working at the Merivale Manly Wharf restaurant for two years, said her favourite ingredient­ was cheese.

The winning dessert: white chocolate cylinder, condensed milk semifreddo, poached rhubarb and thyme meringue.

“It can be hard to use because­ it doesn’t always go with everything,” she said.

Ms Rodriguez and 22-year-old best friend will represent NSW in the national final in Melbourne in September.

The Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat Award, dedicated to helping young culinary talent, has been running since 1965.