Community leaders, North Pattaya hotels get cooking

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Six women activists faced off against managers from a half-dozen North Pattaya hotels to see who could whip up the best friend rice.

The Amari Orchid Resort and Tower and North Pattaya Alliance organized the March 7 Rice Cook-Off 2015, which required them to cook chicken or vegetable fried rice, and a mango sticky rice maki roll desert.

The objective of the activity was to bring greater attention and awareness of the North Pattaya neighborhood as a friendly and family-oriented destination. NPA members include the Amari, Cape Dara Resort, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, Dusit Thani Pattaya, Holiday Inn Pattaya and The Zign hotels.

The two teams face off before the cooking begins.The two teams face off before the cooking begins.

Brendan Daly, general manager for the Amari and current chairman of the NPA said, “This is an excellent opportunity for North Pattaya hotels to showcase our destination, not only to the very influential and high-profile celebrity ladies, who each represent a women’s-related group in Thailand, but also to bring a sense of fun to the neighborhood and fear to the contestants who are slightly daunted by the task of cooking a simple dish of fried rice.”

Holiday Inn Pattaya GM Kate Gerits has reason to be proud of her culinary masterpiece.Holiday Inn Pattaya GM Kate Gerits has reason to be proud of her culinary masterpiece.

The women behind the frying pans were Ob-oom Chutrakul from Quintessentially Lifestyle, Sara Martin from the British Women’s Group, Helle Rantsen from the Pattaya International Ladies Club, June Khazi from the International Women’s Club, Naina Rao from the American Women’s Club, and Kathy Barnet from the Australian New Zealand Women’s Group.

Amari Pattaya GM Brendan Daly gets to work cooking an egg and vegetable fried rice dish.Amari Pattaya GM Brendan Daly gets to work cooking an egg and vegetable fried rice dish.

Representing the hotels were Brendan Daly, Tanin Suphavittayakorn, executive assistant manager at Cape Dara, David W. Nowak, executive assistant manager at Centara Grand Mirage, Neoh Kean Boon, resident manager at the Dusit Thani, Kate Gerits, general manager of the Holiday Inn Pattaya, and Somkhit Honsaiphet, general manager at The Zign.

The community-group leaders were pronounced the winners.

PILC President Helle Rantsen expertly prepares her fried rice dish.PILC President Helle Rantsen expertly prepares her fried rice dish.

Spatulas down, dishes presented … let the judging begin.Spatulas down, dishes presented … let the judging begin.

This is the one, the best of the lot, which tipped the scales in favor of the 6 celebrity expat ladies team.This is the one, the best of the lot, which tipped the scales in favor of the 6 celebrity expat ladies team.

The winners toast to their close victory, to a fun competition with worthy opponents, and to a great day had by all.The winners toast to their close victory, to a fun competition with worthy opponents, and to a great day had by all.