Gold with Distinction for Gao Liu

Salmon & Saffron, Flavour of Fate…

the entry that won the GOLD WITH DISTINCTION at Fine Food Australia 2012 in Melbourne.

Clown’s Fate

When the clown is crying

Would you think he is kidding

Are we who we are

Or whom we are play as

Presented by Steve McFarlane, ACFV President - Victoria 

Gordon Gao Liu was pursuing his studies in philosophy in Szechuan, China during 2009. He then considered that cooking might be a way to help him get through the bottle neck of his philosophy study, so he applied for the course at NMIT in 2010.

Gordon’s first attempt at competition saw him winning a silver medal in AUS TAFE Competition Regional in 2011, and it spurred him on to win a gold medal in AUS TAFE State Final. He represented Victoria at the Worldskills 2012 in Sydney and received a gold medal. Gordon continued to excel by winning a silver medal in La Dolce Italian Table Professional Chef Competition. 

In September 2012, Gordon left an indelible footprint at Fine Food Australia in Melbourne. His competition dish, Salmon & Saffron – Flavour of Fate, was awarded Gold With Distinction. A perfect score was given by the judges for Gordon’s winning dish.

Gordon likes molecular gastronomy, fusion cuisine and Australian bushfoods. He  learns about other cultures, aesthetics, psychology, and food medicine to develop my own cooking style in his free time.

Gordon’s first inspiration was drawn from the first chef he worked with, a blend of passion and his own philosophy into his culinary style. Later, at the catering kitchen of Sofitel, Gordon grasped a better understanding of the general culinary disciplines of his home (Szechuan) cuisine, that every detail must be perfect. 

Then, under the tutelage of NMIT Chef Andrew Shepherd, Gordon gained an extensive and effective training on competitions, and how he could improve his own culinary style.

And eventually, it was the visit to the studio of Artist Ixia Black and learning about her Low Brow style that inked Gordon’s very own culinary style - connecting cooking with art. Real art.

Gordon Gao Liu, the 24 year-old gold with distinction medallist who recently graduated from NMIT in Melbourne.


Question: When did you conceive the recipe concept?
Gao Liu: It was about 3 years ago, with modifications made along the way

Question: Why did you use so many parts of the salmon on your dish?
Answer: I want to showcase as many edible parts of salmon on my plate, and that they have these 4 factors when I created it. They have nutritional and medicinal values, packed with flavour, and there's texture to the dish.

Alan Orreal, Gao Liu with his mentor Andrew Shepherd (right) who has nurtured and guided this fine young chef to his winning dish.