Tosca Pizza Challenge At DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru!

Oven-baked flat bread, tomato sauce, and cheese with your favourite toppings, and out come your most desired Italian Pizza!

Have you attended any pizza workshops? Well, it was my first and here I was with Executive Chef Jaffery Othman of DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, Malaysia! With more than 25 years of experience under his belt, Chef Jaffery has lent his skills to some notable names in the international hospitality industry. Be warned - lots of photos in this post!

The event saw myself, along with Gourmet Living Writers and Tony Johor Kaki from Singapore, working out at the exclusive Pasta and Pizza Workshop at Tosca Trattoria Italiana, joining other Malaysian media chaps. Hubby and I were whisked off in a hotel car to DoubleTree by Hilton JB early that morning. Traffic was smooth, and it took us just about 30 mins to reach the new spanking hotel from the Woodlands Causeway.

Media were invited to a kitchen tour at the event, where we got to see the staff in action.

Led by Nor Sharmilawaty Binti Bakeri, the hotel's Hygiene Manager, issues such as hygiene and quality control play a crucial role at the establishment.

Pasta demo by Chef Yuzry with a peek at their pasta-making machine.

Handmade pastas at Tosca like this Squid Ink Tagliatelle.

Our eye-opening kitchen tour ended with a Pizza Challenge at Tosca. Leading the culinary artists at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru is Executive Chef Jaffery Othman. The workshop kicked start with the Exec Chef giving us a pizza demo.

Have you ever tried making a pizza at home?

With an open kitchen concept, the outlet features an antipasto table and Tosca’s Zesti Woodfired Pizza Oven, a unique stainless steel arch commonly seen in MasterChef reality cooking shows.

Besides the oven’s exclusive design that matches the contemporary décor of Tosca, its ability to go up to 700°C in 15 minutes makes the oven perfect for gourmet cooking. The first of its kind in Southeast Asia, this feature sets a precedent for other hotel dining establishments in the region.

To begin our pizza challenge, participants had to go through a stringent hand-washing routine demonstrated by their Hygiene Manager.

My hands are germs-free now after all that scrubbing and sanitizing! It certainly reminded me of my Singapore Airlines' training days where we visited the SATS in-flight catering.

Now, I'm all ready for the challenge. Participants were grouped into pairs to compete against one another. Using these ingredients, we were to create our very own pizza!

It was my first time making a pizza! Gosh, that heavy-weight rolling pin was making me weary in no time!

I discovered that it wasn't easy rolling out a round dough no matter how hard I tried. I gave up eventually, and decided to cut my dough into a rectangular shape instead. Who said pizzas have to be round?? Thankfully, I got a really nice partner, who practically went along with my nonsense. Lol!

Well, I decided to do a twin pizza! Half with tomato base, topped with cheese, tuna and smoked salmon. The other was a sour cream base, with anchovies, olives and wild rocket. Lena and I collaborated really well. Off to the oven to bake!

The final product after presentation! Does it look good to you?

Here are the rest of the entries! Pretty impressive with all sorts of variations, huh?

Time for the 3 judges to go around sampling our masterpieces. We had to please not just one, but three palates!

Pretty excited when the judges came to my team's pizza. Lol!

It was time for some decision making based on taste and creativity!

And the winning pizza ............. Pizza No. 4, and that's ours!! What a surprise! Lena's my lucky star!

Handing out the prize was Simon McGrath, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru.

Here's my pretty partner - Lena!

The prize is a 3-nite stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru!! Wow, looks like I'll be back to #doubletreejb! Thank you, guys!

After working hard in the kitchen, it was time for our lunch at Tosca. I love this private dining room where you'll get to watch the kitchen staff in action!

Tosca Trattoria Italiana Homemade Bread

Zuppa di Fungi @ RM25 is a flavoursome wild mushroom soup. The whipped cream skating around the creamy potage makes it a joy to savour. ★★★★★

The Fettuccine Alfredo @ RM25 is the restaurant's homemade pasta with Parmesan cheese. As the cheese melted, it formed a velvety and rich coating on the pasta. Although the pasta is tasty, I would prefer it to be served with some seafood. ★★★★☆

The Petto di Pollo Farcito @ RM42 is not as simple as it looks; its ingredients worked together to build a marvellous sense of harmony.

It’s easy to ruin a chicken breast, but the meat turned out moist and tender with its precision timing. Stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese, the dish is accented by a rich redolent sauce accompanied by grilled vegetables and baked potato. ★★★★☆

The Semifreddo ' Pistachio' @ RM15 is a must-try! The frozen parfait, served with raspberry sauce, is so yummy that I'd snatched my hubby's share as well. Oops! ★★★★★

Reflecting the restaurant's gastronomy values, DoubleTree's kitchen is all about delivering authentic, well-cooked cuisines using the finest quality ingredients.

Come, let's check into my hotel room now cause I'm dead tired after the event. Catch my " staycation " review at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, An Ideal Getaway, or dining experience at Tosca Trattoria Italiana!