This past Sunday, 12 embassy chefs completed the first of two rounds in the competition to win the Judge’s Choice Award in the fourth annual Embassy Chef Challenge.

Sunday’s competition, Challenge Denmark, bears the name of the embassy whose chef won last year. Competing this year in the kitchen are embassy chefs representing the Bahamas, China, Georgia, Hungary, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Morocco, Norway, and Switzerland.

From Left to Right: Maziar Farivar, Executive Chef and Co-owner, Peacock Café, Tim Carman, Food Reporter, The Washington Post, Chef Shogo Shimodaira, Embassy of Japan, Chef Sherene N. James, Embassy of Jamaica, Chef Devin E. Johnson, Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Chef Young A. Byeon Lee, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Chef Sondre Bruvik Ellingstad, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Chef Malkhaz Maisashvili, Embassy of Georgia, Chef Viktor Merényi, Embassy of Hungary, Sina Molavi, Executive Chef, Occasions Caterers, Lars Beese, Chef at Embassy of Denmark and Winner of Embassy Chef Challenge 2011, Missy Frederick, Columnist, “Top Shelf” Washington Business Journal, Warren Brown, Founder, CakeLove, Chef Xavier Deshayes, Executive Chef, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center - Photo by Don Tanguilig

From Left to Right: Maziar Farivar, Executive Chef and Co-owner, Peacock Café, Chef Vincent Muia, Embassy of Switzerland, Chef Sen Sun, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Chef Xavier Deshayes, Executive Chef, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Chef Yerlan Abdrakhmanov, Embassy of Kazakhstan, Chef Nazha Kasraoui, Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Warren Brown, Founder, CakeLove, Chef Djamel Amroune, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, Missy Frederick, Columnist, “Top Shelf” Washington Business Journal, Lars Beese, Chef at Embassy of Denmark and Winner of Embassy Chef Challenge 2011, Tim Carman, Food Reporter, The Washington Post, Chef Sina Molavi, Executive Chef, Occasions Caterers - Photo by Don Tanguilig 

Beet noodles - Photo by Don Tanguilig

 

Last year’s winner, Lars Beese of the Embassy of Denmark, chose the remaining ingredients, all kept secret until the group began their 120-minute timed cooking session. Chef Beese chose chicken, Danish butter, Danish bacon (which is more smoked than salty), and the more exotic celery root, and sunchoke.

Despite the competitive atmosphere, all the chefs cheered each other on during the spirited cook-off.

With such varied backgrounds, many chefs needed translators. The variety of cooking traditions was clear when it came to preparing the chicken. Some used a cleaver and hacked it up quickly, while others took more previous time to de-bone it. The judges enjoyed the array of presentations.

The winner of Challenge Denmark is half-way to the coveted Judge’s Choice Award, which is based on the second hors d’oeuvres competition that takes place on March 8 at the Embassy Chef Challenge at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. A second award, the People’s Choice, will be named that evening based on votes from Embassy Chef Challenge attendees, who sample the chef’s artistry during the gala fundraiser for Cultural Tourism DC. Tickets are available here.

The chef's dishes - Photo by Don Tanguilig