After the first battle we were given the black box items for the final. As we packed up our equipment and cleaned our station, Ian and I were already talking about what we were going to do with the beautifully fresh 2 pound Arctic Char, 15 fresh clams in their shell, Flat Iron steak and baby shrimp. We were busy at the restaurant that night even though it was a Sunday and we would normally be closed. We were pumped from the win in the afternoon and had a great service with a few special guests who enjoyed a 7 course tasting menu. The air was filled with a great vibe as we worked and our menu started to take shape between the orders of 2 scallop Ceviche, short rib ravioli, and a Pork belly! And picking up 2 fish, 2 lamb, a duck and a strip loin! When service was over and the kitchen was cleaned we took a few mins to collect our thoughts, finalize the menu and plan out the next morning…
The next morning, I arrived at the restaurant at 10 to pack up our equipment and get a start on final touches. As I worked on the dessert Ian and Chef were planning out the plate design. Everything was coming together. We knew the food was tasty, and when it hit the plates we knew it look great, and we had a game plan for go time… we were feeling pretty good.
As we did the day before, we set up early and went back to planning, trying to solve any problems and mishaps that might occur before they happen…as they usually do when you have an audience while you work. The judges arrived, as well as the competition. Gio’s Chef Bee Choo Char and Vince Scigliano, both accomplished former Chef Bear apprentices’ were just as ready for battle as we were. Cooks are very competitive and both teams were thirsty for medium rare blood… but Ian had worked with the Gio team at Gio and I had worked with Vince at Bear when I started. We were all friends so it helped ease my nerves. The competition began.
I started working on the broth for our appetizer plate. We were serving seared Arctic Char with poached clams and baby shrimp in an asparagus and cucumber broth and crispy char skin. As we plated… and re-plated… I couldn’t help but try to sneak peeks at what was happening on the Gio side. They were working fast and focused… Vince had that look in his eyes… I knew he wanted to win. Everything had to be perfect if we wanted to come out on top. The judges tasted our first plate, and we started on our main course.
Our sous vied flat iron steak was tender and tasty. We served it on julienned Portobello mushrooms, brown butter Parisian potatoes and an herb vegetable slaw sauced with a creamy parmesan velouté. The plate looked great and was exactly what we wanted. Rustic, and earthy with a little bit of style. We cleaned up our station and got ready to plate our final dish of the competition.
I had assembled the chilled goats cheese and raspberry mousse cakes with fresh berries. All we had to do was delicately place the shards of almond glass, mint leaves and drizzle the warm white chocolate butter sauce all around our final offering for the judges. After a big high-5 from Ian, I sighed with relief. We were done… our food tasted great and looked just as we envisioned, we were happy with our work, and I hadn’t burnt anything! A success.
After Gio put up their final plates it was in the judges hands…
On that day, Gio had better food. I was very happy for them. I wish I could have gotten too taste their plates, their menu sounded great. I hear that some of the dishes they did at the competition will be featured on the Gio menu… maybe I’ll get to taste them after all. The judges said that both teams had great food and that was all I needed to hear. It was such a good experience for me. I had a great time and learned a lot. It was a great first competition for me. Good food, friends and mentors. My next battle won’t be like this… Chaine des Rotiseure. I'll fill you in when I know more…
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