Best Event of the Year: Embassy Chef Challenge 2011

Cultural Tourism DC dishes up a third edition of Embassy Chef Challenge, their annual culinary competition for world-class, Washington, DC embassy chefs. Embassy chefs representing a sampling of cuisines from around the world will showcase their global flavor to impress a panel of celebrity judges and more than 400 guests in competition for the coveted Judge’s Choice Award and People’s Choice Award.  This is my FAVORITE culinary event of the year.  The Embassy Chef Challenge captures the theme of the Capital Cooking Show and explores the cultural riches of our nation's capital through food by exploring the food of countries from all around the world.

Embassy Chef Challenge 2011 will be held Tuesday, April 12 from 6:30 to 10:00 pm in the atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW. The 2011 Embassy Chef Challenge is co-hosted by Cultural Tourism DC and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Embassy Chef Challenge is an annual benefit for Cultural Tourism DC. The event serves to savor the arts, culture, and history of Washington, DC by supporting Cultural Tourism DC’s free programs and events throughout the year. The evening features hors d’oeuvres, created for guests by DC embassy chefs, as well as a silent auction.  We had the best time meeting all the chefs last year and tasting their dishes cooked from the heart.

Embassy Chef Challenge 2011 chefs:

• Chef Michael Nathan Adderley, Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas 
• Chef Yordan Dimitrov, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria 
• Chef Wei Meng, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 
• Chef Lars Beese, Royal Danish Embassy 
• Chef Djamel Amroune, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq 
• Chef Yerlan Abdrakhmanov, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
• Chef Jan-Erik Hauge, The Royal Norwegian Embassy 
• Chef Jose Luis Fernandez, Embassy of Peru 
• Chef Frida Johansson, Embassy of Sweden 
• Chef Kinskyi Serhii, Embassy of Ukraine 
• Chef Marufjo Muradov, Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan 
• Chef Ángel López, Embassy of Venezuela

  Individual tickets are $250 and sponsorship packages are available beginning at the $1,000 level. A VIP Reception will occur from 5:30 to 6:30pm, prior to Embassy Chef Challenge. Tickets are available for purchase at www.CulturalTourismDC.org.

Embassy Chef Challenge 2011 serves as an appetizer in supporting Cultural Tourism DC’s Passport DC, a month long celebration of international culture. In May, Washington, DC explores its international connections with embassy open houses, street festivals, special performances, exhibits, and much more. Many events are free or at low cost and open to the public.

 

This year’s panel of judges includes Joe Yonan, The Washington Post food and travel editor; Chef Jan Van Haute, chef-in-residence at the Embassy of Belgium and winner of Embassy Chef Challenge 2010; Chef Bruce Barnes, senior executive chef for Restaurant Associates, World Bank Group; Chef Spike Mendelsohn, owner of Good Stuff Eatery and We the Pizza, and Top Chef and Top Chef: All-Stars contestant; Chef Maziar Farivar, chef and co-owner of Georgetown's Peacock Café; Chef Tamesha Warren, Sous Chef at The Oval Room and Top Chef contestant; Chef Ann Cashion, Chef and Co-Owner of Johnny’s Half Shell; and Chef Xavier Deshayes, Executive Chef of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Guests of Embassy Chef Challenge will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite competitor for the People’s Choice Award.