Thanks to work, I was one of the lucky individuals who once again attended the BC Healthy Chef Competition that took place a couple of weeks ago. I might not have a popular blog to receive the fancy, golden media invite (I’m imagining that’s what it looked like) and sit at the VIP tables, but my coworkers and I had a lovely evening while supporting a great cause. Man, I know I said this before, but I do love my job 🙂
The purpose of this event is to help promote healthy eating while raising money for the Mix it Up! campaign, Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Chefs representing 10 units were competing against each other by cooking up some tasty entrees and desserts using fruit and vegetables. Here is the list of competing units:
- Chinese Canadian Chef Association
- Copper Chimney
- Executive Plaza Hotel Coquitlam
- The Hyatt Regency Vancouver
- The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver
- Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
- Pier 7
- River Rock Casino Resort
- Vancouver Community College
- Wah Wing Szachuan Restaurant
Before we could enjoy the entrees and desserts prepared by these 10 competing units, we each had our serving of Olive Oil Poached Wild Salmon as our starter plate.
Then, each guest joined the line to pick up their own combination of entree and dessert, based on the envelope at each seat. The envelope contained a card that specified our entree and dessert selection randomly chosen among the ten competing units. No two guests at the same table would have the same combination of entree and dessert. There were four of us at the table, so we shared our plates to maximize the number of dishes we each got to try. In addition to that, we also picked up a few more dishes when each station was open for “seconds”. Frankly, we tried almost everything that was served that evening!
Food
Of everything I tried, I was the most impressed by these:
Copper Chimney Entree: This might not be the healthiest dish, but I really enjoyed the spice rub on the lamb chops.
Art Institute Entree: My coworker thought it was a bit bland, but I thought the seasoning was quite good. I especially liked the panko crust on the tuna.
Vancouver Community College Dessert: There were many components in this dessert, but they all made sense together. The pear sorbet was very refreshing; the chilboust cream on the tart tasted almost like marshmallow, light and fluffy.
Displays
The 10 competing units were not only competing on food quality and the use of fruit and vegetables, but also on the creativity in their displays. Here are a few that caught my eyes:
Very impressed by the quality of sugar work the AI students put out.
Chinese chefs have been known for impressive food sculptures, so I’m not surprised to see that the Chinese Canadian Chef Association and Wah Wing have put out some really nice work on the tables.
I’m not sure what this has to do with food, but it definitely caught my attention – although I was surprised to learn that none of my coworkers actually saw her!
Winner Circle
While every competing unit has done a fantastic job and there’s really no loser in this competition, the judges had to pick out a winner for the five categories. They are:
Best Entree: Vancouver Community College
Best Dessert: Hyatt Regency
Healthy Plate Award: Executive Inn Coquitlam
Best Table Showcase: River Rock Casino
Well, need I say more?
People’s Choice Award: Vancouver Community College
It was a neck-and-neck competition between VCC and River Rock Casino.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations to everyone who competed in this competition. It was a lovely evening, not to mention that we all walked away with a box of grocery – more healthy ingredients to add to my meals!
More event photos below:
VanFoodies.com 