Embassy Chefs from 18 countries pose for a group photo before the awarding ceremony of the 2016 Embassy Chef Challenge at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 25 May 2016.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chef Claude Tayag’s bringhe recipe and Enzo Lim’s special cocktail bagged the People’s Choice Award at the 8th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge organized by Events DC and Cultural Tourism DC on 25 May 2016 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
“The Filipino people won it. We have conquered the world with our cuisine,” said Chef Claude.
Chef Claude Tayag’s Bringhe paired with Enzo Lim’s special cocktail wins the People’s Choice Award in the 8th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge.
“See the trending here in the US. Philippine cuisine has crept into the mainstream. They know about adobo, pancit, and lumpia. A lot of people around the world have what I call a ‘Filipino cuisine connection’. I really think it is our decade,” he added.
Master mixologist and restaurateur Enzo Lim, whose special cocktail was described as “bold in its use of tropical flavors and locally inspired by way of ginger zest andkalamansi,” shared Chef Claude’s enthusiasm and excitement about the Philippines’ inaugural participation in the Challenge.
The winning team: Master mixologist and restaurateur, Enzo Lim and Chef Claude Tayag
“This is the first time we joined and I am glad that I’m a part of it. It is a great way to learn about the cuisines of other countries and obviously, to showcase ours, which I think we did,” Enzo Lim said.
The Philippines’ offering bested the entries of 17 other Embassies in the People’s Choice category whose results were compiled through social media and hard copy ballot voting. Chef Craig Greenridge, representing the Embassy of Barbados, took home the Judges’ Choice Award.
Ms. Erin Yiu, winner of “Kumain ka na ba?” contest with Chef Claude Tayag and Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. at the Philippine Embassy booth during last night’s Embassy Chef Challenge. Ms. Yiu won free tickets to the Embassy Chef Challenge courtesy of her winning piece, “An ode to adobo”.
“Winning the People’s Choice Award is a nod to the world-class quality of our cuisine, its strong appeal to international palates, and of course, to the talent of Chef Claude and Enzo. With this achievement, we hope to bring our culinary diplomacy to even greater heights,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
“Flavors of the Philippines,” a joint project of the Philippine Embassy, Philippine Trade and Investment Center and Office of the Agriculture Attaché in Washington D.C., is generously supported by the US-Philippines Society, Philippine Airlines, Seafood City Supermarket, and 13 Degrees North. ###