Who Won The Best Potato Dish? –The US Potato Safari 6 Cook-Off Challenge

The highlight of our 3-day trip in Cebu for the US Potato Safari 6 was a cook-off challenge and it was an activity that we’ve all been excited about. After visiting 3 restaurants in Cebu and tasting all those delicious dishes creatively made using the different variants of US Potatoes, who wouldn’t be excited to try making their own?

The goal of the US Potato Safari 6 was for us to learn about US Potatoes, its different variants and the practical and profitable way of using them. This cook-off challenge would be our first step in applying everything we’ve learned about US Potatoes.

We were provided different variants of US Potatoes for the cook-off

And so the challenge began!

There were 4 teams all in all, with a chef in each team, and we were all prepared with the ingredients as we had only 1 hour to cook and present our dishes.

Team 1 – me, Chef Emman Galvez and Chef Nadine De Lucas

Team 2 – Chef Marc Francis Robin and Chef Kit Carpio

Lifestyle blogger Ruth Dela Cruz and Chef Mckoy and Chef Dale

Food Blogger Joy Gurtiza and Chef Alvin

It was so much like Top Chef, my favorite cooking reality show on cable, and here, I was one of the contestants. But ours was a friendly competition and everyone was happy to share resources with each other.

With the blue sea in the background and the wind blowing from time to time, it was the perfect day for the cook-off.

blue, blue sea

After exactly 1 hour, we all went inside Cowrie Cove Seafood Bar and Grill dining area for the judging part.

I was amazed on how quick and how varied the four teams were able to finish in such a short time. Look at all these colorful and mouthwatering dishes!

Our team’s colorful and superbly tasty creation – Chorizo De Longganisa where we used US Potato flakes to coat and shape the longganisa

Team 2’s dish 1 – creamy soup with shrimp and chorizo made creamy with US Potatoes

Team 2 2nd dish – Porterhouse Steak with US Potato cakes

Team 2’s Tempura breaded with US Potato Flakes and granules with shoestring potatoes

Cheesy lumpia with US Potato Wedges

Team 4’s Dessert Dish Panna Cotta with US Potato granules

And the Winning Dish! Seafood Paella with US Potato flakes as one of the ingredients! Congratulations!

With the judges: L-R Ms. Kendra Keenan (Potatoes USA), Ms. Reji Retugal (Potatoes USA) Chef Kit and Chef Marc, Chef Alvin Ong and Chef Sydney Uy (Potatoes USA Chefs)

I really enjoyed this cook-off challenge. Cooking under time pressure can make one a better cook sometimes because you learn to think of ways how to cook efficiently, saving you time, gas and energy. You also learn to use better alternatives when something in your ingredient is missing. For example, you can use potatoes instead of flour or cornstarch to thicken your soup or your dessert. You also learn how to be a team player or designate tasks in the kitchen so you can finish the dish within the time given.