With only 15 seconds left, Luis Aguilar and his teammates carefully squeezed custard onto their dessert, a fruit-lasagna layered parfait, as five other teams put the finishing touches to their dishes.
Sixteen culinary students from Templeton Secondary School participated in an Iron Chef cooking competition on Wednesday.?It was judged by four of the city’s top chefs.
The ninth annual battle was to determine a “supreme” team.
But for Aguilar and most competitors, it was just a friendly match to show off their passion for cooking.
“It’s a fun feeling,” said Aguilar.
“We’ve been preparing together since December and it means a lot to be competing with them (friends).”
Like the TV show, students had a set time to prepare three dishes — an appetizer, an entree and a dessert — from scratch.
The theme this year was “noodles,” and the dishes were judged on presentation, taste and originality.
Rob Feenie, Canada’s first Iron Chef and judge for the fourth year, was impressed by the enthusiasm.
“I was 17 when I started cooking,” he said. “So same age as these guys. I know it’s kind of hard because you’re on stage and it’s not a good thing when you lose.
“It’s great to see what’s happening today — love the excitement.”
Other judges include Canada’s top chef Dale MacKay, former chef at Bishop’s Restaurant Dennis Green, and owner of Dan Close Food Concepts, Dan Close.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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