\n\t\t\t\tMariana Resort Junior chefs pose with Jay Santos (far right), Marianas Resort and Spa executive chef William Retardo, and Marianas Resort and Spa general manager Gloria Cavanagh after winning third place. (Jayson Camacho)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nMariana Resort won last year\u2019s Chef\u2019s Competition, which had the theme \u201cAll American Cheese Burger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEach year we try to come up with different themes for the event and, as you can see, they were very happy that this year was Mexican Beef Tacos as we haven\u2019t had that type of food for this event,\u201d Santos told Saipan Tribune.<\/p>\n
This year Saipan World Resort placed second, while Mariana Resort placed third. <\/p>\n
The Hyatt team won $500, the World Resort team got $300 and Marianas Resort won $200. All placers were given trophies and a bag of goodies from Certified Angus Beef.<\/p>\n
Santos thanked the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands for donating $1,000 for the cash prizes.<\/p>\n
Ken Stewart, also known as the Guam Food Guy and one of the competition\u2019s judges, said he enjoyed the Hyatt\u2019s entry \u201cprimarily because they were the truest to the traditional concept of the Mexican beef taco. They used something that had imagery with the southwest of Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir salsas were both delicious and the way their meat was cooked and the homemade shells were crispy and flavorful. Everything you wanted such as the taste and the authenticity was done well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Vinson Deleon Guerrero, lead cook for Giovanni\u2019s at Hyatt, said that everything they used for their dish such as peppers, lemons, and avocados were also used as part of their display.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to stay within the Mexican tradition of tacos and put out basic condiments such as the salsa, guacamole, chilis, and pickle de gallo and tried to infuse as much of the local ingredients as we can using mangos and donni (local hot pepper) on island and also local avocados,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe beef we had to slow cook for 12 hours and everything that came with it,\u201d Deleon Guerrero added.<\/p>\n
Hyatt\u2019s pastry chef Ian Cranley said the soft-shelled tacos took about an hour to prepare and the potato chips took about an hour and a half. <\/p>\n
Santos said that Triple J is truly proud to host this event every year. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe HANMI member hotels look forward to this competition every year and it\u2019s a delight to see the junior chefs come out and be as creative as they are with the display and how they prepare the food,\u201d Santos said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations to all the contestants and based on the scores it was an extremely tight and very close and congratulations to Hyatt for winning this year\u2019s event,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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