Pork June plum delight served with sautéed vegetables.
Chef Ernest Levy adding the final touches to his fish poached in green tea with sauté spinach and beef carpaccio on guinep dressing.
Marinated fried eggplant with spinach salad with a spicy honey dressing.
The winning drink in the Best Use of Rum category, Fire on Top, prepared by Grand Palladium's winning Bartender of the Year, Rhyan Peck.
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Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU
It is expected for a resort to have several dining options for its guests. It is a welcome surprise when all are accompanied by a melting taste bud experience. Such is the case at the luxurious Grand Palladium Resort and Spa.
With the bar already set high, senior and junior chefs recently squared off at the resort's third annual Taste of Grand Palladium cooking and bartending extravaganza.
The two-day event featured several rounds of food and drink preparations and presentations with the use of indigenous ingredients, one of the critera on which the participants were judged.
Executive Chef Fredrick Gayle felt this year's staging showed tremendous growth and development among his team members.
"The main purpose of the competition is to motivate and bring out their creativity, using local ingredients to come up with a signature dish. I am very pleased with the expertise on display this year; my team has certainly outdone themselves," Gayle told Food.
Signature masterpieces
It was a rich blend of skill, creativity and enthusiasm that were on display as chefs and bartenders were busy creating their signature masterpieces.
Some of the dishes that stood out this year were the reaggaetoni stuffed chicken breast and beef kebab served with herb potatoes and plantain mash, and pork June plum delight served with sautéed vegetables.
Appetisers consisted of spicy fruit fish balls with a passion sauce and breaded king fish fillet accompanied by a spinach salad. Some of the impressive drinks were fire on top, vodka passion martini, and chocolate danger.
When all was said and done, master chef Damian Myers once again copped the winning trophy for Chef of the Year, the only one to have so far won the award. Myers said that this year's competition was his most challenging and most rewarding.
"It feels even better winning again for the third year because I felt more pressure from everyone else, so I had to perform even better, as it was definitely more intense."
JUDGE IN AWE
Ryan Peck received the awards for Bartender of the Year and Best Use of Rum and Vodka in a Signature Drink.
Florida-based executive chef Jeffery Rotz, who also served as head judge for the event, was in awe at the level of expertise on display; and said that they were possibly some of the best that he has seen throughout his career.
"Their skills are way above average. There is a fantastic fusion of flavours and colours and a wonderful use of imagination and creativity not normally seen with local island produce," Rotz noted.
Here are the delectable highlights.