Auburn University Tiger Dining held Chef Wars, a spirited competition challenging teams to showcase their culinary prowess and craft the ultimate dish. The event was held on Monday, March 25, at the Edge, which is the main dining hall on Auburn's campus.
Starting at 5:00 p.m., a crowd of students gathered, eager to witness the culinary showdown and savor the array of cuisines offered.
Five teams, representing Tiger Dining's various departments, competed: catering, the Village, administration, the Edge, and concessions.
Each team faced the challenge of adapting to their assigned workstation and incorporating a unique protein and theme into their dish. The workstations, ranging in size and equipment, presented both obstacles and opportunities for the competing chefs as they endeavored to impress the discerning palates of the judges and attendees. All the dishes had to fit on a small plate as a tasting portion.
The catering team received the Ignite station and had to incorporate both chicken and a Latin theme into their dish.
The Village team worked at Streetworks, where they unveiled their creation: "Fish on a Dish." They had to incorporate fish or shellfish and a French theme.
The administration team, which consisted of executive chefs and a registered dietitian, prepared their dish at the Twirl station. With pork as their protein and Asian influences as their theme, they crafted a dish titled "taste of Asian cuisine," featuring char-grilled lemongrass pork with Korean glass noodles.
Meanwhile, the home team – the Edge – worked at the desired Traditions station, where they had to incorporate beef and Mediterranean into their dish, "winner winner Turkish dinner."
The concessions team, who run all the different athletic venues on campus, worked at the Urban Kitchen station, where they got to choose their protein and had to incorporate a Southern theme. Their dish “Southern Charm” featured beer braised beef grit cakes.
This marks the fourth year Tiger Dining has hosted Chef Wars, with the catering team clinching a victory last year. The event aims to show students the abundant culinary talent present on Auburn's campus.
“We wanted to put out a night where we could display all the culinary talent that is across campus and all the different teams that [are] a part of it,” said Jessica Vines, catering director at Auburn University.
Hoping to win the most votes, the chefs were excited to serve their dishes to students who waited for their chance to sample the diverse dishes.
“It is definitely a student favorite night. We get a lot of questions about when it is happening and it is pretty high engagement,” Vines said.
The winner was determined through three components. Firstly, the newly elected Student Government Association officials served as judges, assessing each dish on criteria such as taste, presentation, flavor profile, theme and overall appeal. Secondly, the kitchen score: a measure of teamwork, cleanliness and energy level. Lastly, as students left the Edge, they could cast their vote for their favorite dish.
This year, the 2024 Chef Wars champion was the administration team, with their "taste of Asian cuisine" dish. The winning team received the coveted Chef Wars belt.
The event concluded at 8:00 p.m., marking a resounding success. Students departed with satisfied appetites and bubbling excitement for next year's Chef Wars, while the participating chefs reveled in the thrill of the competition and the joy of seeing others relish their culinary creations.
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