Finally, a day to sleep in a
bit. Early mornings and late nights can wear you thin but today is a new day. A
quick breakfast of apples with peanut butter and it was off to the shuttle. A
short ride from Kissimmee to Celebration and it was time for the Sandwich
Competition.
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| Courtesy of World Food Championships |
Chef Keoni Simmons, a.k.a.
Hungry Chef, of San Diego, CA is one of the competitors in the
first round of the Sandwich Competition. He is returning after placing in the
Top 10 at the 2014 World Food Championships. The author actually met Chef Keoni
after judging his phenomenal Soar’boy Island Po’ boy sandwich last year, which
received high ratings from the judges at the table. It was totally
out-of-the-box creative and even had the flavors of Hawaii to top it off. In
this first round, Keoni will be tasked to make a sandwich using The Kansas City
Steak Company’s ribeye in the structured round. In the signature round, he will
be recreating his winning dish from last year.
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| Courtesy of World Food Championships |
For the structure round, Chef
Keoni made the Soar’boy 2.0 “Cheesesteak”. It is brioche bread wrapped around
ribeye steak. It is then battered, breaded, fried, and then topped with sautéed
peppers, onions, mushrooms, and a white cheddar horseradish cheese sauce. It is
finished with Dijon mustard micro greens. Please see the video in this article
to see Keoni build this masterpiece. He scored 95.375, #2 on the scoreboard.
For the signature round, Chef
Keoni brought his winning Soar’boy “Island Po’boy” back for another chance for
the win. 3 King’s Hawaiian Rolls are kept as one piece, battered in tempura,
breaded with panko, and fried. When cooled, it is sliced like a hoagie and
stuffed with a mix of sea scallops, crispy pork belly, and shaved red onion all
tossed in his secret “Hungry Chef” sauce. It is finished with trout roe and
micro cilantro. Please see the video in this article to see Keoni build
sandwich of onoliciousness! He scored 81.875 for combined score of 88.625,
placing him in 6th place. Since he placed in the top 10, he will be
going on to the Top 10 Sandwich Round. Stay tuned!
After a few hours of
capturing the action in Kenmore Kitchen Arena, it was time to head back to
Westgate Town Center for some lunch and relaxation for a few hours.
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| Courtesy of World Food Championships |
Gaylord Palms® Resort & Convention Center is a beautiful resort inside and out. The main
interior is almost like a tropical island retreat with palm trees, seaside
village motif, with restaurants and shops befitting the surroundings. MOOR is
all about what is fresh the day you dine. They work with local farmers and
fishmongers to procure the freshest, sustainable, and seasonal ingredients
around. The dishes are regionally-inspired with a focus on fresh seafood. The
dining room is set on the dock and aboard the ship deck of what looks like a
ship in port. The setting is so realistic, you forget you are inside a hotel.
Yellow Fin Tuna
Tartare ($15) is mixed with wasabi peas, atop fresh watermelon and drizzled
with sriracha vinaigrette. The tuna is fresh and flavorful. The wasabi peas add
a hint of heat giving it a more Japanese flavor profile. The watermelon,
unfortunately, did not really match with the dish. The sweetness made it more
“California” rather than focusing on the fresh tuna. The presentation itself
was stunning. Rating: 4/5
Blue Crab
Lettuce Wraps ($11) is served with mango salsa, radish, and baby onion. This is
a fun dish where you can play with your food! Lettuce wraps are an easy way to
build your own little wraps to your taste. The blue crab is sweet with a slight
briny flavor. The mango salsa adds the right amount of sweetness and acidity to
the wrap. Julienned pieces of radish add a textural crunch. Rating: 5/5
Swordfish from
Pompano Beach, FL (one of the “Off the Hook Fresh” fish of the day) is served
with seasonal risotto. This is one of the juiciest and freshest pieces of
swordfish ever. It’s thick cut and the beautiful char from the grill gives it
more of a meaty feel, like eating steak. The mushroom risotto is the perfect
pairing with a starchy, creamy texture and earthy flavor. Rating: 5/5
Gulf White
Shrimp ($32) is sautéed with andouille, brown butter and served with Anson
Mills Grits. Great southern flavors come together nicely in this dish. The
fresh shrimp easily pops from the tail shell and has the meaty texture of
lobster. The andouille adds a little bit of heat and the brown butter yields a
sweet, almost caramelized flavor. The grits are out of this world. They are
creamy and just the right consistency, not too runny and not too stiff. Rating:
5/5
Key Lime Pie is
layered inside of a preserves jar with graham cracker crust, key lime filling,
and brûléed meringue on top. The presentation is so cute! The flavors are
text-book key lime pie with buttery graham cracker crust, creamy and refreshing
key lime filling, and sweet, fluffy meringue. Rating: 4.5/5
Another day of
the World Food Championships is just a few hours away. Stay tuned!
For more
information:
Celebration, FL
7700 Westgate
Boulevard
Kissimmee, FL
34747
+1.407.396.2500
6000 West Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, FL 34746, United
States
+1.407.586.0000
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