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Kumbira Day 2: Its all about coconuts

Richmond Anthony Alfonso
STUDENTS and professionals alike geared up for probably the most intense cooking clashes during Kumbira 2015, the Chef Wars.
Held during the second day of the festivities, August 13, 2015, this was the first time that the Chef Wars was battled out by students and professionals in the
same playing field.
Before, there was a Student Category and a Professional Category, said Nollie Arguelles, executive secretary of Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant
Association (Cohara) and this years Kumbira Secretariat.
This is the first time that its a mixed category and this time, instead of two, there will be only one team representing Mindanao in the national
competition. Only one of the eight teams will emerge unscathed and will be given the opportunity to represent Mindanao in the national competition of Chef
Wars on October 4, 2015 at Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center in Makati City.
Five judges, Chef Norbert Gandler, Chef See Cheong Yan, Chef Jill Sandique, Chef Myrna Segismundo, Chef Jean Pierre Migne, and Chef Stefan Langenhan, will
have the tough task of picking a winner, to be announced during the closing ceremonies today, August 14.
This team will need to steel themselves up against three other teams representing the National Capital Region (NCR), Luzon, and Visayas for the national title.
Sticking to the Kumbira 2015 theme of Lets Talk Ingredients, all eight teams were told a month before the event of three possible ingredients that needed to
be highlighted in their food: calamansi, bagoong, and coconut cream or gata.
They were then advised a week before the cooking skirmish of the ingredient that needed to be the focus of their dishes.
With a cover version of Da Coconut Nut by Smokey Mountain on repeat, the audience and participants of the 19th edition of the longest running culinary show
and live competitions in the Philippines knew without any doubt what that ingredient is.
The gladiators competing for this years Chef Wars represent Iligan Computer Institute, Tagoloan Community College, Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Culinary Institute
of CDO, University of Southern Philippines-Kidapawan, The VIP Hotel, Mindanao University of Science and Technology, and Monster Kitchen Academy.
Each team is given two hours, including plating, to prepare three coconut cream-based dishes using only Filipino native ingredients that would highlight gata.
Lerna Caterial, coach for the Tagoloan Community College team, said, Nag expect jud ko nga mudaog kay among i-defend among crown.
The team from her school was overall champion in the Student Division in 2014. Jessie Jurilla, a member of the TCC team, said of competing against
professionals, Pressure kaayo kay naa na silay ideas ug experience, kami kay wala pa. Wala man ko nag expect na mudaog but nag apil mi para sa
experience ug sa knowledge na ma gain.

Aside from Chef Wars, other high points of the second day included Kiddie Pastry and Desert, where kids from six different elementary school competed, and
the crowd favorite Flair Bartending Tandem.