Students Face Off in Kitchen

The audience of the Chinese Student Association’s Iron Chef Showdown will never look at boring Granny Smiths the same way again.

This past Saturday, CSA hosted its annual Iron Chef Showdown between various cultural groups. This year, the Harvard African Students Association challenged challenged CSA’s reign in an all-out clash of cultures that drew in club members, students, and even pre-frosh.

In the spirit of autumn, the secret ingredient was apples, which had to be incorporated into an appetizer, main course, and dessert. With this in mind, the chefs started shopping and cooking just hours before the show.

Jonathan O. Kola ’12, one of HASA’s freshman representatives and chefs, said that all the running around was worth it but joked that “the life of a chef is hard,” considering the fact that he did not have time to eat all day.

HASA was first to serve its colorful dishes inspired by traditional South African recipes. Judges were receptive to the innovation and warmth of the squash and apple soup and the tenderness of the mango-pineapple chicken, although judge Nigel C. Munoz ’12 did not appreciate how “awkward” the chicken was to chew. However, the presentation of the Dutch baby apple pie appealed to all.

Next, CSA presented its appetizer, an Asian honey chicken salad glazed with an apple cider vignette, followed by steak with caramelized apples and onions.

Munoz compared its looks to a “bad Saturday night,” but he said its taste fared better. The dessert, a sweet apple cinnamon pudding mostly the work of novice chef and CSA freshman representative Guanyi “Tony” Huang ’12, got the judges talking the most. Even the difficult Munoz said he was won over, though Emily Huang, preceptor in Chinese, could not help but laugh (and praise) the improvisation of using a lettuce leaf as decoration.

Harvard University Police Department Sergeant Kevin P. Bryant, a regular Iron Chef Showdown judge, said he was impressed, saying the show is “fantastic every year, always a pleasure.”

In the end, the creativity and variety in the CSA dishes allowed it to retain its crown. Chefs David Sun ’10, Andy Lei ’10, and Tony Huang '12 received a $50 gift certificate for Finale’s, though participants seemed less concerned with winning than the success of the showdown.

Some audience members expressed disappointment at not seeing the food cooked live and the last minute dropout of Domna—the infamous ID swiper in Annenberg.

Even though the showdown was a huge hit according to audience members and organizers, CSA freshman representative Matthew Young ’12 said he is already looking to the future. He said he hopes to see the show grow into a much bigger event on campus that will bring together all cultural groups. HASA chef and freshman representative Naseemah Y. Mohamed ’12 praised the event for its aim of breaking down barriers to cultural exclusivity—and of course the food.