Photo: Chef Francis Otoo (backing the camera) congratulating the winners of The People’s Choice awards, Chef Paolo Penalosa and Chef Maria Carmel Tagligan (both with medals) of the Embassy of Philippines at the DC Embassy Chef Challenge 2025 / © Events DC
The Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge (DC-ECC) held in Washington, DC, on July 10 has announced the 2025 winners of its rich culinary competition that brought together embassy chefs from around the world to showcase their national cuisines.
The event drew a sold-out crowd to the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, where attendees went on a global culinary journey, sampling dishes and drinks from 34 embassies representing Washington, DC’s diverse diplomatic community.
Hosted by local restaurateur and former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn, the event showcased unique flavours and cultural performances. It was supported by partners that included Giant, Premium of DC, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Liquid Light, and Casamigos.
Guests voted for their favourite dishes to determine the People’s Choice Awards. The Embassy of the Philippines took first place with Chefs Paolo Penalosa and Maria Carmel Tagligan presenting bangus a la pobre served with garlic rice and eggplant salad.
The Embassy of Saudi Arabia earned second place with Chef Bandar Alhenaki’s lamb kabsa, the nation’s signature dish, paired with basbousa, a syrup-soaked semolina cake. The Embassy of Grenada secured third place with Chef Dr. Michaele C. Samuel’s calypso mango shrimp salad.
A panel of culinary and cultural experts, including Top Chef alum Eric Adjepong, food writers Lenore T. Adkins and Tim Ebner, past winner Chef Francis Otoo of the Embassy of Ghana, and Eater’s Northeast Editor Tierney Plumb, selected the Judges’ Choice Awards.
The Embassy of Peru claimed first with Chef Michael Ciuffardi’s Seco Norteño Ravioli, featuring cilantro-braised beef ravioli over a loche squash emulsion. The Embassy of China took second with Chefs Xianglin Zhu, Wen Su, and Wenhui Jia’s pineapple sweet and sour shrimp and osmanthus-scented lotus root threads cake.
The Embassy of Morocco came third with Chef Ilham Achmakou’s pastela with chicken and almond, taking home a medal for Africa.
The judges also sampled different global beverages, awarding the Best Beverage prize to Chef Mykola Yudin of the Embassy of Ukraine for a Black Currant Nalyvka.
Written by Oral Ofori
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
