And For The Finale, A Taipei Chef Throwdown!

The end of our Taste Taiwan tour was no small event — quite the opposite. We'd been traveling via bus and high-speed rail for a week absorbing knowledge from local chefs, purveyors, tour guides and farmers in preparation for a chef competition of the finest caliber, held at the Tien Hsiang Lo kitchens at the Landis Taipei hotel. The three North American chefs — Stuart Cameron, Jared Case and Anthony Jacquet — faced off to see who had learned the most. They were judged by 21-year Tien Hsiang Lo restaurant veteran Kenny Liao. 

With only two hours to prep and cook a winning dish, the chefs shopped at a local Taipei supermarket for the ingredients they'd selected to highlight, then hit the kitchens hard. 

LA chef Anthony Jacquet's Juifen Old Street-inspired three-cup black chicken with chilis and crispy ginger

Next up, Anthony Jacquet's three-cup crispy-foot black chicken with seared king mushrooms as well as freshwater prawns with oyster mayonnaise and pickled peppers. Chef Liao deemed his techniques authentically Asian and noted the black chicken was "very flavorful." 

In the end, Case was honored for authenticity, Stuart for flavor and Jacquet for technique. All won first place...especially those of us who were around to eat these inspired creations after the judging. 

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