Except, it wasn't a restaurant. It was the Joint Base Lewis McChord Culinary Arts Center and the chefs were the Service Members who provide meals on a daily basis for the thousands based on the installation. Their mission was simple; earn a spot on the JBLM culinary team.
"We have food service specialists from almost every dining facility on base, to include McChord, trying out for the team," said Staff Sgt. Brian Byrd, assistant chef at the center. "They are trying out to make the culinary team to compete in the competition in Fort Lee, Virginia next year."
More than 20 Service Members from JBLM participated in the weeklong event held at the JBLM Culinary Art Center, which began on October 16, 2017.
The competitive tryout is designed to allow cooks throughout JBLM to showcase and demonstrate their individual culinary skills. Those selected will represent the installation at the 43rd annual Military Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event.
The competitors were broken down into two different categories. Those who had less than two years experience were placed into the student category. Those with more experience were placed in the senior category. Each group was then given an ingredient and an hour to complete a dish. They were graded in various areas.
"We had three kitchen judges and three tasting judges," said Byrd. "They were grading them on the cleanliness of their station, presentation of their food, and the taste of their dish."
The candidates were also interviewed by Byrd and Sgt. 1st Class Marc Suso, the lead culinary chef.
"We interviewed them to see where they are at," said Byrd. "A person can know how to cook but may not know how to work as a team and have a bad attitude, and that's not good for us or the team."
The overall team will consist of five students and five seniors. Once on the team, the chefs will be attached to the art center and will continue to train and enhance their skills leading up to the competition.
Training methods for the team will vary, according to Byrd. They will be looking to simulate many of the events the team will experience at the competition early next year.
The annual competition at Fort Lee is the largest American Culinary Federation sanctioned competition in North America and showcases the talents of military chefs from all services and foreign military teams. Since 1973, the competition has been held each year with the exception of 1991 and 2003, during Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The competition is sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation and showcases the talents of military chefs from around the globe in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
For one of the competitors, making the team is more than just representing the installation.
"Its important to me because it's a way to showcase a lot of skills," Sgt. Riley Villalpando, a food service specialist assigned to 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Tomahawks and competitor in the senior team category. "It's a way to learn a lot of different things."
It is the first time Villapando has tried out for a culinary team. Although she was able to attend culinary school while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, she has never been able to compete in the annual event.
"I did two deployments while at Fort Hood, so I was never able to try out for the culinary team there," she said.
Events such as these are stepping-stones for many food service specialists in the service.
For Villalpando, being able to compete will mean an opportunity for her to advance her career.
"This is a great way of trying new things and using new ingredients," she said. "It's also a great way to learn new things. I want to work as an enlisted aid, and this is will help me out."
The team looks to bring home first place next year after finishing third at last year's competition.
"We want it bad," said Byrd. "We came in fifth place two years ago and third last year. We're close."
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