Washington, DC – “From The Bahamas to Uzbekistan, this year’s Embassy Chef Challenge guarantees to satisfy your craving for international flavour so vital to the culture of Washington, DC,” said Cultural Tourism DC’s Executive Director Linda Donavan Harper. “These fantastic chefs create delicious delicacies year round that are often not available to many DC foodies. We are excited to have them share their culinary talents to help support the arts and culture of Washington, DC.”

Chef Michael Nathan Adderley will represent the Embassy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Cultural Tourism DC dishes up a third edition of Embassy Chef Challenge, their annual culinary competition for world-class, Washington, DC embassy chefs. Fifteen embassy chefs representing a sampling of cuisines from around the world will showcase their global flavour to impress a panel of celebrity judges and more than 400 guests in competition for the coveted Judge’s Choice Award and People’s Choice Award. Embassy Chef Challenge 2011 will be held Tuesday, April 12 from 6:30 to 10:00 pm in the atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW.

An annual benefit for Cultural Tourism DC, the event serves to savour the arts, culture, and history of Washington, DC by supporting Cultural Tourism DC’s free programmes and events throughout the year. The evening features hors d’oeuvres, created for guests by DC embassy chefs, as well as a silent auction.

This year’s panel of judges includes Joe Yonan, The Washington Post food and travel editor; Chef Jan Van Haute, chef-in-residence at the Embassy of Belgium and winner of Embassy Chef Challenge 2010; Chef Bruce Barnes, senior executive chef for Restaurant Associates, World Bank Group; Chef SpikeMendelsohn, owner of Good Stuff Eatery and We the Pizza, and Top Chef and Top Chef: All-Stars contestant ; Chef Maziar Farivar, chef and co-owner of Georgetown's Peacock Café; Chef Tamesha Warren, Sous Chef at The Oval Room and Top Chef contestant; Chef Ann Cashion, Chef and Co-Owner of Johnny’s Half Shell; and ChefXavierDeshayes,ExecutiveChef of the RonaldReaganBuildingandInternationalTradeCentre. Guests of Embassy Chef Challenge willhave the opportunity to vote for their favourite competitor for the People’s Choice Award

Embassy Chef Challenge 2011 chefs:

Chef Michael Nathan Adderley, Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas

Chef Yordan Dimitrov, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria

Chef Wei Meng, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

Chef Jadranka Von Koprivnjak-Stojcic, Embassy of Croatia

Chef Lars Beese, Royal Danish Embassy

Chef Tuty Amde, Embassy of Ethiopia

Chef Novian Hermansyah, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia

Chef Djamel Amroune, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq

Chef Shogo Shimodaira, Embassy of Japan

Chef Yerlan Abdrakhmanov, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakstan

Chef Jan-Erik Hauge, The Royal Norwegian Embassy

Chef Jose Luis Fernandez, Embassy of Peru

Chef Frida Johansson, Embassy of Sweden

Chef Kinskyi Serhii, Embassy of Ukraine

Chef Marufjo Muradov, Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan