Restaurant 108 Top Chef: Juniors Annika Haber and Maya Kassis
March 28, 2017
On Tuesday, March 28, Restaurant 108’s Top Chef Competition brought about another round of delicious student-created dishes. This week’s competitors, juniors Annika Haber and Maya Kassis, constructed a menu inspired by the theme of “comfort foods.”
Haber and Kassis’s appetizer menu consisted of three options: Fried mac and cheese balls, bruschetta and chicken pot pie cups.
For our appetizers, we ordered the fried “mac and cheese” balls and chicken pot pie cups. The macaroni and cheese balls were breaded and deep-fried, creating a crunchy outside that disintegrated delightfully, revealing golden yellow noodles bathed in cheese sauce. The chicken pot pie cups were an interesting take on a popular meal: small mini pies of creamy chicken and peppers enveloped in perfectly crispy crust.
Next, we ordered pesto pasta and sliders for the entree course. The pesto pasta consisted of angel hair pasta with pesto, olive oil, garlic and red pepper. The pasta was perfectly textured and cooked, and the sauce strongly flavored, though a little buttery. The sliders consisted of two mini cheeseburgers, french fries and lettuce and tomato to go on the burgers. The dish was reminiscent of Restaurant 108’s classic cheeseburger meal, and was filling and delicious.
In addition to the regular meal, each of the main courses was served with a side dishes of choice: potatoes, sauteed spinach or french fries. We ordered french fries and mashed potatoes, which came on separate plates a bit after the entree came out of the kitchen. The french fries were golden-brown and crunchy, and the generous helping of mashed potatoes added variety to the meal.
Lastly, for dessert, we chose to try both the churros and cupcake. The churros, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and drizzled with chocolate, were moist and dense in the inside. Between the cinnamon, sugar and chocolate, the soft treat had a well balanced taste. The cupcake was quite sweet as well, and the contrast of the tart frosting made for an altogether delicious dessert.
Ultimately, the comfort food menu was filled with variety and hit the spot, giving customers a wide range of options for a pleasantly satisfying lunch.
