I love MASA! I was really happy that they let me judge this year for their Iron Chef competition against TASA. It was awesome! I ate some delicious and creative things! And got to talk about food even after the event was over :P!
Here's what I thought about each dish: [Probably more than what I said on the actual day]
Appetizer 1:
TASA: Seared scallop with an orange jalapeno sauce with orange and blood orange supremes
It was served in a glass which I really liked. And I did like the acidity that the oranges gave to the scallop. However, the jalapeno was a bit too much. I would've liked some sweet like honey or brown sugar to balance out the spicy-ness and acidity. Also the scallop was overcooked and a bit hard to eat out of the glass.
MASA: Soy orange marinated chicken wings with a citrus dipping sauce
I spoke with MASA's Iron Chef, Justin afterwards and he told me he added some maple syrup into the sauce. Haha, I wish he told me that during the judging. The citrus sauce had lime and orange juice, but it wasn't as acidic as straight up juice, probably due to the maple syrup. I got to work on detecting subtle flavors. The wings were tasty but unfortunately lacked orange flavor, it tasted a lot more like soy sauce.
Appetizer 2:
TASA: Romaine lettuce salad with candied walnuts (or pecans? uh oh...) and an orange vinaigrette
First bite was super salty and super peppery. I think they added salt and pepper on the top of the salad right before serving. Also the dressing was all at the bottom of the plate so I couldn't taste the orange until I got to the bottom. Candied walnuts were a nice touch though.
MASA: Salad with cucumber, tomatoes, raw onions, orange pieces with an orange vinaigrette
This was beautiful! It was in a floral pattern. Unfortunately served in a bowl so the beauty was hard to see. But yeah presentation was awesome. And despite its simplicity it was delicious! Sweetness from the tomatoes and oranges mixed with the freshness of the cucumber and a bite from the onion. It had a great balance, loved it!
Entree 1:
TASA: Sous vide duck with a peach orange marmalade, string beans topped with candied orange peel and risotto
Risotto was nice, unfortunately when risotto gets cold, it's texture goes to blah. But can't blame them for that. The duck was overcooked despite it being sous vide. However I do appreciate the fact that they did it sous vide. The peach orange marmalade worked nicely with the duck, sweet and tangy + duck, I can't complain! And the candied orange peel, gah, yes! Nice stuff, I've only tried candy-ing my own orange peel once..did NOT work out.
MASA: Orange-mint seared steak with an orange gravy and orange mashed potatoes
The steak was rare in the middle, heh, nice I liked that. Orange gravy, what? When I first saw it, "What? No they didn't..." and they did...and it was great! It was delicious, creamy with a brightness to it. Insanely creative! The mashed potatoes had the orange zest incorporated into it which was nice. Unfortunately again since it was cold, the texture of mashed potatoes goes down the drain. They told me afterwards that the flavor of the mint and orange didn't come out in the steak and it was better during one of their practice runs. Wish I could've tasted it!
Entree 2:
TASA: Orange-lemon glazed salmon with a warm salsa
The salmon was so so GOOD! Super tender, moist, flaky, and the flavor was beautiful. The salsa also gave a bit of crunch and kick which worked well and complemented the sweet glaze and flaky salmon.
MASA: Chow Mein with an orange special sauce
I actually really liked the sauce! Simple, nice orange flavor and some chow mein noodles, yup, good stuff! Unfortunately they had some raw bell peppers which made it seem like it was just put there for color. I understand that it does give a visual appeal but if they had just sauteed it and tossed it with the chow mein, it would have had a bright red color and a more cohesive dish.
Dessert:
TASA: Orange custard garnished with mint, candied walnuts and topped with a orange bar star
It was in a tall glass. The custard filling up at least half the glass, topped with mint and candied walnuts, then the orange bar star was resting on the rim of the glass on its points. It was super cute when it came out. The orange bar was delicious, like a lemon bar but turned orange! The custard was good, light orange flavor and very smooth. Probably could've been a bit thicker, but good nonetheless.
MASA: Orange glazed cheesecake with orange glaze and chocolate sauce
This was in the shape of MASA's logo. A heart with a chocolate drizzle like a lifeline. Super cute! Yay MASA represent! I loved the glaze, such a great bright orange flavor which went with the wonderfully creamy cheesecake mixture and crispy cinnamon graham cracker crust. It had a beautiful balance, beautiful! I loved it! Such an awesome way to end the dinner!
Phew that was a lot. If you read this far, congratulations! And I probably have typed the word "orange" more than I ever will again in my life. And I heard from MASA that they were sick of oranges and didn't want to see/eat it again :P! Haha, I actually didn't feel that way about last year's coffee battle, but that's probably because a lot of the coffee used was in sauce form...
Congratulations to both Iron Chefs! They were both very creative and did an amazing job! Haha, they would have definitely been tough to go against if I had to participate in this battle.
I can't wait for next year's Iron Chef :D! [I hope I'm still around San Diego...]
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