Breaking News: Ultimate Chef of Bergen County

And the winner of the three-stage competition is...

Justin Pehowic, sous chef of Chakra in Paramus, who bested chef Bryan Gregg of
the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn.

In the final round, the chefs had to create dishes using chocolate.

 Chef Pehowic served a chocolate brioche French toast with foie gras and a quince-parsnip puree;

mole-glazed sea bass with orange-scented asparagus and citrus nage;

cocoa-nib-crusted 48-hour short ribs with salsify a la crème and mocha jus;

and for dessert, a lightly smoked chocolate bread pudding and hot chocolate that was delivered to the table in a cigar box. When the box was opened smoke poured out.

Chef Gregg presented hot chocolate topped with a mushroom cream and truffled churros;

Kindai tuna coated with cocoa, coconut and cocoa butter accompanied by tapioca with togarashi, a Japanese spice blend;

72-hour-cocoa-nib-coated short ribs topped with foie gras and accompanied by a mole sauce, sweet dumpling squash and vincotto;

and nutella corn cake sprinkled with nutella snow with chocolate coulis and a chocolate crystal tuile.

Judges were Bob Probert, reviewer for 201 Magazine; certified master chef Thomas Griffiths, senior executive chef and director of Campbell’s Culinary Institute; and me.

Kudos to both chefs for their delicious dishes, creativity, presentation and cooking skills. It was not easy to pick the winner.