Former El Bulli Chefs Compete for WorldClass Glory

Over 300 guests attended the WorldClass El Bulli Cook-off in Scottsdale. Many Phoenix and Scottsdale area chefs, restaurateurs, and foodies came to this once-in-a-lifetime event.  

WorldClass hosted the WorldClass El Bulli Cook-Off, a competition among former El Bulli chefs to showcase their talent using WorldClass ingredients.
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Argentine chefs Dante Liporace of Mercado de Liniers in Buenos Aires, Argentina & Chef Fernando Navas of Balvanera in New York City competed for WorldClass glory. Both men hailed from the critically acclaimed El Bulli, a record 5-time winner of the world's 50 best restaurants founded by Spanish chef Ferran Adrià. El Bulli claimed the title in '02, '06, '07, '08, and '09 for the world's best restaurant. El Bulli closed in 2011, but its name lives on through the work of its many renowned chefs of modern cuisine and molecular gastronomy who worked in the influential restaurant's kitchen.

John Bergman, WorldClass Co-founder & CEO, hosted the event to bring together the Phoenix culinary community with legendary chefs from across the globe. Arizona-based chefs Nobuo Fukuda and Brian Archibald, both members of the WorldClass culinary team, also worked with the event organizers to make the event possible.  

The event provided the chefs an opportunity to showcase their culinary creativity and talent using some of WorldClass' incredible current and upcoming sustainable product offerings. Each one of the five rounds showcased a different WorldClass products prepared in an innovative ways. Chefs prepared five iconic dishes that featured WorldClass Chilean King Crab, Chilean Seabass, Portuguese Octopus, and Argentine beef. The dishes ranged from Pizza Portena to Ribeye Cappuccino’s.

Guests also had the opportunity to try new sustainable, one-of-a-kind products that will soon be a part of the WorldClass lineup such as, Spanish Black pig, Iberico dry-cured pork, and six-star caviar.

World-famous musician Esther Anaya entertained guests with an incredible performance. Esther Anaya is an EDM DJ, Violinist, Singer/Songwriter, and Composer known for her unique sound and creative live act. Anaya has a residency in Las Vegas, where she is featured along with the likes of Tiesto, Zedd, and DJ Snake.  

WorldClass Portuguese fashion designer Filipe Faísca, designed a custom kimono for Esther Anaya's performance. Felipe also created custom swimwear worn by the Ford/Black Agency models that participated in the event for the event. Based in Lisbon, Faísca is known for his artistic expression seen in his clothing designs and is the Golden Globe Award for Best Portuguese Fashion Designer.  
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At the WorldClass El Bulli Cook-off, guests voted for their favorite dish in each round. Chef Fernando Navas was named the night's winner of the El Bulli Cook-off after creating innovative dishes that combined traditional Argentine flavors with modern cooking techniques. The crowd gave a standing ovation to Chef Navas, and all left with a memorable evening of food and fun.

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