BPOP to host USVI food fest
Banco Popular will host a one-night culinary event that will draw an all-star lineup of chefs from the Caribbean and the U.S. mainland who will showcase their best recipes for eager foodies. The “Ultimate Flavors of the Islands” will take place Jan. 20 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the recently renovated Frenchman’s Reef and Morning Star Marriott St. Thomas Beach Resort.
The food fest will feature Chef Roberto Treviño, owner of Budatai and Casa Lola in Condado; Kunal Chakrabarti, pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas; Mitch Cooper from Frenchman’s Reef, St. Thomas; Alex García, from the Copacabana in New York; Michael Gilligan from the Rusty Pelican in Miami; and last year’s Ultimate Flavors Chefs Challenge winner, Mathayom Vacharat, chef and owner of St. John Catering.
“Banco Popular has put together this one-of-a-kind cultural exchange to expand the yearly trend of celebrating our culinary traditions. We are delighted to have this group of talented chefs participating and lending a hand to benefit the education of the future generation of chefs from the Virgin Islands,” said Antolín Velasco, senior vice president of Banco Popular.
One of the highlights of Ultimate Flavors of the Islands will be the Chefs’ Challenge, in which eight individual competitors will prepare dishes using chicken, pork loin and fish. The winner will be awarded a $1,500 cash prize and a trip to a culinary event in Puerto Rico.
Event-goers will also enjoy food tastings from more than 10 restaurants, beverage samples, cooking demonstrations and an array of artisanal foods. Proceeds from this cultural exchange will benefit local programs that fund students’ education and programs in Culinary Arts through the USVI Department of Education.
