Military chefs from across the Puget Sound area used mangos as the secret ingredient for their dishes at Naval Station Everett’s second annual culinary competition Aug. 18.

Competitors from NAVSTA Everett, Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), and Navy Region Northwest all rose to meet the challenge.

“I had a great time!” said NBK Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Robert Haag. “There was a lot of pressure to produce the best dish, and everyone was running around.”

The competition began with the centerpiece, chowder, and cake display judging. After the judging, mangos were revealed as the secret ingredient, and chefs rushed to collect their ingredients so that they could head back to the kitchen to begin.

“It was fun to get away from the normal routine of our jobs,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Evan Kern. “We don’t get to cook like this every day.”

The cooks were separated into two-man teams and given an hour to prepare three separate dishes, using the secret ingredient at least once.

“The experience you obtain from this event is by far my favorite part,” said Army Sgt. Steven Baca. “This exposes us to new ideas and gets us to work outside of our comfort zones.”

Among the judges were the wife NAVSTA Everett Commanding Officer, Capt. Michael Coury, Maureen, and chef’s Jonas Drake, and Kevin Corsette.

“I love to see how capable these Sailors are with the art of fine dining,” said Drake. “I enjoyed watching as they brought out their end product, and enjoyed seeing the nervousness and excitement written all over their faces.”

The judges focused on cleanliness, presentation, and taste.

“It’s stressful for some people,” said Drake. “Some of these Sailors have never worked together before, or they have not been in a competition like this until today so the pressure can build.”

“These guys do not get as much experience with fine dining as I do working for the Admiral,” added Corcoran. “How can you when you have to serve anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand Sailors in such a short time period?”

The overall winner of the competition was the team from Naval Base Kitsap.