Chowzter announces winners for 2014 World’s Tastiest Fast Feasts

LONDON – On Sunday, April 27, the second Chowzter World’s Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards took place at London’s L’Anima Cafe announcing the winners of the world’s very best dishes. El Gringo, “Chief Chowzter” for Tijuana and Oaxaca, was in old Blighty for all of the pomp and circumstance, and I had the honor of representing Teotitlan del Valle’s Carina Santiago and her delicious Mole Coloradito as a nominee.

Chowzter Awards-nominated Mole Coloradito from Restaurant La Tierra Antigua, Teotitlan del Valle.

A simple Ceviche dish from the tiny Chez Wong restaurant in Lima was the overall winner of ‘the tastiest item in the world’. Javier Wong’s tiny restaurant in one room of his house gets reserved months in advance for one of seven tables at Wong’s, this reservation only restaurant has no menu and serves ceviche only ever made from Pacific sole.

Cebiche de Lenguado y Pulpo at Chez Wong. Photo: Nicholas Gill.

Bangkok was announced as the world’s foodiest city and fought off stiff competition from the shortlisted cities: London, Lima, Singapore and Vancouver.

Bangkok is widely known for it’s dizzying array and variety of street food. Photo: iStockPhoto.com,

Winners from each main food categories (pizzas, seafood, noodles, rice, sandwiches, bird and baked item) spanned all corners of the globe, and winners included the Di Fara’s pizza slice from Brooklyn, Singaporean Chicken Rice dish and the fried jam croissant from the Albion Cafe in East London. Awards were also given to the best dishes which represented four regions of the world: best in Europe; North America; Latin America and Asia. For a full list of winning dishes, click here.

Representing for Mexico, Rebecca Smith Hurd accepted the award for Puebla’s La Casita Poblana and it’s dish, the Mole Pablano which took the trophy for “best dish in Latin America”. El Gringo had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Rebecca during the awards weekend, and she is a proud Pueblan expat who gives tours of the city and evangelizes its cuisine.

Rebecca Smith Hurd with Justin Mellott, one of the Chowzter founders, accepts the award on behalf of Puebla’s La Casita Poblana for their Mole Poblano, named Tastiest Fast Feast of Latin America.

Winners were chosen by the Chowzter team and the world’s top food bloggers, the ‘Chief Chowzters’, who travelled the globe tasting and testing the entries. The bloggers themselves also battled it out to argue the case for their personal favorites via online debate. The party was attended by an international audience of foodies and guests feasted on an array of delicious dishes including suckling pig devised by Francesca Mazzei’s soon to open L’Anima Cafe in the city.

Hungry Chowzters and guests line up for great food at L’Anima Cafe, London.

Chowzter: Discovering and presenting the world’s tastiest Fast Feasts

Who is Chowzter? The organization provides amazing tips to foodies around the world about where to get delicious fast feasts of the highest quality at a good price anytime and anywhere via their website at Chowzter.com or their mobile app. The term, “Fast Feasts” should not be confused with “Fast Food”. Chowzter seeks out restaurants and dishes committed to fresh ingredients, independent food purveyors and locally sourced ingredients.

Chowzter Chairman and Founder Jeffrey Merrihue has been a successful executive and entrepreneur and has a passion for seeking out and enjoying great food wherever it may be found. Chowzter is in its infancy at only 12 months old, but from what El Gringo could see, the team is poised for great things. If you haven’t heard much about us yet, you soon will!

With nearly 50 global Chief Chowzters in attendance, the 2014 Chowzter Awards was the largest gathering yet.

Check out the next page to join the Chief Chowzters as we eat our way through London…

1 2