This year, I didn’t want your typical birthday. I wanted something unforgettable—a birthday experience that felt made for a foodie.
Enter: Hudson Table’s Chef Competition.
Think Chopped meets Iron Chef — a fast-paced, three-course throwdown between two talented chefs, using mystery ingredients revealed that day. I was sold.
There are 4 locations: Hoboken, Brooklyn, Philly, CT
The Setup
Hudson Table is a cozy, open kitchen-style venue tucked in Hoboken. You can snag regular seating or — pro tip — pay just $10 extra to sit at the counter. Totally worth it. You’re right there, watching chefs in action, hearing the sizzles, smelling the spice, and getting tasters right out of their bowls mid-cook. (You are allowed to do this – just ask them!).
And here’s akicker: it’s BYOB (no hard liquor – just beer + wines). So naturally, the moment we walked in, we popped open our champagne and toasted to a meal that would definitely be one we would not forget.
👨🍳 The Competitors
This wasn’t just any brunch battle. We had Chef Andrew, a sous chef working in NYC and repping New Jersey roots, versus Chef Claude, a chef, instructor at HCCC and a winner of Season 19 of Chopped.
These two did not come to play.
🧺 Mystery Ingredients
We sat down, saw the ingredient sheet, and… wow. Some of the stars of the mystery basket included:
- Star anise
- Parsnip
- Date syrup
- Habanero
- Grits
- Malt Vinegar
- Grapefruit
- Skittles
Yeah. That’s a weird brunch lineup. And exactly why this was so much fun. They need to use each of the ingredients at least once during the competition or they get points removed at the end vote.
🍽️ The Dishes
Watching the chefs create on the fly was half the thrill. There was friendly banter, laughs from the crowd, and tasters being passed all around the room.
🥇 Favorite Bite: Chef Claude’s Appetizer
Chef Claude kicked things off with an appetizer that hit every note—flavorful, creative, and balanced. The second I tasted it, I was ready to give him my vote. Parsnips, bacon, a grit cake and poached egg.
🍮 Least Favorite: Chef Andrew’s Dessert
Chef Andrew brought the fire all night, but the dessert didn’t land for me. Sometimes risks don’t pay off—but hey, it still made for an entertaining end to the meal. He had a sweet grit cake over some sort of skittles hard sugar that tasted incredibly bitter. And he didn’t sweeten his whipped cream which I was not a fan of.
🗳️ The Judging
Voting was based on creativity, presentation, and taste. All awarded by the audience and to each their own opinion. The crowd played a big role—we were clapping, reacting, and breaking down our reasoning for our winning chef decisions as well as our dish highs and lows.
In the end, Chef Andrew took the win. But honestly? We got lucky with both chefs. They were skilled, engaging, and clearly having a blast.
🥂 Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a food-centric experience that’s immersive, energetic, and deliciously unpredictable—this is it. I would absolutely do this again, and probably will. Hudson Table nailed it.
Leave a Reply