SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The owner of a Scranton restaurant has cooked up a new title World Rice Champion.
Chef Ryan Von Smith has a sweet spot for culinary competitions.
The World Food Championships is the ultimate food sports event in Indianapolis. Hundreds of the world's best chefs competed for food, fame, and fortune in the twelve-category event.
Scranton's own Chef Ryan Von Smith competed in the rice category and served up a delicious duck dish to take the title.
Repping his hometown, "So, I'm from Scranton Pennsylvania, I have a restaurant with my mother Chef Von & Mom," stated Chef Von.
That winning dish was a culinary masterpiece or both of his dishes were culinary masterpieces.
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"I made like a lime rice with a coconut green curry, with a seared duck and I fried duck fat sweet potatoes in there and then I took the rice and crisped up the rice in the duck fat, and then I made an Asian herb salad on top," explained Chef Von.
He says this event is the equivalent of the Super Bowl, March Madness, and Olympics combined.
Twelve winners, including chef Ryan Von Smith, will head to "The Final Table" for their chance at the grand prize of 150,000 in Arkansas in the Spring of 2025.
