By: Mike Murillo
A national culinary competition that showcases the best of the best student chefs will include a D.C. high school.
The Ballou High School team of four cooked a five-star Asian-inspired cuisine at the Prostart DC Invitational on March 29. And next, they will become the first D.C. high school to participate in the National ProStart Invitational in almost a decade.
It wasn’t easy earning their spot on the national stage. The team was judged on the three-course meal they presented to the judges. And in the end, their dishes came out ahead of those presented by students from Theodore Roosevelt High School.
“I was real happy when I found out were moving to the finals, but now I’m starting to feel nervous because it’s like really a big thing, it’s going to be even more people that we’re going to have to go against,” said Laynard Hairston, who was on the winning team with three others, including his twin brother, Laymont.
It took a lot of practice to get ready for local competition.
According to Laynard Hairston, the team worked on their skills for five hours a day for weeks leading up to the event. He said the practice continues leading up to the national event, as they consider the critiques given to them during the DC Invitational. Read more at WTOP.
