Seafood took over the City of Firsts as Araneta City held its first-ever seafood culinary showdown at Dampa at Farmers Market, bringing together student-chefs from three schools for a day of cooking, market runs and competition.

The event was part of Araneta City’s first commemoration of Seafood Month, with teams from Our Lady of Fatima University, Jose Rizal University and World City Colleges going head-to-head. Each team was composed of five student-chefs and guided by its respective professional chef.

From the first round, it was clear that the students had little room for hesitation.

The teams were handed mystery boxes containing the seafood they had to turn into appetizers. Without knowing beforehand what they would be working with, the students immediately got to planning, preparing and cooking.

We weren’t able to taste the appetizers, but from the sidelines, the dishes already looked restaurant-worthy. Each team had its own approach to presenting the seafood, and seeing the finished plates made you curious about what they tasted like.

The second round raised the stakes.

For their main dishes, the students had to head into the wet market with their chefs to choose the seafood and other ingredients they would use. After making their selections, they returned to their stations and got back to work, this time with a crowd of diners and spectators watching from the sides.

Soon, the smell of seafood cooking filled the entire food court.

The aroma from each team’s station made its way around Dampa, catching the attention of diners and onlookers while the judges kept a close eye on the students. With the clock ticking, the teams moved quickly between chopping, seasoning, cooking and plating.

It was easy to get caught up in the rush, especially when you could see the students checking their dishes, making last-minute adjustments and trying to get everything onto the plate before time ran out.

Once the clock stopped, the judges finally had their turn to taste the dishes.

What made the competition interesting was how the teams took familiar flavors and gave them their own interpretations.

World City Colleges, for instance, put a twist on Sinigang sa Miso. Their version deconstructed the dish, with salmon wrapped in kangkong and the soup served separately. Coconut milk was also incorporated, giving the judges the option to pour it over the dish and experience the flavors differently.

Jose Rizal University, meanwhile, served a dish reminiscent of a tuna steak, offering another take on preparing the familiar seafood.

After the final tasting, Our Lady of Fatima University emerged as the overall winner. The judges particularly liked the team’s twists and the provincial influences incorporated into its dishes.

Jose Rizal University also took home Most Innovative Dish, while World City Colleges earned Most IG-Worthy Dish for its presentation.

By the end of the showdown, the students had gone from opening mystery boxes to shopping for seafood in the wet market and plating their final dishes in front of a crowd.

Watching it all happen in the middle of a busy food market made the competition feel less like a formal cooking demonstration and more like a live kitchen — one where the ingredients, the clock and the crowd were all part of the challenge.