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NEW ORLEANS — The chef’s at the Audubon Tea Room are competing in a “top chef” style cook off.

This is no ordinary competition.

It’s one that involves fire and ice.

“It could be fire or ice, or fire and ice. So, they have to use either flames or liquid nitrogen or dry ice in their food station,” says executive chef, Alan Ehrich.

Ehrich says this annual cook-off helps his sous chefs and first cooks learn some new tricks of the trade.

“What it does is it really makes them think about food and think about creativity.”

The chefs are making both sweet and savory dishes.

The judges have to decide who’s the top chef by the taste of the food and by how engaging their presentation is for customers.

“Is it going to be fun for the customer, and is the customer going to go ohhhh, holy smokes!” says Ehrich.

Whoever wins gets bragging rights and the chance for their innovative dish to show up on the new menu.

“It’s all about getting great dishes on our menu and we have some amazing dishes come out of it. You have to jump out there and do something new and exciting to become cutting edge, right?

The sous chef who wins will get the chance to join the executive chef at this year’s culinary catering convention.