Best Teen Chef 2008 Local Finalists - Dallas
ALDO SANDOVAL
Emporia High School, Emporia, KS
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Dallas’ Best Teen Chef 2008
Emporia High School senior Aldo Sandoval took first place at The Art Institute of Dallas’s local Best Teen Chef Competition on April 12. He received a $10,000 tuition scholarship and moves on to the final round of competition in Las Vegas.
Aldo says he started cooking in sixth grade, but “was just messing around – everything came out bad!” His parents taught him to cook, but he also taught himself through trial and error. His favorite dish to cook? “Blackberry chicken! It’s not my own recipe, but I have changed it up a bit over time.”
When he’s not cooking, Aldo is a renaissance man: he sings in the school choir and enjoys painting. He sold three paintings the week of the Best Teen Chef Competition! Not a bad week to be Aldo Sandoval!
Aldo is excited to attend The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Dallas, and hopes to become an executive chef and even own his own restaurant one day.