Top Chef
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Thirteen weeks ago, Padma Lakshmi kicked offTop Chef: Houstonwith a promise of greatness.
It would be a brutal, grueling fight to be the last chef standing.
WinningTop Chefis career defining, and the $250,000 prize money is an excellent start toward opening a restaurant.
Throughout the season, Buddha and Evelyn were obvious front-runners.
Theyve dominated nearly every challenge; each only found themselves in the bottom at the Judges Table twice.
Our only Houston native, Evelyn, felt the pressure to represent her city.
She consistently offered thoughtful, inspired dishes that blended her Mexican roots and Southeast Asian passions.
And then theres Sarah.
A wild card from the beginning, she was eliminated in a double elimination way back in episode four.
She dominated Last Chance Kitchen and came back with a fiery will to win.
Struggling to find her footing in regular competition, Sarahs strength comes from her scrappy, underdog energy.
She left Houston with a win and won the first Elimination in Tucson.
Consistency isnt her forte, but when she succeeds, she blows the judges away.
In this last challenge, each of our very different finalists took very different inspirations.
After gimmick challenges and specific requirements, finally, theyre given a chance just to cook a meal.
His fourth and final dish onTop Chefwill be an ode to America, a Thanksgiving-inspired dessert.
Evelyns inspiration comes from her journey of finding her unique cooking style.
She blends unexpected flavors and just seems to see food in a way the judges havent considered.
Sarah decides to tell a story in her final meal.
As a chef, shes passionate about minimizing waste.
All three are wildly passionate about their final meals.
For the first time, the finalists will get to choose their sous chefs.
Everyone who has been eliminated is on standby, ready to fly out to Tucson if picked.
Jackson and Buddha are reunited, as are Jo and Evelyn, and Robert and Sarah.
to succeed here, the chefs will need someone they trust completely.
When the chefs come to present their first meals, everyone is amazed at just the first glance.
Buddha, always one for flashy, hard-to-accomplish techniques, earns the most praise.
This trend continues throughout the rest of the dinner.
The judges love the idea of blending curry and mole but disagree with how she dressed the protein.
Izard is a noted goat fanatic, with each of her restaurants having goat in the title.
Its more meat in sauce than a fully cohesive dish.
Sarah also struggles a little in the middle courses.
She is full of ideas but doesnt self-edit well.
Unlike Buddha, whose cache of techniques was employed effectively, she piles too much on the plate.
The elements dont blend perfectly, and perfection is necessary here.
But its the dessert course that is most impressive.
They each pull out their absolute bests, and its clear they arent shrinking from the pressures of dessert.
In addition, she makes an acorn cake that everyone adores.
Its not enough sauce and too much cake.
But again, the high praise outweighs the nitpicking.
After a Judges Table full of love and praise for everyone, deliberations begin.
Hes an amazing, focused chef who is fulfilling his childhood dreams in this moment of victory.
Hell undoubtedly have a long career, and all the judges seem so proud of him.
I think this calm approach is just a double-edged sword.
It also resulted in Sarah clearly an amazing chef getting sent out the door very early.
But being a good communicator and leader in the kitchen is tantamount to being a successful chef.
A new story is being told here, and the victors will be revered rather than reviled.
Seeing Padma, Gail, and Tom cook for the chefs is always so fun.
Reversing the roles of judge and judged, the chefs are reminded why this panel is so respected.
After 19 years, these three are still the heart and soul ofTop Chef.
Although Sarah made the most mistakes tonight, I found her inspiration the most endearing and intriguing.
I love the idea of limited-waste cooking and really thinking about where your food comes from.
Im so proud of Evelyn for making it to the very end.
In this house, we stan a hometown hero.
