Top Chef Houston Monday Leftovers: You Go Grill!

How do you write about an episode of Top Chef Houston when it’s straightforward entertainment without conflict, controversy, or even a modicum of antagonism? Lacking such elements–where are Brian Malarkey or even Gabriel Pascuzzi when you need them–I’m left to wax poetic yet again about what remains the gold standard of food competition shows.

Episode 3 eschewed the customary Quickfire Challenge in favor of an episode-long Elimination Challenge that shined a spotlight on Houston’s large Asian population. Showcasing Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese food, the cheftestants explored the various cuisines via an Asian Night Market in the Top Chef Kitchen before using that tasting experience as inspiration for their own dishes.

As Mr. T might say, I pity the chefs who, through the bad luck of a random knife pull, were obligated to cook Indian food for Padma Lakshmi. And lest you think I’m the only one who pondered such a fate, even Tom asked Buddha “do you think there’s any way you can possibly please Padma with Indian food?” Unfortunately, two of the three chefs who drew Indian food as their assigned cuisine, the aforementioned Buddha and Sam, found their way to the bottom three this week. The third, Luke, escaped unscathed.

Speaking of the bottom three, Buddha and Sam were joined on the culinary firing line by Ashleigh, whose sirloin & daikon skewers fell far short of the mark. In the end, though, it was Sam who was asked to pack his knives and go, having made the curious decision to grill potatoes for his rendition of vindaloo, Samaloo.

Conversely, while a good number of the remaining 13 chefs elicited positive feedback to their creation, Evelyn, Jackson, and Jae rose to the top as the judges’ favorite dishes. Evelyn and Jackson were tasked with preparing Vietnamese food, while Jae drew a Chinese knife. Each wowed the judges, who were joined at Judges’ Table this week by Top Chef Miami winner Hung Huynh and Houston restaurateur & chef Kiran Verma.

Jackson Kalb presented a spring roll with sausage, shallot & pho reduction dipping sauce, while Evelyn Garcia prepared a chilled chicken salad with rau ram, rambutan, avocado cream & sesame crisps. In the end, though, it was Jae Jung’s stir-fried udon noodles with Chinese sausage, Korean melon & crispy ramen topping that earned her the win and a $10,000 prize that left the surprised chef to muse that “the rent in New York City is so expensive that I’m gonna cover my rent.”

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RANDOM THOUGHTS

…I’m sorry to see Sam go. The Norman Vincent Peale of Top Chef Houston, Chef Kang added a refreshing positivity to the festivities, even in defeat. After succumbing to the clock during prep in the Top Chef Kitchen and not getting his boiled potatoes off the stove and into his prepared food for the next day’s cook, Sam made the unfortunate pivot to grilling his potatoes. That decision puzzled the judges, with Tom asking him at Judges’ Table “would you ever grill a potato again?” and Sam quickly responding “after this? Hell no!”

…While on the topic of positivity, it’s only fitting that I also mention this week’s winner, Jae Jung. From the beginning of the season, Chef Jung has smiled and laughed her way through the competition, all the while displaying serious cooking chops that earned her this victory and some rent money.

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…Through three episodes of Top Chef Houston, no detectable villain has emerged, leaving us with now 12 eminently likable chefs remaining. Despite the absence of a true antagonist or even an aspiring instigator, the diversity of personalities that comprise the group continues to keep the show as engaging as ever.

…Very early in most seasons, I’m able to pinpoint a chef or three that I believe will be among the handful left standing towards the finale, but I’m admittedly struggling to hone in on such chefs thus far on Top Chef Houston. After three episodes, there are at least six cheftestants that I’d be willing to put my Monopoly money on, leaving us with an uncertainty that’s exciting as the season continues to unfold.

…Loyal Top Chef Houston fans are programmed to either watch each episode live every Thursday or at the very least set the ol’ DVR so they can catch up later, but it occurs to me that not everyone is as locked in on finding a live stream for the complementary editions of Last Chance Kitchen. If you’re numbered among those who’ve yet to add LCK to your weekly viewing routine, I encourage you to do so. In delicious little 10-15 minute packages, Last Chance Kitchen treats viewers to an extra splash of competition combined with a pinch of a mischievous Tom Colicchio in creating a fun bite of time with banished chefs as they attempt to cook their way back into the Top Chef Kitchen. It’s an entertaining watch with clever challenges that are often tied back to the source of a just-eliminated chef’s culinary Achilles heel.

Top Chef Houston airs Thursdays on Bravo. Last Chance Kitchen streams weekly at BravoTV.com