While Chef Massimo might have held the Canadian hopes and dream for him to become the winner of Top Chef Destination Canada, his final cook made a mistake that had nothing to do with impeccable flavor or keen execution. Top Chef Season 22’s final four cheftestants are unified in one key characteristic. It will drive them to victory.
Looking back at Top Chef winners, their pedigree is of the highest caliber. The long list of accolades were impressive long before they heard the words, you are Top Chef.
Earning that victory amongst their culinary peers is more than battling through Quickfires and Elimination challenges. The judges have honed into a particular concept and it is even clearer in Season 22.
Time and again, the judges tell the cheftestants to cook “your food.” They want to see the chefs on the plate. At this level, no one should be serving raw proteins or over salted dishes. Yes, mistakes happen, but it is more than a bad day in the kitchen. The judges want to see their story.
One of the reasons why Vinny was sent home in Season 22 was because Tom Colicchio did not know who he was as a chef. Yes, Vinny could recreate concepts from the many highly regarded restaurants that are part of his resume. But, he never told his story on the plate.
In the last challenge before they left Canada, all five cheftestants made incredible meals. Given that the judges were nit picking the food, it appeared that Massimo’s elimination came down to he did not embrace the challenge through his own lens. The mustard forward dish was tasty, but he did not add an element of himself to the foraging challenge. The sole Canadian chef would not win the title.
The four finalists, Bailey, Cesar, Shuai, and Tristen have given the judges chapter after chapter of their culinary story. As Bailey said when she returned from Last Chance Kitchen, she boosted her confidence and her appraisal by the judges when she cooked her style of food. She stopped trying to create what she thought the judges wanted.
The same can be said for Shuai. He has surged ahead by giving the judges a glimpse of the food that he loves to cook. It is a look into where he has been, where he is, and where he is going.
Tristen has succeeded in this concept all season long. Continually receiving praise from the judges, his meals connect food, culture, storytelling, and deep-rooted connection to his own journey.
How will this concept play out as the cheftestants and Top Chef Season 22 heads to the finale in Milan. Just like all previous seasons, the person who cooks a meal of a lifetime, that connects with the diners on a deep level, will hear the coveted words, “you are Top Chef.”
New episodes of Top Chef Season 22 air Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.