Houston has performed a number one position in America’s culinary scene, however the metropolis has by no means been dwelling to a High Chef winner — till final night time. Within the remaining episode of season 22, chef Tristen Epps earned the title and a $250,000 money prize.
Epps secured his victory by remaining true to the Afro-Caribbean delicacies that helped him secured a powerful 4 Elimination Problem wins and $35,000 in extra prize cash from two Quickfire wins and as a member of the workforce that gained the present’s signature Restaurant Wars problem. His four-course menu took a panel of celeb judges on a journey that additionally referenced the finale location of Milan, Italy.
Particularly, Epps wowed the panel along with his second course — Hen “Durango” with injera shrimp toast and shellfish jus — that referenced each the Ethiopian rooster stew doro wat and the Italian dish pollo durango, a sly nod to the historical past of imperialism between the 2 international locations. He completed his savory choices with Oxtail Milanese Crepinette with Carolina Gold rice grits, curry butter, and bone marrow gremolata, which earned praised from the panel.
“Traditionally, we’ve been underserved oxtail,” High Chef alum and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet stated through the episode. “Tristen took the time to tug it, create that stunning, big, possibly too large, portion of oxtail. And canopy it with that gremolata. He didn’t neglect the bone marrow. That’s very, very good.”
All through High Chef’s run, Epps has been holding a sequence of pop-ups dedicated to every thing from scorching canine to steakhouses. Now, he can flip his consideration to Buboy, a tasting menu idea that can have fun the Afro-Caribbean delicacies he championed all through his time on the present.
CultureMap caught up with Epps on Friday morning for a short chat about his victory and what’s subsequent.
CultureMap: What do you keep in mind from the day you cooked that remaining dinner?
Tristen Epps: It was an excessive quantity of focus. Loads of writing in my pocket book. I didn’t need to chuckle. I didn’t need to cry or do something besides end the job, no matter regardless of the end result would have been. I keep in mind eager to name my mother. I actually needed to speak issues out so I may calm myself down and keep inside my focus. As soon as I bought into cooking, I felt a lot relaxed. It’s my blissful place. It’s my serenity.
CM: How did you’re feeling if you noticed Gregory Gourdet on the panel? Did you’re feeling such as you had an advocate within the room?
TE: I’ve cooked with gregory earlier than, a very long time in the past. It was actually enjoyable. I liked what he was doing.
I felt like I had type of an advocate. I used to be fearful my meals wold be too spicy or too overpowering [for the European chefs]. Seeing Gregory was actually good, particularly with what I used to be doing.
CM: Different cooks, together with Gregory Gourdet and Houston chef Daybreak Burrell, have completed nicely on the present with Afro-Caribbean delicacies however they didn’t win. How vital was it to you to complete the job and use these flavors to win the title?
TE: To me that was tremendous vital. There’s adventurous individuals who make phenomenal meals. They’ll go as soon as as a result of it’s attention-grabbing, bu they’re normally skeptical. If you don’t nail it, they are saying, that’s why I am going to the common locations which might be acquainted.
Ending the job was actually vital to me. Individuals have come up quick on this. I needed to get this proper for everybody who’s made that step ahead and created the ladder.
CM: What have your final 12 hours been like for the reason that episode aired? Have any celebrities reached out to you?
TE: Loads of calls, a number of good luck. Loads of every thing. It’s been wonderful.
Loads of previous High Chef winners reached out to me, giving me a number of assist and telling me what they did after they gained.
[ESPN football commentator] Mina Kimes did, which was actually cool.
CM: What are your plans for the prize cash?
TE: It’s going to go to Buboy. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, it could possibly go just a little quicker.
CM: You’ve been holding a sequence of pop-ups that vary from tasting menus to scorching canine? What’s subsequent?
TE: A part of getting the restaurant open has been introducing myself to all of Houston. These pop-ups characterize my pursuits and my enjoyable. They’re the issues that Buboy goes to characterize. It may be enjoyable, it may be a dialog, it may be instructional, it could possibly push the bounds of cuisines we all know. It’s an expression of tradition in no matter approach I see match that day.
The recent canine idea will most likely be a separate enterprise, however who’s to say there’s not a scorching canine on the finish of that meal?
