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Hanging With Hung

partysugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:25:29 -0700

Last Friday afternoon at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, I had the chance to hang out with Top Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh. As part of his prize, Hung was invited to appear at the Classic Cook-Off on Sunday. In between attending seminars and sipping wine, Hung and I met up outside the grand-tasting tent.

An approachable, friendly guy, Hung isn't afraid to say hello to fans or cook dinner for 150 people. Although he was sometimes portrayed as a villain on TC, in real life, Hung is just an ordinary guy who cooks really well. To learn more about Hung, read more.

Currently Hung is working at Solo, a kosher Mediterranean restaurant, in Manhattan. He plans to remain executive chef until the end of Summer and hopes to open his own restaurant soon. He's yet to use his TC prize trip to Paris and prefers the kitchen to the tasting tent.
In his entourage: Kenny his best pal/sous chef from Las Vegas and Marcel his buddy and TC season 2 contestant.

On alcohol: Hung doesn't like to drink. Although he enjoys partying, he dislikes alcohol, especially red wine, because it gives him a headache and a red face.

Who he knows: Through his TC experience, he's gotten to know plenty of the food industry's biggest stars including Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, and Daniel Boulud.

What he wants to do: A fierce competitor, Hung plans on entering himself in the prestigious food industry equivalent of the Olympics, the Bocuse d'Or.

Why he thinks he can win: Many of his aforementioned acquaintances are on the culinary advisory board. The board members have a say in who is selected to compete.

After hanging with Hung, I conclude that he's not the bad guy Bravo portrayed him to be, but rather a bit of a diva. I can't blame him, he is after all, a Top Chef!

2007's Favorite Foodie Reality Show Is...

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:01:01 -0800

As part of our Best of 2007 coverage, we asked you what your favorite foodie reality show of 2007 is. The response was phenomenal and Top Chef won by a huge landslide.

We debated a bit here at the YumSugar HQ, however in the end Top Chef won us over as well. This year we almost had a female winner - maybe next year it'll finally happen? - and the competition was front and center. While the other shows also entertained, I loved the way Top Chef constantly had a mix of drama - but not too much - and really delicious looking eats. Also, their guest judges constantly kept things interesting and the local Miami produce and backdrop really added to the fun.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!

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Do You Agree With the "Top Chef" Fan Favorite Result?

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:03:57 -0700

Last night, Bravo aired the "Top Chef 3" reunion special. The entire event was geared up to reveal the fan favorite [spoiler alert] and show you behind-the-scenes clips. Personally, I thought it was a bit of a snooze, but I know there are some rabid fans who eat up all that behind-the-scenes stuff. Also, I was really surprised that Casey won the fan favorite award. I totally thought it would be Tre or Dale. Speaking of Dale, he definitely had the quote of the night; when asked about his "type" he said, "Beauty's only a light switch away." Surely someone this cheeky would've been crowned fan favorite?
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Yummy Link: Top Chef Judges Get Goofy

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 05:11:33 -0700

If you're still itching for some more "Top Chef," then be sure to check out these behind the scenes videos featuring the judges answering goofy questions. - Bravo

Top Chef 3.14 - Finale Part 2 Recap

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:59:33 -0700

Well, oh well, oh well. We finally made it to the end. Did the right cheftestant win? What did you think of the challenge and didn't you just want to reach right into your TV screens and eat some of those dishes?!? To check out what happened in the finale, read more

When the episode begins, the cheftestants are presented lift tickets and are whisked away to the top of the mountain where Padma and Tom are waiting for them. At this point they're told to use the protein and produce provided and create the best meal they have ever cooked in their lives. Oh and the twist? They're all going to be cooking at the same time, in the same kitchen. They're also going to serve at the same time.

They're given 35 minutes to prepare their menus - which I'm surprised they didn't already have planned - and then they draw knives to determine their sous chefs. Everyone assumes it will be former cheftestants, so they're ecstatic to find out that their sous chefs are actually famous chefs. Hung is paired with Rocco DiSpirito, Casey is paired with Michelle Bernstein and Dale is paired with Todd English.

With their sous chefs in order, they head straight to the kitchen. From my point of view, it seemed like the cheftestants were a bit star struck at first, but then buckled down and got to work. The celebrity sous chefs do as they're told, but you can tell they don't always agree. After three hours of chopping and prepping, the cheftestants say farewell to their sous chefs and call it a night.

The next day they're on their own as they finish up the meal. They have two hours to get their three dishes ready and are halfway through when Tom tells them to stop what they're doing and come outside. Peeved, they all head outside only to find out that they each need to do a fourth dish. They also learn that they'll have some assistance from former cheftestants. Hung is paired with Sara, Dale is paired with CJ and Casey is paired with Howie.

Once they get back into the kitchen, the chefs get down to business and prepare their four dishes. Each course is presented to the eight judges - the four main judges, the three celebrity sous chefs and former contestant Brian - and it's clear that some of the dishes are really blowing others out of the water. Courses one and three are awarded to Hung - they even thought his duck was "three star Michelin" caliber - while courses two and four go to Dale. Unfortunately there can only be one winner and after much deliberation - according to Rocco's blog, the judges debated for nine hours - Hung is declared the next Top Chef!

Now for some things to ponder:

Did you think Hung was going to win? Do you agree with it?
Which dish did you want to eat the most? Personally I wanted that duck!
People have been complaining that this season lacked personality compared to the last two. After the finale, do you still think that's true?
Which celebrity sous chef would you want to work with?

Were you surprised that Hung went with a chocolate cake? Especially in the high altitude?
Did you notice that the judges were wearing the same clothing during both the Aspen panel and the live panel?
Dale said the scallop dish was a 50/50 collaboration with CJ. Do you think this was true?
Overall, what did you think of this season?

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How Well Were You Watching Top Chef?

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:21:33 -0700

Did you watch the season finale of Top Chef? If so, then you know who won, but what else do you know? Were you really paying attention, or were you too busy trying to figure out who you wanted to win? To find out, take our quiz!

And don't worry there are no real spoilers here, those will turn up later during our recap. Ready to start?
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Who Do You Want To Win Top Chef?

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:25:07 -0700

This season of "Top Chef" is finally coming to a close. We've had fantastic judges - including Ted Allen, whose favorite cast member was Howie - some wild characters, shocking results and droolworthy dishes. We're down to the final three, and at this point I'm not sure who I'm rooting for. How about you? Who do you want to win?

Oh and if you can't wait for tonight, here's a quick clip to whet your palate.

Top Chef 3.13 - Finale Part 1 Recap

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:43:33 -0700

It was down to the final four on last night's episode of "Top Chef," and I think it was definitely a fun - Yeeha! - episode. So far, this year's finale is proving to be exciting, if not somewhat surprising. The Bravo editors didn't give away the result until the end, and neither will I. To find out who made it to the next round, read more

At the beginning of the episode, the cheftestants arrive in Aspen/Snowmass and are whisked away to an awaiting hot air balloon. They get an amazing aerial tour and pop open a bottle of champagne, only to arrive at the quickfire challenge. On the banks of the Frying Pan River, Padma and guest judge Eric Ripert present them with fresh trout, a frying pan, a camping stove, and basic pantry ingredients. They then have 20 minutes to scale, gut, and cook a tasty fish. Brian struggles with - and even drops - one of his fishes, while Hung finishes seven minutes early but manages to forget an ingredient. In the end Casey is declared the winner and will be able to use her own personal supplies/ingredients during the elimination round.

After the quickfire, they're told that they each must create entrees for 45 cowboys and cowgirls at the Snowmass Rodeo Riders annual shindig. They have three hours to cook, and the main ingredient, elk, has already been determined for them. Dale and Casey are thrilled to use the gamey meat, while Brian and Hung seem less enthused. Oh and did I mention that during prep, Chef Tom tells them that there will be three finalists and only one of them will be going home?

When it comes time to serve up their meals, Dale is victorious with his Seared Elk Loin with Cauliflower and Fingerling Potatoes. It is Eric Ripert's favorite meal and, even though Gail thinks it has too many components, it is declared the winner.

Dale's victory - which really elevated Dale in my book - leaves Casey, Hung, and Brian shaking in their cowboy boots. All the meals were considered fantastic, but someone has to go home. In the end it is Brian who is asked to pack his knives - and his cowboy hat - and go.

Things to ponder:

Can you believe this product placement in this photo?!?
Didn't they know there would be a quickfire at the end of the balloon ride? Didn't they learn that this is how "Top Chef " works?
Were you surprised that three folks moved on to the finale?
Was Casey's drawl suddenly more prominent?
Was it funnier when Hung said, "What the hell do cowboys and cowgirls eat? Baked beans and baked beans and baked beans?" or when Dale said, "I really don't know that much about cowboys. I mean I've slept with a few, but that's about it" ?
Were you as impressed by Dale as I was? His reason was quite touching and I almost think he could win the entire thing!

How Well Were You Watching Top Chef?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:01:11 -0700

Did you watch last night's Top Chef? If so, you may know who packed their knives and who is going on to the finale, but what else do you know? Were you really paying attention, or were you too busy figuring out how you could ride a hot air balloon over Aspen? To find out, take our quiz! And don't worry there are no real spoilers here, those will turn up later during our recap.

You ready to start?
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Which Top Chef Contestant Are You Rooting For?

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:38:33 -0700

There are only four folks left, and I want to know, who do you want to win?

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