Video du Whenever - Angelo Sosa's Bibimbap Burger

Angelo's new restaurant, SocialEatz, is scheduled to open mid-March. In this video, he teases us with a menu item called a bibimbap burger, which looks completely drool-worthy to me. Not sure about the "liquid love sauce" though.

View more videos at: http://www.thefeast.com.

(Dig the tight clothes!)

Congratulations to Chef Tiffany Derry!

Chef Derry won the hearts of viewers this season and took away the $10K Fan Favorite prize. Congrats, Chef! We're looking forward to seeing you get a second chance at the big prize starting December 1 on Top Chef 8: All Stars!

Find Out Who Wins Fan Favorite

The winner of the coveted Fan Favorite award for Top Chef DC will be announced tonight by Andy Cohen on a special Watch What Happens Live at 10/9C.

Who do you think wins it?

poll by twiigs.com

Top Chef DC Reunion Special Preview

Recap Roundup: Top Chef DC Finale

And...finally...this interminable season of Top Chef is over! To wrap: Angelo got sick, Ed got Ilan, Kevin got $125,000. And we've got bloggers:

Jordan Baker with her final haiku: "Well, so that happened. / For fish, duck, and a fruit cup / Kevin is Top Chef?"

Cliffieland on what loses it for Ed: "Finally, it's time for the dessert course. Ed thinks Ilan could have gotten more intricate with his cake, which would be a decent dig if it was supposed to be Ilan's dessert. They serve."

My Monkey Could Do That on Angelo's plague-spreading ways: "Angelo doesn’t want to give up but he can’t even really move. They get a doctor, who says he can give him some drugs but it won’t make him get better faster. The doctor tells him he needs to get fluids and rest but only gives him a 20% chance of being able to cook tomorrow. If he’s got a stomach thing, he shouldn’t be anywhere around food for a while anyway. They have laws in England about that sort of thing."

Minx Eats with my sentiments exactly: "I have one word for the finale of Top Chef season 7: Bah. Actually, that's pretty much how I feel about the whole season."

Popwatch (EW) on the judge-shopping: "Tom Colicchio and Eric Ripert complicated matters by heading out into the Singapore markets in the early morning to choose the proteins in question. Avec Eric? Now there’s a show I would watch."

Serious Eats on Voltaggio's Food Network future: "Voltaggio, on the other hand, was busy scrutinizing prices like he was filming an episode of Money Saving Meals. 'These are $1.45, and those are only $.38,' he exclaimed while rifling through some onions. 'They're cheaper. I don't know how they'll taste, though.' Oh Michael. Sandra Lee would have been so proud."

Max the Girl on Kevin's randomness: "Season 7 of Top Chef will be remembered for many things. Tiffany’s late dominance (and shocking eviction). Kenny, the man of a thousand self-aggrandizing nicknames. Frenemies Angelo and Ed and their ongoing (sexual?) tension. Pea-Puree-gate and all its ramifications. One thing it won’t be remembered for? It’s eventual winner. With all due respect to Kevin, did anyone see this coming? Ever?"

What'ere, Jane Eyre drinks a lot: "Kevin discusses plating with Michael, who wonders what the other two competitors are going to do. "That's their problem," Kevin sniffs. "I'm not here to be nice." DRINK!"

Speakeasy (WSJ) on Ed's decision making: "Ed delegates Ilan to make the dessert course, because he can’t top those banana fritters, he says. (Did we hear that right? Because that makes no sense. Anyways.)"

Meal Ticket (Philly City Paper) on medical care in Singapore: "Angelo is so ill he can’t even get up; he deathbed-whispers instructions to Hung over the phone, and then a doctor comes and visits him and sticks him with an antibiotic ass injection the physician informs him has about a '3 percent chance' of working. OK I’m not a doctor but I’m pretty sure that dude just made that up. Watch how easy: When I leave work today, I have a '100 percent chance' of drinking whiskey. Alright bad example, that’s wholly accurate."

Best Week Ever on Seetoh's timely interjection: "As a final word of inspiration, Seetoh says, 'Sock it to me!' Singapore just got Laugh-In two weeks ago, it’s part of their new 'Must See Thursday' lineup along with The Shadow radio programme."

Top Recipe - Top Chef DC Episode 14

Watch Michael Voltaggio prepare Top Chef Kevin Sbraga's "Singapore Sling 2010" here.

Find the printable version of the recipe here.

Bravo Exit Interviews - Angelo Sosa and Ed Cotton

Bravo Exit Interview - Top Chef Kevin Sbraga

Congratulations, Top Chef Kevin Sbraga!

Congratulations to Chef Kevin Sbraga, who last night was crowned Top Chef. A bit of a dark horse throughout the season, Chef Sbraga really delivered during the finale, with perfectly cooked duck and fantastic duck ravioili, excellent seared rouget, and an updated version of the Singapore sling that absolutely wowed the judges:

Gail described Kevin's meal as starting out subtle, but building to an absolute punch at dessert. For that, he won the coveted title of Top Chef and all the riches and fame that go along with that.

This post is only for positive comments regarding Chef Sbraga. If you have anything negative to say about Chef Sbraga or this episode, please leave your comment here.

Reactions to Top Chef DC Finale

The finale. Finally! FINALLY!

Last week on Top Chef: everyone sweats in Singapore and Kelly goes home.

The show opens with a reminder of who's still standing: Angelo, who's practically Asian; Kevin, who is apparently into bloodshed; and Ed, who's won a bunch recently.

Everybody's tired, but not surprised when Padma calls them back to Judge's Table, so they're probably relieved when she tells them that she just wants them to have as much time to plan their final meal as possible.

For the final, the first course is a vegetable course, second is fish, third is meat (proteins chosen by Tom and Ripert) and the fourth course is dessert (nice tie-in with TC Desserts, Gail).

Then, in roll the "helpers" - Michael Voltaggio, Hung, and Ilan. Kevin used to work with Voltaggio and they're friends, so he's hoping for him. Angelo fancies himself a bit of a Hung, so he's hoping for him. And Ed picks first and has to be disappointed when he chooses Ilan. I mean, come on - Ilan vs. Voltaggio.

Ed graciously says there's no reason NOT to respect Ilan. Whew. Big praise.
Everybody else gets their wish, with Hung joining Angelo and Kevin choosing Michael.

Ed's feeling cocky, Kevin says its about his family, including his mom who passed away, and Angelo is sick. Like really sick. Which maybe means that all that sweat was fever, not just Angelo. He "feels like somebody's stabbing him in the stomach" and for the first time in Top Chef history, we see an actual doctor's visit. The doctor gives him a 20% chance of cooking the next day.

And...he's not. But Hung's there and he gets direction from Angelo about what to do in the kitchen. Ed's not impressed that Angelo's body won't listen to $125,000, but I kind of sympathize. Has Ed ever had the stomach flu? Does he really want to cook in a kitchen with somebody who does?

Ripert and his accent deliver the fishy proteins: red mullet (rouget), cuttlefish, cockles and slipper lobsters. Tom follows up (sans accent) with: a whole duck, and pork belly. The first course is to be vegetables, the second is the red mullet and the third is the duck, but the other proteins must be incorporated.

Next up: shopping with the sous chefs, in which Ed has to remind Ilan that he's not in charge, Ilan talks like a blogger ("whatevs") and Kevin lets Michael take the reigns (smart). Angelo delivers his list from bed, but he's got Hung on it, so he's not really that concerned.

Back in the kitchen, minor drama ensues when Hung grabs the whole loaf of foie gras for Angelo, leaving none for Ed. Kevin's still whining about Angelo not being around, saying he "wants to compete with the best." I'm not so sure he should want that, but to each his own.

The dishes:
Kevin's first course is an eggplant, zucchini and roasted red pepper terrine. His second is pan-seared routet with cuttlefish "noodles." The third is roasted duck with duck dumplings and his dessert is a "Singapore sling" with coconut panna cotta.

Ed's first is a chilled summer corn veloute and his second is stuffed rouget with bacon-wrapped slipper lobster and char-grilled cuttlefish. Third is a duck duo with a roasted breast and a stuffed neck. The fourth course, which will be on Ilan, is a sticky toffee date cake.

And we don't find out about Angelo's yet because, well, Angelo's still in bed.

Everybody's got crazy respect for Hung and he's showing off exactly why Angelo is so lucky to have him as a sous - could anybody else have worked that fast and gotten that much accomplished? He's still a machine.

Back at the house, Angelo's still a mess with a migraine, so he lets the doctor administer him antibiotics in the hiney.

Finally, on the third day, Angelo's given the greenlight to cook. Ed's not that psyched about it, as he thinks Angelo's the one to beat, but Angelo is pretty happy. He knows he's behind but seriously: how lucky is he to have Hung?

We finally get to find out what Angelo's serving - and that he drew out diagrams of his dishes while at home in bed. Good for him (I'm feeling sorry for him now). His first course is royale mushrooms with noodles, pork belly and watermelon tea. Second is Asian bouillabaise. Third is a duck and foie marshmellow. And dessert is a "Thai jewel" - shaved ice and coconut milk.

Back in the kitchen, Angelo and Kevin say Ed overcomplicates things, while he thinks their dishes might be pretty but don't always taste good. And everybody's still sweating.

The judges arrive and as the chefs head out to judge's table, they're blinded by the star power, which includes David Chang and Dana Cowin. The chefs introduce their first dishes - the vegetables - and return to the kitchen. We hear that Angelo's flavors are spot on, but his dish needs work. Kevin's dish either doesn't have enough oomph, or it's great. And Ripert thinks Ed's is the best. Tom notes that everything shows a lot of restraint and, well, it's good.

Angelo's concerned about getting dehydrated...and now I'm starting to feel like he's whining.

It's second course time. Kevin's dish is interesting and nicely cooked and the pork belly is good. Ed's is very complicated - it obviously took a lot of effort. Angelo's dish is the one to remember.

The duck course comes out and it is most certainly dressed with the sweat of the chefs. The judges have to know that, too. I'm sure they're all happy that Angelo took those antibiotics.

Kevin's ravioli has good textural contrast and it's cooked really nicely. Angelo's is excellent, though the little drink is extraneous. Padma loves Ed's flavors with the contrast between the greens and duck neck - it has layers of flavors and much attention was paid to the details.

Just before the dessert, Ed realizes he shouldn't have tasked Ilan with dessert. Well, yeah.

So dessert, then: there's more to Kevin's than meets the eye, and it could well be a national dessert. Angelo's is tasty and comforting, but almost savory. And Ed's is good, but lacks a twist. The salty cream is maybe a yes, maybe a no.

Gail's impressed with the desserts overall, saying they might have broken the Top Chef dessert curse because they were all legitimately good. So good for them.

But then...judge's table. As usual for the finale, the judges are a little nicer to start, saying that the meal was amazing. It's a bit of a love fest, except:

Angelo's dishes come with too much instruction. His first course didn't really feel vegetarian, either.

Ed's dessert was something Tom could've eaten at home. His fish protein was confusing and didn't really feature the rouget, which was the assignment. Also, his duck was slightly overcooked.

Kevin's vegetables lacked a little salt and spice - it wasn't really exciting.

Once the chefs are packed back off to the stew room, Gail says she thinks this was "one of our best finales" - which seems like a nice way to say that it's not the best. At some point during this period, Ed and Angelo also realize that Kevin actually might win this thing because the food he cooked was just really good. It is not a welcome revelation.

Back at judges table, Tom says everyone delivered a great meal, but the Top Chef took the most risks and cooked the best meal...and it's Kevin!

One final note: I really wish we'd heard more from the judges about the roles of the sous chefs. In past seasons, that's been a big deal - what the sous did or did not do, how they did or did not contribute. It seems that this year, that might have been relevant. Or not. I just wish I knew.

So...what did you think? Did Kevin deserve it? Should Angelo have stayed in bed? Are you just glad the season's over? Please leave a comment with your thoughts...

Top Chef DC Finale Preview

Fresh off that Emmy high is the season finale of Top Chef DC! The Final 3 chefs have been sharpening their knives to battle it out in Singapore as the season culminates in a fight to the finish and some very special Top Chef Alums are thrown into the mix to help execute these finalists' visions. But when Angelo falls ill in the very last throws of his Top Chef journey, will he muster up the strength to pull it all together? Or will it be Ed or Kevin that wins the title? Tune in to find out who will be named "Top Chef” on the *Finale Part 2* this Wednesday 9/15 @ 10/9c followed by Top Chef Just Desserts at 11pm.

And chat with cheftestants, judges and fans during the episode at the LIVE Finale Talk Bubble Event! Details here: http://www.bravotv.com/talkbubble

Poll Results - Who Will Be Top Chef?

According to our poll, 2/3 of voters chose Chef Ed Cotton as the winner of this season's Top Chef! Tune in tomorrow to see if they were right....

Recap Roundup: Top Chef DC Episode 13

Thirteen down, one to go. This week, Top Chef takes us abroad for the very first time ever. To hot, sweaty, hot, sweaty Singapore. So how did the bloggers feel about that?

Jordan Baker haikus: "Oh, Kelly Liken / Singapore is not for you / Go take a smoke break."

Single Guy Chef on saying goodbye: "Kelly says she just made one tiny mistake, which I’m not really sure if it really was just one. I just think maybe her food wasn’t Asian enough. But now it’s a long boat ride home for her."

Minx Eats on the food: "Tom says this was the best food all season, which isn't really saying much. But then come the complaints. Inigo's soup was too thick and too intense. The fish in Kelly's soup was unnecessary and too 'rough.' They wanted more texture in Kevin's congee. However, Ed's food received nothing but praise; the judges claimed mouthgasms over his banana fritters."

Cliffieland on Bravo's thought process: "So, they looked at a map of the world and thought, 'We know the one thing that folks value most in this show and we plan to deliver this. So, let's do it up right! Now, what's the one place on the planet that's more humid than DC in August? ... Ah, yes! 'Welcome to Singapore!'"

Serious Eats on the obvious: "Seetoh introduced them to a noodle master, and said the guy had been 'frying that same dish of noodles for the last 40 years.' Wow. 40 years ago. That's about when this season of Top Chef started. AMIRIGHT?"

My Monkey Could Do That on Kevin, the wokless wonder: "Kevin admits he’s never used a wok before, and Padma is like 'What is wrong with you? You knew you were coming to Singapore!' Yeah, good point."

Max the Girl on the bromance: "All this time, I was focusing on Ed and Tiffany (and to a lesser extent, Angelo and and his mail order bride) when I clearly should’ve been focusing on Ed and Angelo. Theirs is a bromance that dare not speak its name. All they do is fight, makeup, and obsess over each other. It’s totally hot."

What'ere, Jane Eyre does not like the Quickfire twist: "For the first time this late in the competition, the winner of the Quickfire will receive immunity in the Elimination Challenge. That... Is fucking stupid. Why is this advantage offered? To what end? I know they like throwing the chefs for a loop, but this really has no benefit for the audience. Naturally, the chefs are happier about it than I am."

Top Recipe - Top Chef DC Episode 13

To see Michael Voltaggio prepare Ed Cotton's banana fritter, click here.

For a printable version of the recipe, click here.

Bravo Exit Interview - Kelly Liken

Top Chef 7 Finale Poll

poll by twiigs.com

ATC Love to Chef Kelly Liken

At this stage of the game, it's not a matter of eliminating a chef who is unworthy, but rather narrowing down the best of the best. In that regard, Chef Kelly Liken certainly proved that she had what it took to be a top contender and can hold her head high.

All of Chef Kelly's dishes during this round were considered good by the judges. In the Quickfire, her Chinese noodles with lobster, cockles, bean sprouts, and Chinese broccoli was praised by K.F. Seetoh as having captured "the essence of the ocean." In the Elimination Challenge, her cucumber yogurt soup and her prawn curry were both well received, but the devil is in the details and there were some elements in the dishes which were deemed lacking. So close to the final round, even minor issues can cost dearly.

Although we will miss Chef Kelly in the final round, we are sure to her more from her in the future. This post is only for positive comments regarding Chef Kelly Liken. If you have anything negative to say about Chef Kelly Liken or this episode, please leave your comment here.

Congratulations Chef Ed Cotton!

Chef Ed scored another big win! While Angelo was seen to have an advantage with this all-Asian episode, Chef Ed appeared to breeze through both challenges not only producing fine dishes but taking charge of expediting during the elimination challenge.

He had immunity from elimination thanks to his stir fry noodles with black pepper sauce, lobster and gai lan, but Chef Ed was determined to win and show the judges he had what it takes to be Top Chef. He certainly did that with crispy rice and potato cakes, sweet and sour pork, kai lan, but it was his banana fritters with red chilli paste that really wowed the judges. The usually reserved Tom Colicchio said he "loved" the fritters and deemed them perfect stoner food. As they say, it's not how you start but how you finish, and Chef Ed is poised to finish strong.


This post is only for positive comments regarding Chef Ed Cotton. If you have anything negative to say about Chef Ed Cotton or this episode, please leave your comment here.

Reactions to Top Chef DC Episode 13

We're not in DC anymore, Toto! We're in Singapore where the final four cheftestants embark on their bid to win the title of Top Chef. We first see Ed strolling through a Singapore food market where he meets up with Kelly. Kevin and Angelo soon follow as we listen to voice overs of the chefs trash talking each other. That's soon brought to an end when Tom arrives and introduces K.F. Seetoh, a Singapore Hawker Stall Expert. Seetoh takes the four finalists on a tour of the food market to show them how the food stalls operate and the wide range of cuisine they produce.

The fun and games end when Padma arrives to announce the Quickfire Challenge: create your own version of street food with a wok as your only cooking vessel. Unlike the past final Quickfires, the winner of this one gets immunity. With only 30 minutes to cook, the chefs scramble to their cramped stations and start wokking. Kelly is inspired to make a shell fish broth of lobster and cockles with noodles, bean sprouts, and Chinese broccoli, while Ed opts for stir-fried noodles in a black pepper sauce with lobster and gai lan. Angelo starts to make chilli crab, a Singapore staple, but runs out of time and changes to chilli frogs legs with pineapple and rambutan salsa. Unfamiliar with Asian ingredients and a novice with a wok, Kevin decides to mash all his influences from the day into a seafood stew (with lobster, of course).

Seetoh tastes all the dishes and passes judgment. Angelo's flavors were robust, Kelly captured "the essence of the ocean," Kevin's flavors were sophisticated and complex, and Ed expertly captured the street food experience. In the end, Ed is declared the winner, much to the chagrin of Angelo who is beaten in a cuisine he should have nailed.

The Elimination Challenge turns out to be another team challenge with all four chefs working as one to provide a menu for 80 guests at a Food and Wine Magazine event hosted by Dana Cowin at the Tanjong Beach Club. The proteins will be provided and each chef is given $200 to purchase spices and dry goods. The catch is that each dish must be prepared "a la minute," or made to order, so the menu must be prepared with that in mind. At the Hilton Hotel, the four finalists look over the list of proteins available and formulate possible dishes. Because each dish has to be made to order, they all agree to create one dish each, although Ed has a glint in his eye.

With menus in hand, they head to the market to spend their $200. Kelly seems a bit lost as to what to get while Ed is coolly shopping. Although he has immunity and could "serve cilantro on a plate" as Angelo says, Ed wants to do well and win. After shopping, the chefs go to an unidentified kitchen to spend one hour prepping. During this time, Tom arrives and expresses his surprise that they all decided to do just one dish each. Tom strongly suggests that they all do at least two dishes, to which Ed declares that he planned to do two all along. The others are stunned at his strategery, but quickly knuckle down to come up with a second dish.

After a night of prawn fishing, the chefs go to the Tanjong Beach Club to begin their service. Everyone is unsure about how to expedite, so Ed takes charge in briefing the wait staff and organizing the kitchen. Along the way, he also messes with Angelo who is having one of his usual meltdowns. Soon, service begins and the judges arrive at Dana Cowin's table: Tom, Padma, Gail Simmons, and K.F. Seetoh. Tom orders five of everything for the table and the tasting commences.

Among the comments, Kelly's cucumber yogurt soup with bitter melon salad was good but a bit gritty and her seared prawns with red coconut curry was not spicy enough. Angelo's lamb tartare was well executed, but his spicy shrimp broth was too thick and overpowering. Kevin's clam chowder was cited for lack of heat, but his congee using tapioca and a 63-degree egg on top was perfectly cooked. Ed's sweet and sour pork with crispy rice and potato cakes was well received, but his banana fritters with red chilli paste were the huge hit of the meal.

All of these criticisms were expressed to the chefs at Judges' Table. With nothing negative to say about Ed's dishes, he was declared the winner. On the other hand, Kelly's shortcomings earned her the elimination. While everyone did well, someone had to go and Kelly felt she had learned a great deal from the experience.

Okay, next week is the big finale. Who do you think is Top Chef?

Top Chef DC Finale Part 1 Preview

The final four cheftestants head to Singapore in the first-ever Internationally-based Top Chef Finale to compete in the penultimate challenge. The chefs seem to have it made with access to Singapore’s rich culinary landscape, but when they must step up their game to deliver a perfect meal for Food & Wine’s most prestigious crowd, the pressure is ON. Who will deliver and make it to the final round to compete for the title of “Top Chef”? Find out tonight, 9/8, @ 10/9c on the TOP CHEF D.C. *Finale Part 1*