The twenty-third season of the reality television series "Top Chef" was concluded, and the grand prize was secured by Antipolo-born chef Rhoda Magbitang.
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The Filipina chef, who immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 to pursue teaching dreams, emerged victorious over fellow finalists Sherry Cardoso and Laurence Louie. Her culinary prowess resulted to a historic win, making her the first winner from Hawaii and the second Filipino winner after Season 9 victor Paul Qui.
It was officially confirmed by the show's producers that a grand prize of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or 15.3 million pesos, would be awarded to the champion. Currently serving as the executive chef of CanoeHouse, a Japanese-inspired restaurant in Hawaii, the chef previously cooked in several prominent Los Angeles establishments before she managed to cope up with the intense pressures of the reality series shot around North and South Carolina.
While the early stages of the competition were dominated by Magbitang, who won the first two elimination challenges, an unexpected elimination was faced in the fifth episode. Her squid ink-crusted roasted monkfish with squid ink adobo sauce, dehydrated broccoli and garlic chip were deemed disappointing by judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Savannah Miller, Katy and Joe Kindred.
Unless contestants demonstrate exceptional resilience, navigating the subsequent culinary brackets is a daunting task. However, Magbitang re-entered the main competition in Episode 9 after winning four of the five "Last Chance Kitchen" challenges, utilizing various kitchen equipments and local produces. She finished strong by winning three Quickfire Challenges for her warm corn, pecan and shrimp salad; peach and burrata tostada; and poached cod with mussels steamed in white wine and paprika. Furthermore, Episode 12 was won with a lumpia that featured stuffed cabbage, pawpaw ponzu, apple butter mostarda and buckwheat chili crisp.
From Episode 1 to 14, the finalists were evaluated rigorously. During the finale, the remaining competitors were tasked to create the best four-course progressive meal of their lives, i.e., a toast to someone or something that significantly impacted them. Magbitang elevated humble Filipino staples, e.g., roasted kamote, lugaw, tortang talong and kaldereta.
The winning menu included a roasted sweet potato with miso butter, fresh uni and charred sweet potato leaves; an abalone lugaw with abalone liver mousse; a grilled eggplant omelet with XO sauce, vinegar, crispy pork belly, chili and fish sauce; and a braised short rib with liver sauce and vegetables. The kaldereta, dedicated to her father, made Magbitang the only finalist who did not present a dessert for the final course.
The season was also marked by the inclusion of identical twins Brandon and Jonathan Dearden, as well as life partners Jennifer Lee Jackson and Justin Tootla. It was announced during the broadcast that Jackson was medically pulled mid-season due to a prior injury.
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