East West - The Asian American Lifestyle Magazine

By: Alice Suh

From sous-chef to top chef, 29-year-old Hung Huynh, the season three winner of Bravo’s hit show, “Top Chef,” is just as feisty out of the kitchen as he is inside it. Huynh proved that hot temperatures and a high-pressure situation in the kitchen are nothing compared to the drama he managed to cook up every episode, making him not only the show’s most unforgettable character, but also the first Asian American winner. Huynh took out some time recently from his off-TV job at Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas to answer questions for East West about his surprise victory, his early influences, his guilty snack pleasures and a possible dream showdown on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef.”

EastWest: Did it bother you to be pegged the “villain” of the show?

Huynh: Definitely not because I wanted to be the most controversial character on the show. You either love it or you hate it, and it’s a memorable character.

EastWest: So, is the “controversial character” we saw on TV the same chef we see off camera?

Huynh: I’m a wild man in a good way. I’m pretty hard core in the kitchen…and I’m a confident person. I am who I am. Even though I did exaggerate my arrogance on TV, I’m pretty humble. I’m a sarcastic person actually; you just have to understand my humor.

EastWest: Your personality didn’t really win you any brownie points with many viewers who were rooting for your competitors. Does it bother you that there was such a commotion after your win?

Huynh: I don’t really care. I won and I’m “Top Chef”…everyone has opinions. It doesn’t matter to me; I’m over it.

EastWest: As a chef, do you like any instant food that is your guilty pleasure?

Huynh: Last night I did have some frozen chicken fingers that I microwaved that were my roommate’s. I didn’t buy them. And I love frozen tater tots, but that’s as far as I go.

EastWest: You list your mother as your favorite cook, and she was definitely a big influence in your decision to pursue cooking professionally. What’s the most important thing you learned from her over the years?

Huynh: She has an incredible palate. Everything she makes is perfect. It’s just perfect. I wonder how she gets it to be so good flavor-wise and that’s what I get from her. Even when I go home and eat with my fellow chef friends, they wonder how she does it. She’s just so amazing.

EastWest: Is there a particular dish or a fond memory that you have of cooking with your mother?

Huynh: I have too many of those. It was every day. We cooked together when I was a kid. She’d yell at me for making a mess in the kitchen. I would just make what I saw on TV. Every day I’d do something different. My family definitely enjoyed my creations.

EastWest: Before “Top Chef,” you were trained professionally in French and Asian cuisine. Do you think there is an unfair bias against Asian American chefs who are trained in anything other than Asian cuisine?

Huynh: There might be. I would love to believe there’s not that kind of mentality these days, but I’m sure there are people out there who think Asians should stick to cooking Asian food and Caucasians should stick to European food.

EastWest: How is what you are doing different from other chefs who are trained in the same cuisines?

Huynh: I really can’t compare my techniques to other chefs because everyone has a different style. I look for a better way, not necessarily a shortcut, but a faster way than the traditional way with the same result in the end. That’s what I love to do.

EastWest: A big part of being a chef is creating something inventive and new. How do you put aside your personal taste to create original dishes that you wouldn’t necessarily eat or order for yourself?

Huynh: I’m trying to work on that right now. I’ve worked with so many chefs, and I’ve eaten so many different types of food. In my mind, I’m trying to create new flavor profiles. I’m trying to be way too original, but I definitely have to go back to the basics of what people really enjoy to eat.

EastWest: What’s tougher? “Top Chef” or “Iron Chef?”

Huynh: Both of them are tough…on “Iron Chef,” you only deal with food, but on “Top Chef,” there’s drama and you’re sent home. But I do want to be on “Iron Chef” next.

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