Season 18 of Top Chef is unlike any we've seen before. Set in Portland, Oregon, the reality series features 15 skilled chefs coming together to cook and compete all in the midst of a pandemic. And despite that the restaurant industry was shaken to its core, the talent this season is still scalding hot. So much so that the cheftestants are boiling over with accolades. So I decided to round up Top Chef Season 18 chefs' Michelin stars and James Beard Awards to see where we net out.
Six Michelin Star Chefs
Avishar Barua
Executive Chef & GM of Service Bar in Columbus, Ohio
- Trained under Wylie Dufresne at the Michelin-starred WD~50
Byron Gomez
Executive Chef at 7908
- Worked through the Michelin-starred kitchens of Café Boulud, Atera, and Eleven Madison Park
Sasha Grumman
Executive Chef
- Staged at the Michelin-starred Guida Ballerino in Rome
Sara Hauman
Head Chef, Soter Vineyards
- Worked as chef de cuisine under Melissa Perello at one-Michelin starred restaurant Octavia
- Worked with Brandon Jew at one-Michelin starred restaurant, Mister Jiu's
Shota Nakajima
Chef/Owner, Taku
- Moved to Osaka, Japan at age 18 to learn the art of Japanese cuisine from Michelin star rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto
Gabriel Pascuzzi
Chef/Owner, Mama Bird, Stacked Sandwich Shop, and Feel Good
- Staged at the world renowned and two-Michelin star restaurant Noma in Copenhagen
Five James Beard Award Nominees
Brittanny Anderson
Executive Chef, Metzger Bar & Butchery
- Two-time James Beard Award semi-finalist for "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic"
Dawn Burrell
Executive Chef, Pivot
- First James Beard Award nomination for "Best Chef: Texas" in 2020
Sara Hauman (a double entry in this roundup!)
Head Chef, Soter Vineyards
- James Beard semi-finalist for "Rising Star Chef" in 2016 and 2017
Maria Mazon
Chef/Owner, BOCA Tacos y Tequila
- James Beard Award semi-finalist for "Best Chef in the Southwest Region" in 2020
Shota Nakajima (a double entry in this roundup!)
Chef/Owner, Taku
- James Beard Award semi-finalist for "Rising Star Chef of the Year" for three years running in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi noted in the premiere that every chef in competition this season is used to being the boss, as for the first time, no sous chefs are in the running. They are all either executive chefs or chef owners.
But no matter how highly decorated this season's crop of chefs is, they all stand an even chance at the ever elusive title of "Top Chef."
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Image: Bravo