Cover Cheftestant Gabri (Top Chef Mexico season 2 winner) walking through guest judge Kirk Westaway and Tom Coliccho on his dish (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
Cheftestant Gabri (Top Chef Mexico season 2 winner) walking through guest judge Kirk Westaway and Tom Coliccho on his dish (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
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The executive chef of Jaan by Kirk Westaway appeared on a crucial episode of the cooking competition
If you were tuned into the latest episode of Top Chef: World All-Stars, you’d find a familiar face on the judging panel alongside Padma Lakshmi, Tom Coliccho, and Gail Simmons. Kirk Westaway, executive chef of Jaan by Kirk Westaway, made his way down to London where he guest judged a crucial episode deciding which chefs will be making it to the top four.
The latest episode of Top Chef: World All-Stars’ 20th season came hot off the heels of last week’s high-octane episode where each contestant (or “cheftestant”) raced against the clock to serve up thali, a traditional Indian spread of dals, grains, chutneys, and more. This week, cheftestants were paired and challenged to create not one, not two, but three Wellingtons—one fish, one meat, and one dessert. The twist? This late in the competition, there would be a double elimination, propelling the surviving batch of cheftestants into the top four with a chance to secure international glory.
“I’m an absolute fan of the series,” Westaway tells Tatler Singapore. “I’ve been following the show for years so I was thrilled when on my recent visit to London, one of my friends connected me with the producer of Top Chef as they were looking for guest chefs to be on the show. It’s an honour indeed to be invited and I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be on the show.”
Don't miss: Why you need to revisit Jaan by Kirk Westaway in 2023
Above Cheftestants watch as the judges (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
Cheftestants watch as the judges (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
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Westaway’s presence made sense, then, coming from the coastal county of Devon in southwest England and his reputation as one of the vanguards of modern British cuisine. “The judging experience was great,” he says. “I enjoyed the filming process tremendously and it was nice to be able to meet the hosts and contestants personally. It’s amazing that the contestants were able to cook such great dishes under such short duration, and not to mention, ‘pressured’ conditions.”
Cheftestants Buddha (Top Chef season 19 winner) and Gabri (Top Chef Mexico season 2 winner) came out as the winning pair, with three stunning Wellingtons: a salmon version with beurre blanc and salmon caviar, a traditional dry-aged beef Wellington with truffle demi-glace and pickled beetroot, and a peach melba Wellington with raspberry sorbet and tonka bean custard. “The Beef Wellington was very well-seasoned, cooked perfectly and simply fitting to be served in any restaurant,” Westaway comments.
Read more: Here’s How to Make the Ultimate Beef Wellington for Your Next Dinner Party
Above Peach melba Wellington with raspberry sorbet and tonka bean custard, a winning dish by cheftestants Buddha and Gabri (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
Peach melba Wellington with raspberry sorbet and tonka bean custard, a winning dish by cheftestants Buddha and Gabri (Photo: Courtesy of David Moir)
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Things don’t turn out quite as well for the other cheftestants, however—Tom (Top Chef Germany season 1 finalist) and Ali (Top Chef Middle East and North Africa season 3 winner) pass with their classic takes on beef Wellington with roasted carrots and red wine jus and salmon Wellington with sauce Americaine. Sara (Top Chef season 16 runner-up) and Amar (Top Chef season 13 runner-up) aim high with a harissa-rubbed lamb Wellington with a date and black garlic purée, but the lamb ends up damningly raw. Sara and Amar end up going home, leaving the competition stiff as ever as Top Chef races to its finale in Paris, France.
Ethan Kan was Tatler Singapore’s dining writer.
