Pitting a few of the greatest skilled cooks within the nation towards one another, Top Chef shortly turned one of the in style actuality TV competitors reveals, because of its robust challenges and even harder judges. Premiering on Bravo in 2006, season 23 of the present hit the air on March 14, 2025. Earlier High Chef winners have used the platform offered by their victory to launch profitable culinary careers, so time will inform who the winner might be and what they will do with their platform. Nonetheless, the present’s format implies that it isn’t essentially one of the best chef who wins the sequence.
One dangerous day within the kitchen might simply see probably the most spectacular cook dinner being requested to pack up their knives and go. Nonetheless, to see who one of the best High Chef present cooks actually are, it is very important see what they did after they left the truth TV sequence. Win or lose, one of the best of one of the best took the expertise and created a profession exterior of the truth TV confines, either by creating their own successful restaurant or — in some instances — by returning to TV and serving to discover the subsequent batch of high cooks.
10
Brooke Williamson
Season 14 Champion
Brooke Williamson took two makes an attempt to get her arms on the High Chef crown. After ending as runner-up in season 10, she made a successful comeback in season 14, which noticed returning cheftestants tackle rookie cooks. At 22, Brooke Williamson turned the youngest feminine chef ever to cook dinner on the James Beard Basis Home, the excessive temple of American culinary arts, and he or she introduced that very same sense of willpower and creativity that had seen her chosen for that honor to the High Chef kitchen.
Williamson has continued to showcase her abilities on different cooking reveals, together with dominating performances on Event of Champions, the place she gained the primary season of the competitors sequence. She additionally appeared on High Chef Duels, Man’s Grocery Video games, and Knife Battle. She has labored as a decide on BBQ Brawl and was the host and a mentor on MTVC’s Home of Meals. She additionally stars on Bobby’s Triple Menace.
9
Harold Dieterle
Season 1 Champion
Harold Dieterle was the winner of the very first season of High Chef again in 2006, and although some would argue that the standard of the cheftestants has solely elevated in that point, there may be little doubt that Dieterle is without doubt one of the most gifted cooks to look on the present. New York Magazine meals critic Adam Platt even described Dieterle’s dishes as probably the most unique High Chef creations. Dieterle opened a number of eating places since taking the High Chef title and now works as a marketing consultant for others within the culinary trade.
He opened his first restaurant, Perilla, in 2007 in New York Metropolis, and three years later, he opened his second, Kin Store, a Thai restaurant. He then opened an Italian and German restaurant referred to as The Marrow in 2012 in New York Metropolis, which solely lasted for 2 years. By 2015, he had closed all of his eating places and stated he wanted a break from the trade. In 2019 and 2024, he helped open two extra eating places as a marketing consultant and has additionally labored on the TV sequence Feed the Beast as a marketing consultant as properly.
8
Hung Huynh
Season 3 Champion
Set in Miami, season 3 of High Chef was gained by Vietnamese American contestant Hung Huynh, who had dominated from day one and was the recent favourite to win within the finale towards fellow cheftestants Dale Levitski and Casey Thompon. Huynh used his data of Asian flavors and elements to nice impact in growing his dishes, even creating his tackle a basic fish and chips utilizing a Japanese fish referred to as hamachi.
He at all times carried out properly when cooking fish dishes, so it’s hardly shocking that he went on to open a sequence of seafood eating places. He opened The Normal, Catch, and Catch Miamihowever however left in 2015. He started creating pop-up occasions in 2016 and labored as a marketing consultant for various eating places earlier than serving to open Warrior, an Asian-fusion restaurant and lounge on the Sundown Strip in California in 2018. Huynh now works because the Director of Culinary Innovation for Omei Restaurant Group in Orlando, Florida.
7
Melissa King
Season 17 Champion
Melissa King secured one of the spectacular victories potential. Throughout season 12, she completed in fourth place and was spectacular all through, however then she returned for the All-Stars season 17 set in Los Angeles. She used her Californian delicacies to her hometown benefit, racking up wins all through the season regardless of going through a few of the stiffest competitors in sequence historical past. She gained six elimination challenges and three Quickfires, displaying how spectacular she is within the kitchen.
It was an enormous return, and he or she avenged her earlier loss on the present with the comeback victory. Because of the All-Star look, she ended up with probably the most single-season particular person problem victories of any competitor within the present’s historical past. In 2022, she appeared as a decide on Meals Community’s The Julia Baby Problem. She has made a profession option to forego proudly owning a restaurant and as an alternative owns an organization that has created King Sauce, which she gives to different eating places and firms.
6
Bryan Voltaggio
Runner-Up In Season 6
As if High Chef isn’t dramatic sufficient, season 6 added just a little additional spice by pitting two brothers towards one another. The siblings, Bryan Voltaggio and his youthful brother Michael Voltaggio, took the highest two spots within the competitors, with Bryan occurring to turn into the primary cheftestant to compete in each High Chef and High Chef: Masters (a spin-off sequence which solely options award-winning cooks). Regardless of by no means successful the highest prize, there isn’t any doubt that Bryan is without doubt one of the most technically gifted cooks the present has seen.
A variety of followers nonetheless consider Bryan should’ve won his Top Chef season. After showing on High Chef, Voltaggio had a fantastic profession as a restauranteer. Earlier than the present, he was the pinnacle chef at Charlie Palmer Steak. Years later, he labored along with his brother to open STRFSH, a fast-casual fish sandwich store in Santa Monica, California. That ran from 2017 to 2021. The brothers additionally ran Estuary in Washington, D.C., from 2019 till 2022.
5
Stephanie Izard
Season 4 Champion
Richard Blais is taken into account top-of-the-line and most profitable contestants to ever compete on High Chef. Nonetheless, in his first season on the present, he misplaced to Stephanie Izard, who was not solely topped the High Chef champ in season 4 however was additionally voted the Fan Favourite by the viewers. The primary girl to win the sequence, Izard additionally gained a prestigious James Beard award for her menu at one in all her three Chicago eating places.
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The ultimate episode of season 4 noticed a intently fought culinary battle between Izard and Richard Blais, who went on to win the All-Stars season and show simply how excessive the requirements had been this specific yr. After High Chef, she opened Woman and the Goat in Chicago in 2010 and was nominated for the James Beard Award for Finest New Restaurant. Meals & Wine journal additionally named Izard one of many Finest New Cooks. She opened a second restaurant in 2011 (Little Goat) and a 3rd in 2015 (Duck Duck Goat). She has since expanded her first to a second location in Los Angeles.
4
Mei Lin
Season 12 Champion
Having spent a part of her early profession working as a sous chef for High Chef alum Michael Voltaggio at his restaurant Ink (which he opened after successful High Chef), she then got down to match his success on the truth TV competitors sequence. Since she labored underneath Voltaggio, it was no shock that Mei Lin took the competitors by storm when she won Top Chef season 12 in Boston. Lin had additionally labored for High Chef decide Wolfgang Puck at his Las Vegas restaurant Spago.
After her win, Lin turned Oprah Winfrey’s private chef and contributed recipes to Winfrey’s cookbook, Meals, Well being & Happiness.. She then opened a restaurant referred to as Nightshade within the Los Angeles Arts District in 2019. Her restaurant was a James Beard Basis Award finalist for Finest New Restaurant, however she needed to shut her doorways after the pandemic. Lin has since opened Daybird in Los Angeles. Finally, Lin impressed within the season 12 finale with a strawberry lime curd that decide Tom Colicchio stated was one of the best dessert he had ever tasted on the present.
3
Richard Blais
High Chef All-Stars Champion
Season 4 runner-up Richard Blais returned triumphantly to the High Chef kitchen for the All Stars competitors in 2011 and was one of many few cheftestants who managed to win whereas remaining in style along with his rivals. Whereas Blais was a “villain’ in season 4 when he misplaced to Stephanie Izard, he returned as a extra in style contestant within the All-Star season (season 8) and gained it by beating Mike Isabella and Carla Corridor. It was an enormous second and helped launch his profession.
After successful in 2010, Blais opened his restaurant and printed a cookbook (Strive This at Dwelling: Recipes From My Head to Your Plate) that was nominated for a prestigious James Beard award – an annual award given out for extraordinary culinary achievements. Blais additionally made a few guest-judging appearances on the fantastic reality cooking series (seasons 12, 13, and 18). In 2024, Blais partnered with Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale, Arizona, to debut new lodge eating experiences.
2
Kristen Kish
Season 10 Champion
Brooke Williamson completed as runner-up to Kristen Kish in season 10, and Kish’s culinary profession has gone from energy to energy since she gained High Chef in 2013. The Korean-born chef mixed Asian flavors brilliantly together with her classical coaching, in addition to being a pure in entrance of the digicam. Nonetheless, Kish’s win didn’t come simply, as she needed to face the Final Probability Kitchen 5 instances on her strategy to the ultimate.
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After her High Chef success, Kish opened her restaurant in Austin, Texas, and he or she even co-hosted a TV present on the Journey Channel referred to as 36 Hours. In 2021, she returned to actuality TV to star in Quick Foodies and a Nat Geo sequence referred to as Eating places on the Finish of the World. She has even returned to the High Chef world. After Padma Lakshmi stepped away from the franchise to pursue different efforts, Kish accepted the job to turn into the brand new host of High Chef, proving that she is without doubt one of the most profitable icons to come back from the sequence.
1
Michael Voltaggio
Season 6 Champion
The youngest of the 2 Voltaggio siblings who competed towards one another in High Chef season 6, Michael gained the High Chef title and bragging rights over older brother Bryan Voltaggio. Michael was a tour de drive that session, with a “Excessive” rating for the cooks in six weeks, a win in 4 weeks (together with the finale), and just one week with a “Low” rating. The finale noticed each brothers in motion towards Kevin Gillespie, and it was Michael who gained all of it, whereas his brother took second place.
After his look on High Chef, he opened an award-winning sandwich restaurant referred to as ink.sack, which he shockingly designed and opened with nearly no fanfare. He ran it from 2011 till 2018. After that, he and his brother opened a restaurant referred to as STRFSH, a fast-casual fish sandwich store in Santa Monica, which they ran from 2017 to 2021. High Chef decide Tom Colicchio described Michael Voltaggio as probably the most gifted chef he had seen on the present (through Los Angeles Magazine).
