Last year in July, under a veil of tight press secrecy, CLOSER was invited by MGM Macau to take a sneak peek at the filming of the Season 16 finale of the hugely successful US TV series, Top Chef. A large contingent of production crew, together with the judges and contestants, converged on the city and MGM Cotai, for a week of filming and cooking, going around town to visit famous sites and local markets, and ultimately putting the three finalists to the test in the kitchen to see who would emerge victorious.
After 15 episodes in the season, the three chefs still in the running were Alabama native Kelsey Barnard Clark; Washington, D.C.’s Eric Adjepong; and Kentucky’s Sara Bradley. Following some adventurous times exploring the city and of course some nail-bitingly tense competition, Eric was eliminated in the first round, and ultimately Kelsey Barnard Clark was crowned as the sixteenth winner of Top Chef.
“The finale challenge is simply to make a 4-course meal with the best dishes that you can, a small tasting menu,” explained Top Chef host and head judge, Tom Colicchio, when we spoke to him just before the filming of the final episode. “Both finalists are from the southern states in America, one from Kentucky and one from Alabama. They are going to cook in the style that they’ve learned, but I’m sure some local flavours are going to end up in those dishes.”
“It’s been an amazing journey. It’s cool to watch an entire team of contestants start at one point and end up here on the other side of the world,” adds another of the judges on the show, celebrity Chef Graham Elliot, who opened his own restaurant in Macau just last year, Coast at MGM Cotai. “It’s been really fun for me personally, and for the team of Coast and MGM. All chefs are looking for new and exciting things, so to come out here and explore, not only the local flavours, but the history and Portuguese influence, and to share it with these contestants, has been amazing.”
One of the highlights of their time in Macau was a visit to the Red Market to explore some local products and ingredients.
“As a chef you’re always looking to find local ingredients from the market, and it’s impossible not to be jazzed by the flavours when you come here. Things like shrimp paste, dried seafood, XO sauce,” says Tom, who heads his own restaurant Craftsteak in MGM Grand in Las Vegas. “It is a challenge, using ingredients you’re not familiar with, but that’s why we travel. You have to embrace it. If you’re afraid of it, you’re not going to do well.”
“The visits to the markets have been awesome, the best part, that’s what we love to do,” agrees Chef Graham. “When you can get things that are fresh, they taste better and you don’t have to do as much to them. That’s what’s great here, the meat, fish, vegetables, it’s all so fresh. Every chef is a mix of every place they’ve been and everything they’ve eaten.”
On presenting the final episodes to a US audience, Colicchio adds: “We shot three episodes here and when they air, I think you’ll see Americans being very interested in the local food of Macau. And it’s not only about the food, it’s also about the history, and I think it’s important, especially with what’s going on in the States right now, to understand other cultures.”
As we speak to the two judges in Coast just minutes before the finalists serve up their dishes to the waiting judges, the atmosphere is understandably tense. There’s a lot of the line for these two young women, and it’s been a long tough journey.
“These chefs are working 16 hours a day, they’re getting judged and getting feedback every single time they cook something. It’s almost like a boot camp,” says Tom. “We really push them to understand what they’re doing, and why they’re doing it. They’re not just putting a bunch of ingredients on a plate, there’s intention behind everything you do, and a purpose.”
“They’ve made it so far because they adapt really well,” adds Graham. “They’re coping really well with the pressure.”
Tom continues: “They have to really explore why they cook and what makes them want to cook. These two chefs, I think they’ve really tapped into that. They’re telling stories through the dishes about who they are, where they grew up and the experiences they had as children cooking with their parents or grandparents.”
Throughout the season, winner Kelsey Barnard Clark quickly proved herself to be one of the front runners of the competition, serving dishes that combined her southern roots with high end, fine dining techniques. In the end, Kelsey’s finale meal was praised by the judges because of the technique she showcased and her ability to incorporate Macanese ingredients into her dishes.
In an interview with Food & Wine Magazine, Kelsey commented on the inspiration she took from Macau: “I love the way they cook. It’s very traditional and there’s a mad respect for classic techniques.”
“I always find that chefs cook better when they’re cooking from the heart and not the head, and these two women are really doing that,” comments Tom Colicchio about the two finalists. “They really are connecting to who they are as chefs at the right time. There comes a time as a chef when you have to find your own food, your own way.”
After three seasons on Top Chef, Chef Graham was excited to host the finale in his own restaurant at MGM Cotai.
“The MGM team have welcomed us with open arms, and doing the finale in Coast is super cool. There’s been great communication with MGTO and other local restaurants and businesses. We had dinner at Fernando’s and drinks at OTT,” he says.
“This show is not scripted at all,” he adds. “I’ve done other shows and with this one, it’s always the best person that wins. What happens may not always be best for TV, but what happens happens, it’s very real.”
The Top Chef Season 16 Finale aired on March 14 on Bravo
