Michelin-star chefs compete for $1M prize in ‘America’s Culinary Cup’

Daniel Anderson: Hi, chefs. Thank you so much for making time to speak with me today. I’d love to start with what made this the right show for each of you. What drew you to it?
Buddha Lo: I really enjoy competing. I find it a lot of fun. I did Top Chef, then took a bit of a break to focus on the restaurant and getting that up and running. I felt like it was the right time to dip out for a little bit from the first seat of the restaurant and get back into competing. I didn’t feel like there were a ton of other TV opportunities that highlight skill at this level, and I thought Padma’s show would be a great opportunity. Also, I don’t think Top Chef would let me back on since I’ve already done it twice.

Emily Yuen: Unlike Buddha, I’m not really into competing on TV shows. What drew me in was the caliber of chefs. I didn’t know exactly who was going to be on the show, but from the way they described it, it was clear it would be high level. I thought it would be a learning journey for me, a chance to learn from the other chefs. It was also the right time personally. My daughter is a little older now, and I felt there was a lack of representation for Asian female chefs who are also mothers. I felt like I had to represent.

Beverly Kim: This opportunity came across my table, and I felt like maybe this was the right step. I’m entering a new chapter of my life. The last five years have been about recovery and growth, especially after the pandemic. My dreams are changing. Instead of just having private victories, I wanted something a little more public. And because Padma is the host, I felt connected to her perspective as an Asian American working mom. I was curious how it would be different with her as executive producer. I also wanted to see how I would show up now, 15 years later, with a different mindset and actually trying to have fun. The first time, I was terrified. This time, I wanted to lean into it.

DA: Emily, was it nerve-racking stepping into this type of competition?
EY: It was definitely nerve-racking. You can be a great chef in a restaurant setting, but competition cooking on TV is totally different. Most of the dishes I do are very thought out. Here, you have to think on the fly and come up with something in 90 minutes. The time crunch is real.

DA: The balance of judges on a panel is important to any cooking competition show. Can you speak to Padma’s dynamic with chef Michael and chef Wylie? 
EY: They all had different things to bring to the table. I do think they balanced each other out really well. Padma isn’t a trained chef, but she knew so much about ethnic flavors, and a lot of the chefs were cooking different types of cuisines. That made her perfect for judging those flavors, especially since competition shows often focus mostly on French or American food. She was great in that regard.

Michael, on the other hand, was super technical. He judged heavily on technique and seafood, so I always felt like he was more “my” judge because I felt like he really understood my style of cooking. And then Wylie was more on the molecular gastronomy side, which isn’t really how I cook.

So I think they balanced each other out really well. They each had strengths and different areas of expertise. Padma, for example, knew so much about Cambodian food or certain sauces that the other judges might not have been as familiar with. They really did all bring something different to the table.

BL: You’ll probably see this at some point, having the point system really does reflect each judge’s expertise. Each judge is only one-third of your score. So it becomes strategic. Of course, the best scenario is getting all of their praise at once. But that’s what makes it hard. They don’t all gravitate toward the same style of cuisine or cooking. And that definitely shows. I think Emily would back me up on that.

DA: One of the challenges asks you to interpret classic American dishes. When you think about a quintessential American dish in 2026, what does that mean to you?
BK: I think American cuisine is about time, place, context, and people. What American food is even compared to 20 years ago, or when I competed on Top Chef has evolved so much. There’s a much deeper understanding of immigration waves and honoring different heritages. America is so diverse, and I think it’s about being open to new stories and new perspectives.

The goal is to connect people. Most of our favorite dishes become favorites because they were given to us with love and care. It’s about being exposed to that. When I was growing up, I was mostly exposed to Korean food. When I first stepped into a professional kitchen, I didn’t even know what thyme was. I didn’t know what rosemary was. And for me, that was so exciting. These were flavors I had never tasted before. Now, coming full circle, what I love to do depends on the ingredient or the purpose of the menu. I try to tailor the dish to that and tell my best expression of the story through it. That’s when I perform at my best. Being here, with exposure to so many different cultures, makes American cuisine dynamic. It’s always changing. 

DA: Beverly, I cover a lot of Korean culture and there has been this massive rise in it, from music to food. I think Parachute and getting a Michelin star for that restaurant is part of that wave. What does it mean to you?
BK: It’s really a dream come true. Honestly, I dreamed of a time when I wouldn’t feel ashamed to say, “This is what I’m proud of. This is where I came from.” I don’t carry that shame the way I used to. But I still think there’s more to learn and share about Korean cuisine and its history, and how it folds into American cuisine today. As a Korean American, I don’t feel 100 percent Korean either. I was born and raised here, but Korean food was my mother’s love language to me. So seeing that evolution has been exciting. The whole lunchbox scenario of kids being made fun of, that really hurts because it’s so personal. But I’m glad that what once felt like hurt can now turn into joy and celebration.

I ask my kids, “Do you get made fun of for bringing kimbap to school?” And they tell me their friends think it’s the coolest thing. There’s no han, no drama. I think that was always the goal, for people not to be shunned for their differences, but to celebrate them. To be open to new flavors. Some people love Korean food as much as I do, and they’re not Korean. That’s amazing to me.

I’m really proud of my fellow Korean American chefs and Korean chefs around the world. There was once almost an inferiority complex around Korean cuisine, like it wasn’t considered a “top” cuisine. Now people really respect it and understand its nuances. 

DA: Obviously $1 million is a lot of money. What would you spend it on?
EY: I’d buy some property in New York, which is not enough.

BL: I'll probably get a boat.

DA: What did this experience teach you about yourself?
BK: Anytime you go through something challenging, you learn about yourself, and this was definitely a challenge. Stepping up and putting yourself out there takes a lot of courage.

My daily life is five loads of laundry, doing bookkeeping for two restaurants, and carving out space for myself as a working mom. I didn’t realize how much I needed that space until I had it. So hopefully people will stay tuned and go on that journey, because that ended up being the most meaningful part of it for me.

It was also about learning non-attachment—being driven and wanting to win, but understanding that the purpose is bigger than that. For me, the purpose was carrying everything I represent with me and telling a story that could help people, whatever that means. That felt more important than just the competition itself.

EY: For me, it was about taking more risks and being bolder with my cooking. My biggest fear about going on a competition show was simply putting myself out there. So what I gained was confidence, confidence in my flavors, in my instincts, and in trying different things. I learned to push myself creatively and just be a little bit braver overall.

BL: I realized that I really enjoy competitions where there are clear distinctions. It’s much harder doing something like this as a father and as someone operating a first-year restaurant. Looking back, I had a lot of privilege doing my two seasons of Top Chef without so many distractions. This time was different. My girls weren’t as demanding yet, but it was still a lot of work for my wife. And on Top Chef, you don’t get your phone or your laptop. You can only talk to your significant other for about 10 minutes, and you even have to choose who that is, whether it’s your mother or your wife. You divide that time however you want, five minutes each, or eight and two, but that’s it.

In a strange way, I enjoyed that. I liked blocking everything out. Normally, I’m getting messages from the restaurant about plumbing issues or something else going wrong. During the competition, those things still happened, they just had to figure it out without me. I had to lock in and focus completely on the cooking world in front of me. What I discovered is that I really love the creativity that comes from being alone in my own mind, without all the outside noise.