How a Filipina Won Top Chef with Lugaw, Tortang Talong, and Kaldereta

First off, it needs to be said that I’m a massive fan of the TV show Top Chef. I have seen every single episode of every single season of the reality competition series about professional cooks battling it out in sometimes quirky, sometimes dead serious challenges to win a prize pot that is now worth a quarter of a million dollars (about P15.3 million).

The show, which premiered in 2006, is now on its 23rd season, and by its own count, has featured around 330 “cheftestants” throughout its run. Many of the chefs that have gone through the show have become celebrities in their own right; there’s first-ever winner Harold Dieterle, Richard Blais, Melissa King, the Voltaggio brothers (Michael and Bryan), and Kristen Kish, a former winner who ended up becoming the new host of the show after the departure of longtime host Padma Lakshmi. Then of course, there’s Paul Qui, winner of Season 9 and holder of the record for most wins ever in a single season. Chef Paul is also the first winner of Filipino descent of the show.

Which brings us to Chef Rhoda Magbitang.

In the finale of the show’s most recent season (which aired last Monday in the US, Tuesday in Manila) Magbitang beat out 14 other chefs to claim the title of Top Chef and the $250,000 grand prize. She joins Qui as the second Filipino to be declared winner and is the first-ever chef from Hawaii to claim the title.

Magbitang was born and raised in Antipolo City, Philippines. According to the profile on her website, she discovered her love for cooking in her family’s kitchen, “where food represented care, connection, and community. Inspired by her grandmother’s food stall and the traditions of her childhood, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of sharing a meal.”

Magbitang moved to the U.S. when she was 17, studied at Le Cordon Bleu, and worked in the kitchens of acclaimed restaurants like Mélisse, A.O.C., République, Bazaar by José Andrés, Chateau Marmont, and The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. She eventually found her way to Hawaii, where she now works as executive chef of CanoeHouse at Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection. There she develops cuisine that “blends Hawaiian regional flavors, Filipino influences, Japanese techniques, and a strong commitment to sustainability and local sourcing.”

In interviews, Magbitang has said that she’s a big fan of Top Chef and often rewatched some of her favorite seasons and imagined herself joining and eventually winning the show. A casting agent sought her out and urged her to apply. She finally made it to the list of 15 chef-contestants in the latest season set in the Carolinas.

Magbitang proved to be a strong contender right out of the gate, winning the first two elimination challenges, first with a Soy-Glazed Covington with Miso Sweet Potato Purée & Lime Crème Fraîche, and then Pepper Braised Short Rib, Chili Pickled Pearl Onions & Blistered Cayenne.

Even Kish remarked that she was the first contestant to win the first two episodes in the show’s history, which undoubtedly made her an early frontrunner.

However, the path to the crown wasn’t exactly assured for Magbitang. She placed low in and almost got kicked out in episode 3, and then, to the shock of almost everyone, eventually did get eliminated in episode 5, when she presented a Squid Ink Crusted Roasted Monkfish with Squid Ink Adobo Sauce, Dehydrated Broccoli & Garlic Chip. The judges thought the fish was improperly cooked.

One thing about Top Chef for the non-fans is that a second, parallel challenge goes on behind the scenes called Last Chance Kitchen, where eliminated chefs go head-to-head for a chance to get back in the competition. Magbitang displayed doggedness throughout Last Chance Kitchen and eventually secured for herself a ticket back to the main draw in the show’s ninth episode.

Magbitang went right back to work and put her cooking skills front and center, winning a Quickfire (or preliminary) Challenge with a Warm Corn, Pecan & Shrimp Salad with Scuppernong & Tamarind Vinaigrette, and then her third win of the season in episode 12 with her take on a Filipino Egg Roll, which is  Stuffed Cabbage, Pawpaw Ponzu, Apple Butter Mostarda & Buckwheat Chili Crisp. (The buckwheat was a suggestion from fellow competitor Sieger Bayer, she later confrmed).

Magbitang was one of the three chefs to make it to the finale and there, when the chefs were asked to prepare the best four-course progressive menu of their lives that honored special people, places, and memories, she really flexed her culinary muscles. It's interesting to note that all three finalists have roots that went beyond America (Laurence Louie is Chinese, while Sherry Cardoso is Brazilian).

Choosing to honor California and members of her family, Magbitang’s menu consisted of the following:

First Course: Roasted Sweet Potato with Miso Butter, Fresh Uni & Charred Sweet Potato Leaves

Second Course: Abalone Lugaw with Abalone Liver Mousse

Third Course: Grilled Eggplant Omelet with XO Sauce, Vinegar, Crispy Pork Belly, Chili & Fish Sauce (Tortang Talong)

Fourth Course: Braised Short Rib with Liver Sauce & Vegetables (Kaldereta)

In the end, the judges recognized Magbitang’s “consistency, storytelling, and technique,” according to Food &Wine magazine’s Hunter Lewis. She has also said in interviews that, while she grew up eating Filipino cuisine, she doesn’t really cook it professionally, which makes her success all the more impressive.

As a fan, I thought it was a special season not just because there was a Filipino contestant and eventual winner, but because of the Filipino food Magbitang cooked on the show that has now been exposed to audiences all around the world. It seemed wild to me that the humble lugaw, tortang talong, and kaldereta that we are all familiar with here in the Philippines would be presented in a way that was not only appreciated but celebrated by a distinguished panel of judges that has been doing this professionally for decades.

So hats off to you, Chef Rhoda. Mabuhay ka!