For professional chef Reuel Vincent, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s reality-TV cooking show, Next Level Chef was a personal challenge rather than a competition against other chefs.
Vincent made it to the show’s finale which aired on March 2, along with professional chef Mariah Scott from California, and the winner, a social media chef from Kansas City, Stephanie "Pyet" Despain.
For the final they had to create three dishes in three different kitchens in 90 minutes. Vincent made steamed little neck clams with chorizo and curry cream, pan-seared cod with pea soubise and summer vegetables, and rib cap with pomme soufflés.
[caption id="attachment_945680" align="alignnone" width="683"] Burrata toast with cherry tomatoes and aged balsamic vinegar prepared by Chef Reuel Vincent. -[/caption]
He said a lot of the other contestants did not want him to reach the finals because they did not want to go up against him. While that attitude was understandable, as he too would not want to be blocked from his dream, he wanted the competition, which was why he enjoyed cooking against chef Scott in particular.
“I live for that. You can’t go through life without being challenged. Then there’s no room for growth.”
He congratulated Despain on her win saying that as a black person from the West Indies he understood her drive as a person of Native American heritage.
“I can respect the stand that she’s taking. I want her to stay true to that and don’t waver for anybody. I believe her background has a lot of power in which she can show the world her culture. I support her creating opportunities and opening doors for people within the Native American community.”
He said the finals was where people experienced chef Vincent, rather than Reuel. That it was an accurate representation of his personality, which was not always the case after edits were made to fit an episode into a 45-minute period.
“My final plate was absolutely gorgeous. It was me, my soul as an artist on a plate. At that time I wasn’t in competition with Pyet or Mariah. I was in competition with myself. It was me challenging myself, maximising while moving at lightning speed.
“I stand by every single dish that I put out there for that final. I can say I was happy with that and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s me being comfortable in my capabilities and what I can produce as a chef.”
[caption id="attachment_945679" align="alignnone" width="683"] Trinidadian Chef Reuel Vincent, finalist of the first season of the reality TV show, Next Level Chef. -[/caption]
He said while it would have been “fun” to win the grand prize of US$250,000 and a one-year mentorship with chefs Ramsey, Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, he was not disappointed with the food he cooked.
He stressed that he cooks because he loves it and competition does not define him as a chef.
For a place in the finals, Vincent had to cook against three others.
He told Sunday Newsday he saw his dream in front of him and, after he had worked so hard, all of a sudden there was a moment it might no
