A Hawaiʻi Island chef has made it to “Top Chef” Season 23, which premieres Monday, March 9, on Bravo.
Rhoda Magbitang, executive chef of CanoeHouse at Mauna Lani, will compete with 15 other professional chefs in high-pressure culinary challenges.
This season will shine a light on cuisine from the Carolinas, where the competition was held. This year’s judges are Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Kristen Kish, as well as guest judges throughout the competition.
“It has always been my dream to be on this show,” Magbitang said.
Before moving to Hawaiʻi more than a year ago, she had cooked in some of the most pivotal restaurants in Los Angeles, such as at Bazaar by José Andrés and as executive chef at Chateau Marmont.
Magbitang grew up in the Philippines as the oldest daughter of six children. Her love for cooking began in the family kitchen, starting at a young age, inspired by her grandmother’s food stall. Viewers can expect to see Magbitang incorporate some Filipino influences into the competition.
Much like how professional kitchens are focused on culinary skills, speed and innovation, "Top Chef" is also extremely intense. Competitors will be timed and judged.
Magbitang said she felt pressure not only to represent herself as a chef but also her restaurant in Hawaiʻi.
“The most challenging part for me was there's a lot of external factors that you can't really train for,” she said. “Whether it's just distractions, you draw a blank page, or you forget how to cook an egg properly. Silly things like that.”
While Magbitang said she can’t reveal what dishes she made in the competition, she said a lot of the foods grown in the Carolinas are similar to those on Hawaiʻi Island.
She added that she wishes she could redo all of her competition dishes.
“That's just the nature of who I am,” she told HPR. “I think as a chef, you're constantly wanting to improve on something, and it's hard. It's hard to just be happy with what you made, but there's a sense of surrender that's sort of attached to a competition setting, because there's nothing else you can do about it.”
When asked if she would do the show again, her response: “Ask me again after it airs.”
"Top Chef" fans can already watch the premiere episode, released March 3 on Peacock, Bravo’s YouTube channel, and video on demand.
