Thatd be single dad and self-starter Jeremy Ford, whose sophisticated technique wowed skeptical judges from day one.
Fresh off hiswin as season 13s victor, Ford talks junk food,Top Chefmyths, and favorite memories.
What have the past few hours been like since youve been revealed as this seasons winner?
Credit: Dale Berman/Bravo
It was amazing and humbling.
Im really excited to see what the future holds.
What was your daughters reaction when you told her you won?
I called her, because shes in Florida right now.
Being in New York, I had to give her a call and she was screaming with excitement.
Shes been asking me about it for months and months.
Shes always said, I know you won.
Shes been so confident about it.
You always win everything you do.
And Im like Babe, its not the same thing.
Shes been confident I was the winner from day one.
Are you going to do something special with her to celebrate?
Were going on a cruise.
Ive got it all planned.
Shes almost 9 years old now, and its the best age.
We know all about you theTop Chefcontestant.
But whats one weird, quirky or crazy thing we dont know about you?
I love training martial arts and jiu-jitsu.
The two are very different.
To go from training in jiu-jitsu to working in the kitchen requires a totally different mindset.
And I love taking my [motorcycle] to like 150 miles per hour.
Chinese food for sure.
I love junk food.
What are you going to do with yourTop Chefcash prize?
Its early too tell, but definitely improve the quality of life for my daughter.
I want to enroll her in a private school for the fourth grade.
Shes been on honor roll for the past two years straight.
Her current school is obviously too easy for her.
Whats one thing people would be surprised to know about howTop Chefis taped?
Theres this thing called hard ice.
Theres literally always a crew member around saying, Hard ice.
It means you have to be completely quiet.
In between shots, Hard ice.
Season 13 was unique in that it took place across different cities in California.
What do you think was the biggest challenge of moving from location to location?
For me, it wasnt a challenge.
Whenever you got through a challenge, youd advance to the next city, which was so rewarding.
Youd literally wait for the moment when theyd say, Okay, pack up.
For us, it was like, We made it through another city.
It was a relief and really rewarding.
Who are you closest to after filming?
Did you learn any new techniques or grow to appreciate any new ingredients during your time onTop Chef?
Honestly the technique that I took away from the competition was how to really utilize five minutes.
As a chef, you sometimes find yourself adding finishing touch after finishing touch.
That can take as long as 10 minutes.
Was cheftestant Phillip Frankland Lee as bad in person as he seemed on-camera?
Hes a great guy.
Id love to work with him in the future.
Out of all the dishes you prepared on the show, which do you feel the most proud of?
The dish I did for Hubert Keller, the pommes soufflees.
I think it was my life in a nutshell as a culinarian.
It used some of the oldest techniques Ive learned and it was a collaboration with new techniques.
It really spanned my career as a chef.
Plus, I think pommes soufflees had been only done onTop Chefone other time.
Whats one piece of advice you wish you could have given yourself at the beginning of the competition?
To be a little more aggressive with the ingredients.
You know, when those displays come out, everyone jets to it.
Whats next for you?
For now, Im embracing working underneath Jean-Georges [at Matador in Miami].
Im going to stay with him and enjoy the ride.
Do you have any plans to open a restaurant of your own?
One day, for sure.
