Well Fed Network

Posted by Cate O’Malley on Edible TV.

Unfortunately the Chef de Cuisine of El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, Gavin Kaysen, has been eliminated from Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef competition, but at only 28-years-young, he had quite a strong showing while he was there.  Edible TV had the pleasure of interviewing him recently, along with all the other contestants.  Read on for what he had to say.

All the contestants have had wonderful culinary careers thus far, what made you decide to take the leap into competing in The Next Iron Chef?
I chose to do the show because I knew that it would give me the opportunity to not only meet these other amazing chefs but also have the chance to work with them, pick their brains on food and have a contact with them in general.  I also believe that it is very important to push yourself to the maximum and this was a great way of doing that, being able to test myself in what we do everyday.

Who do you feel was your biggest competition in The Next Iron Chef?
My biggest competition was myself….I am my hardest critic and if it is not perfect, I get pissed.

What sets you apart from the other competitors?
My age and the fact that I am on the line cooking every night.  Plus I have competed and represented the United States twice in two different international cooking competitions.  The International Trophy of Cuisine and Pastry (3rd in the world overall) and the Bocuse d’Or (14th overall).

What surprised you most about the whole experience?
How good all the other chefs are… I knew that they could cook but holy shit!  I was also surprised to see how many people it takes to do a show and also how hot and humid it was during the first few days of the shoot!

Who has been your biggest cooking inspiration?
Chef Daniel Boulud

What is the strangest thing we’d find in your refrigerator?
No beer… I am allergic

What did you have for dinner last night?
We had family meal at the restaurant and I made pulled pork BBQ sandwich with a salad, blue cheese dressing.

What’s next in your culinary career?
I just accepted the position of Executive Chef for Café Boulud in New York City.

What did you take away from your time in Lausanne, Switzerland?
Most importantly, I met my wife there, she is from Sweden and she was there for the summer to learn French… I signed up to learn French and got a wife, there was a two for one special!  Beyond that, I learned not only the language but culture and the importance of food the region that I lived in, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

What’s the best thing to happen to you since being named one of Food & Wine’s 10 Best New Chefs this year?
So many amazing things have happened since I won, that I am not sure I could narrow it down to one thing.  But the one thing that does stand out is that we have a lot of people coming into the restaurant ordering tasting menus and I love that, it shows that they really have trust in my team to create the ultimate dining experience for them.

Miss our other Next Iron Chef contestant interviews? You can check them out right here.

Photo courtesy of Food Network.