Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson

Hooray to the Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson for winning Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 2. He bested Mandalay Bay star chef Rick Moonen and fan/chef favorite Susur Lee. It was the closest competition with Samuelsson winning by a mere half point — he got 17.5 while Lee and Moonen got 17 points each.

The menus of the three chef finalists:

Marcus Samuelsson:

First course – Smoked char with sweet horseradish and shellfish broth with apples and celery root; mashed root vegetables
Second course – Salt-cured duck with foie gras flan, sour tomato jam and aged balsamic
Third course – Berbere-flavored hamachi meatball, porcini couscous, sea urchin froth

Rick Moonen:

First course – Hamachi and live sea scallop crudo, glazed kushi oyster, American sturgeon caviar
Second course – Pork belly with poached egg, Sardinian gnocchi with parmesan and white truffle, turnip
Third course – Venison with espresso salt and pear butter, stuffed cipollini onions, matsutake mushrroms & brussels sprouts natural jus with red wine reduction reduction

Susur Lee:

First course – Steamed scallop w/ cantonese black bean sauce, shrimp & crab croquette with chili sauce
Second course – Tuna with wasabi mousee, charred sea bream, artichoke asparagus and daikon salad with ginger flower
Third course – Lamb Thailandaise with chang mai sausage, green curry, polenta