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