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Spinning off the wildly popular "Top Chef," Bravo TV is pitting 24 of the best chefs around the globe against one another in a no-holds-barred knife fight for the chance to win $100,000 for charity in "Top Chef Masters." The show, which debuts Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST, comes complete with its very own Padma in Kelly Choi, a 33-year-old former model born in Seoul and raised in the suburbs of Richmond, Va.She was cherry-picked straight from local access TV in New York, where, dressed in skimpy outfits and armed with an inquisitive mind, she gave New Yorkers an intimate view of some of the city's top kitchens. We caught up with her to talk about her rise to national stardom, how the best chefs in the world handle criticism and what the deal is with magicians acting as judges.
How did you get involved with the show?
Someone from Bravo called me out of the blue and asked me to fly out to L.A. to meet the producers. What I do on ["Eat Out NY"] is pick a dish and cook it with a chef on TV. I pick all the restaurants that I want to feature and dishes that I think the readers would be into. This Bravo exec saw me on TV and flew me out and my dream came true.
Why do you think this show matters in this economy?
Why not? Everybody loves food. The alternative is to cook at home and you can totally pick up tips. It's a fun way -- to be inspired by fun and passionate people -- to cook at home.
What was the best tip you took away from the show?
I won't tell you who it was, but it was sauce of mustard and bananas. It was sweet and tangy and it was a nice thick sauce. Kind of bizarre, but I am totally going to use it the next time I cook. The chef who made it is a total mack daddy master chef and it was really good.
Who was the chef most averse to criticism?
There really wasn't. They have all seen it all. They are used to it. We could have told any one of these chefs that his or her food stunk. Of course there was none of that. But we could have said that, and they would have listened. The intention of these guys to say yes to come on the show, they are not vying to prove themselves. They have already done that.
So who wowed you the most?
I was really, really happy to eat some of Rick Bayless' food. I knew he was a whiz at Mexican cuisine. I was dying to try his mole sauce and let's just say my wishes were met.
Since these guys are so established, was there the backbiting and drama that usually comes with 'Top Chef'?
I know that there is a lot of drama, but not that kind of adversarial one. As far as I know it was never a case of mano a mano. I never felt it at critics table.
So they were very Type A?
Very much.
Of the guest judges, who was the most bizarre judge during the season?
I am not sure I can say. We have a day where we go on location which involves magic. They are some interesting magician type people and their outlook was bizarre.
Wait, like a bunny-out-of-a-hat magic show?
I am not sure I can tell you, honey. I am sorry. Let's put it this way, the producers put together some really interesting challenges. In the first episode, Girl Scouts act as blind taste testers. That's really honest. [It just shows] everybody has a opinion about what they are eating.
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6-12-2009 @6:47AM rob said... nothing like a hot asian woman
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6-12-2009 @6:56AM iphonerulez said... Kelly looks kind of tasty, too. Now that's a nice trim figure she's got on her. I guess she isn't eating all the food she's looking at. Glad they didn't choose Kirstie Alley or Kelly Clarkson. They'd start eating the food before it was finished cooking. Yup, hot Asian woman on board and let the yummies begin. I'll be definitely checking this show out.
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6-12-2009 @5:11PM Jordyn said... you rock
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6-12-2009 @7:05AM P.T. said... I watched the show and she is not good at all. Very wooden with ZERO personality. I like TOP CHEF immensly and this group of judges and host are terrible. Very bland. The chefs are very cool though.
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6-12-2009 @7:32AM Mandi said... "Oh, someone called me out of the blue..." Complete rubbish. Not everyone is stupid. I wont be watching this - I don't need a "model" from Seoul to show me what to eat, knowing they're not really eating themselves. I already know how to boil rice with consume and a dash of lemon, thank you from American born models already.
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6-12-2009 @7:51AM Dave said... mmmm mmmm kelly is so hot n sexy love them hot asian women
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6-12-2009 @8:24AM carol said... i used to like top chef.i agree with the person that said she has no personality.this show is supposed to be about the food and the chefs,not bimbo's.i'm done watching this show.
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6-12-2009 @8:31AM Billy said... put her on
http://www.americashottestanchorwoman.com
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6-12-2009 @9:08AM maryann said... iphonerulz..are you kidding me? the only thing you focus on is weight...very shallow minded ..seek some help for that
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9-14-2009 @11:50AM Ron said... I like Kelly. She's my age and good for her. I was always wandering when she would advance to better things. I watched her other show here in NYC called "Secrets Of New York"and Eat Out New York.(though not all the time). And for those who are reffering to her personality as wooden..? I don't see it. She's a neat personality, pretty, beautiful, effervescnet, spontaneous and really loves what she does. Hopes the show does well for her.
-Ron
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6-12-2009 @9:41AM thgldnpth8 said... I loved the "MASTERS" show the other night, but I'm still a total Padma and Tom fan. I think though they needed a diff judge because pretty much all of these chefs have been guest judges working with both Padme and Tom on Top Chef = conflict of intrest thing with friendships as well as them all probably going to be guest judges again on Top Chef.
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6-12-2009 @9:47AM Bizzybee said... Why do these food shows have unknown and anorexic looking women as the hosts? She's so thin it's hard to look at her.
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6-12-2009 @9:52AM Duke of Auburn said... Kelly's show "Eat Out NY" was really a showcase for her. She self produced the show. She spent very little time with the chef's and the preparation of dishes.
The only reason I watched is because she is hot. Frankly that was enough of a reason to watch.
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6-12-2009 @11:11AM Bro Skipper said... It shows what a lot of people think about. It is not about the food it is about a pretty girl. How shallow have we become. Cooking should not be about a pretty face or body. Get a grip.
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6-12-2009 @11:12AM Barbara said... She needs to eat something.
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6-12-2009 @11:44AM BKSAKO said... Come on! Not even close to Padma. What did she model, her hands?
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6-12-2009 @1:35PM Phil said... you're all a bunch of clowns...who cares....more important things to worry about..get a life....
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6-15-2009 @11:09PM annie said... all you ugly females behind the computer talk so much smash about a pretty young asian girl hosting a show.she has an opportunity to advance with a sexy bod. what is the problem? mad?? I am sure she does eat, if not, she wouldnt have the energy to be on show knowing her she is lightweight. like duhhhh!! "so thin, its hard to look at her??"... OMG!! i am sure your like so heavy you cant make it out the door. Anorexic?... please, she wouldnt shine the way she does. you fat ugly ladies are just mad at the cute asian girl. Oh and by the way, I am just her weight and I'm way cuter and i am asian.We just cant help it if we were fortunate. just some arent lucky like us people. and to your answer in mind... YES we do eat. we prolly eat more than you, we just like eating healthy. we dont eat sloppy nasty fatty food.but you know wat, that is exaclty why you are behind the screen cause you cant move!!!! lol. we got we flaunt it!
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6-12-2009 @11:42AM budzbyme said... Somebody give that woman a plate of food !!!!! Then follow her to make sure she doesn't throw it up...
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6-12-2009 @11:45AM Gata said... I'm proud of her. We watch her on the shows Eat Out NY and Secrets of NY ...and we think she's beautiful and really very savvy. I was really pleased to see she got a big time gig, even though a lot of people in my area see her on the local channel...which is a lot more than what it sounds. It IS tied w/ NBC, which in turn is tied w/ Bravo, so there you are. Someone decided Kelly needed to have a bigger shot.
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