"Shinsei Restaurant" news and stories

Fed up with theories that Top Chef Chicago is nothing more than a lesbian morality play? Been reminiscing about the good old days of last season and wondering what your favorite contestant, Casey Thompson, has been up to? Lucky for you, so have we. Casey, Executive Chef of Dallas's Shinsei Restaurant, was one of the final three contestants during Top Chef Miami, and I could tell from the other end of the phone line that her life hasn't slowed a bit since then. She's supposed to be blogging about this season, but since she admits that she hasn't quite found the time, read on to find out what she thinks of this year's contestants, her favorite cooking ingredients, and where you may see her in the future.

How did you decide that you wanted to become a chef?

I was going through some changes in my life. I was living in Houston and working for a different job, and it was one of those decisions like, "Do I move now do I start a new career? Is this the time?" How did I decide to work in a restaurant? My mother didn't think it was a good idea for me to go back to school. It was expensive and a lot of time. She recommended that I work in a restaurant to see if I even liked it, and I did.