"Susur Lee" news and stories

Despite being edged out by a measly half star, Toronto's Susur Lee and Las Vegas based chef Rick Moonen clearly brought their "A game" throughout the entire second season of Top Chef Masters. Lee served up gorgeous plates of Asian fusion with a classical twist, and Moonen utilized his knowledge of seafood as the foundation for whatever challenges the show presented.

On the season finale, the chefs were asked to cook their life stories -- Lee, following his origins with his father in Hong Kong and Moonen returning to his Queens, New York, roots. Lee's final plate was an artistic display of lamb thailandaise with chang mai sausage; Moonen went with venison, an attempt to persuade the judges to rethink him as just a chef who sleeps with the fishes.

Any of the final three could have won -- and while Lee and Moonen fell short of the prize, they provided season two with more humor than any of the other contestants -- something they'll surely be remembered for, going forward.

Slashfood caught up with Lee and Moonen about the final challenge, how Top Chef Masters helps their career and whether the judges got things right.

Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday (translation: April) that we welcomed nearly two dozen of the nation's best chefs into our living rooms for their weekly hazing on Top Chef Masters. Most were excised in the cruel, quick early rounds, but those who stayed -- and those who judged them -- left us with burning questions that we fear will never be answered.

For instance: Would sustainable seafood guru Rick Moonen prove, on the basis of appearance and first name if nothing else, to be this year's underdog champ, a la Rick Bayless in 2009? Would Susur Lee's unbridled, crazy genius make him a lock or handicap him? Would the professional egotist Marcus Samuelsson give up the arrogant schtick, or is it genuine? And just how many pairs of plaid trousers does he own?

And what of the judges? What happened to our favorite grand dame, Gael Greene, anyway? Did she take her hat collection and open up a millinery? Why does Jay Rayner have that permanently downturned smirk? Is it hereditary, or does he practice it in the mirror? And why, dear god, why, does James Oseland have a fishy crush on Rick?

To be totally honest, we had trouble tuning in to Top Chef Masters last night. Not that we aren't in awe of the "four dudes left," to quote our favorite comfort-food teddy bear, Jonathan Waxman.

It's just that they're, well, all dudes -- our favorite non-dude, Susan Feniger, was banished last week, back to the confines of her delightful L.A. eatery Street. What would the kitchen be like without her cackle!? Where would the competition be without her somewhat goofy and laser-sharp stare?

Add to that the fact that the inimitable Gael Greene was sitting out the judging this time, and the episode was certainly lacking in double-chromosome jubilation. "Burnt sienna, depression, avocado" wasn't just an improvised name of a dish; it could've been the theme of the evening.

"If you knew what I was cooking, you'd be puking." Leave it to Susan Feniger to mince no words with the Whole Foods cashier as she tried to gather up ingredients for this week's Top Chef Masters challenge.

Yes, even the woman who travels the globe in search of new street food was put off by the proteins given her this week -- and we can't say we blame her.

TCM's first season subjected the nation's best chefs to guts, feet and other offal on an episode. This week, the producers decided to dredge up a "favorite" form of punishment from Top Chef's early days: The exotic surf and turf challenge. This meant rolling out a display cart that looked like a cross between a taxidermist's rec room and a David Cronenberg movie: Sea Cucumber. Geoduck. Giant squid. Kangaroo. Duck tongue.

One question: Who decides which lucky newlyweds get to be a part of Top Chef's perennial "Wedding Wars" episode? And do they take bribes?

Frankly, we weren't planning nuptials anytime soon. But based on the spread served up by eight of the nation's best chefs on this week's Top Chef Masters, we'd like to know the shooting schedule for next season now, so we can get to the top of the list. Forget the registry -- we'd be marrying for the food.

"Wedding Wars" team challenges, of course, are a staple of the Top Chef franchise, along with piercings in strange parts of the body and the creative use of the f-word. But never has the challenge been done like this: Jonathan Waxman can make tarragon roast chicken for us anytime. Even the "boring" wedding food -- potatoes au gratin by Tony Montuano, crab cakes by Carmen Gonzalez -- looked mouthwatering, perfectly crusted and crunchy. And then there was the literal icing on the cake: Five -- five! -- separate desserts by Susur Lee.