How did Seattle’s Shota Nakajima fare on the ‘Top Chef’ finale? We talked to him about the season, the pandemic and the future

SPOILER ALERT: I’m sorry, Seattle – if you’ve seen the season finale of “Top Chef” Thursday night, you already know that home hero Shota Nakajima lost to “Master of the Mole” Gabe Erales from El Paso, Texas . Described by Padma Lakshmi Voice-Over as “a true Japanese kitchen technician”, Nakajima also scored points in the four-course evening competition for Cooking with the Heart, offering both exquisite three kinds of sashimi and a homely, delicious looking version of . made his mother’s Japanese curry with braised beef tongue.

Unfortunately, the judges seemed to misunderstand Nakajima’s second course – squid karaage with water spinach and burdock root – and called it “like a vegetable side dish”. And while some loved the curry (“gorgeous” and even “emotional”), it was judged to be “a bit of a staff meal” (that must be stinging) while the rice was found to be weak (that, too). Meanwhile, third finalist Dawn Burrell stayed in the way (damn it) while Erales took the title of “Top Chef”.

Update: After filming last year’s “Top Chef” season, Erales was fired from his job as head chef at Comedor in Austin for worryingly obscure reasons. The Austin Chronicle reported that an email notice from the owners stated that Erales “was no longer at the restaurant because of his misconduct.” It seems like more could come – and it should be a lot – with moderator Padma Lakshmi, who tweeted: “As someone who has been sexually harassed, this issue is serious and deserves openness. We filmed Top Chef last October and were unaware of the allegations that are now surfacing about Gabe. This should be investigated and the network should consider its best measures. ”She also clarified that“ no one has alleged sexual harassment on record or otherwise to Bravo / Top Chef, and we judge no evidence of improper behavior by Gabe during his time on set. “

What was the pandemic “Top Chef” experience like for Nakajima? Here’s what he has to say about attracting a whole new group of BFFs, whether romance happened, what’s next for him, and more – including his thoughts on the recent allegations against Chef Edouardo Jordan.

You can judge Nakajima’s chicken karaage for yourself in his Capitol Hill commercial, Taku, which is now open for takeout – he will also be running it as a bar later this month.

You were so good That’s not fair! What happened?!

I do not even know! [laughs] Small mistakes; stupid mistakes. When I got out, the first thing I did was go to Uwajimaya, shop, and revise the entire final menu – I cooked for my parents. You loved it. Then I started talking about the mistakes I had in Course 2 and Course 3 – I wasn’t thinking clearly and would work on myself when I needed because I could have edited the menu completely five or 10 minutes in advance. But I think it was just the nerve, and honestly, just being like that in the end [of the show] and physically exhausted, mentally exhausted. I know this is just an excuse to make me feel better.

But at the same time I think there’s a reason I’ve lost – I always take things this way – because it gives me a fire. You know, I don’t think I would have been pushing so hard on marketing and collaborating with the rest of the time [“Top Chef”] Team members. And now I have this amazing community of people in the Top Chef group who I can call friends for the rest of my life.

You and your “Top Chef” family – it seems like you all got very close.

I think getting podded because of the pandemic was a big part of the bond. I approached the whole thing without a filter – these people, I live with them, so they know a lot of my mistakes and so on, but they also know me very well as a person. So I wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and to open up 100%. And I think everyone was looking for it at the same time – I saw other people in the group doing that too. And I share my administrative information [with them]Like, “Hey, I think this is a fairer and more sustainable way the industry works. What do you think? ”And get everyone’s honest opinion.

And we’ve all been through the same thing – it’s really overwhelming to be featured on national television. And the strange fact that [how] Our work is based on social media – the number of likes and our performance, and even if we try not to compare ourselves to others, it makes us feel insecure and scared. And we talk about how we deal with these things and we strengthen each other – you know, it’s okay to shoot for the stars, it’s okay to be proud of ourselves because we’ve worked really hard. And, you know, let’s lift up one another.

There is a rumor that you started dating someone on the show …?

I’ve heard a lot about this rumor, but no. I take it it’s Sara [Hauman] that people talk about. Sara is, I would say, one of my closest friends and we have a great relationship. But I have that with everyone else too – that was the amazing thing about it. When I feel weird I know I can call people and it’s just a very supportive thing. And I just feel very happy and happy that I have that in my life right now.

So you’ve done the recipes and videos on social media and the IRL dinners with the other chefs – do you plan to take any of that further?

Yes, I plan to do more and more events. I love events. I love meeting people. I’m already planning three events and I’ll be shooting a lot more next year.

Will you share any of the recipes from the 4-course graduation dinner that you made? Maybe your mother’s curry with braised beef tongue?

I will post on my [Instagram] Story that just goes like this, “Hey, what’s your favorite? Which one do you want to learn about? “I’m going to take a survey.

What was one of the best moments at “Top Chef”?

One of my favorite experiences – a fan reached out to me and said that their child started bringing Japanese food for lunch after saying they didn’t want to.
I remember growing up feeling ashamed of asking my mother not to pack lunch for three or four years of my life, just lunchables, which made her sad at the time. The fact that I can help young children share their food more confidently was one of my missions.

So, apart from the fact that you didn’t win the quarter of a million dollars and the title of top chef …

I was so close! You have no idea how upset I am with myself. [laughs]

… what else was the worst part of the whole experience?

You know, to be honest, I don’t see my dog. Is that weird? He has been such a big emotional support animal in my life since 2020 when I started hanging out with him, 24-7. So not having him suddenly – that was just strange. I also missed eating only rice every day. You know [laughs] – it’s a lifestyle thing. We ate a lot of pizza [on set].

This is a tough question: a post on social media while the show was being recorded – not on your social media – made it pretty clear that Edouardo Jordan would appear in one of the episodes. Since then, 15 women have accused him of sexual misconduct or unwanted contact. He didn’t appear on the show after all. Can you say something about your reaction to the allegations?

It’s – it’s hard. It’s – it’s hard what he did. I’ve seen him as a father, which breaks my heart. It’s hard for me to answer because I’m still processing what it is. I also knew him as a person.

Do you have any ideas what we can do to finally put an end to sexual misconduct in the hospitality industry?

I think what we’re doing was good. A lot of people are more conscious – I am more conscious. I didn’t know – I studied in Japan, and Japanese restaurants don’t have that kind of culture. So I am glad that I am aware of this. It made me put management structures in writing. I shared that with the people from “Top Chef”. If these allegations hadn’t come out, I don’t think I would have taken them so seriously. I will try to continue doing my part. I’m learning more about it, especially from the other “Top Chef” candidates – we actually had very open discussions about it. I just want to hear everyone … to understand what it is.

You had a banana last year – a restaurant closed, an attempt to open a new one shortly before the pandemic, a car accident, “top chef” – what’s next?

My goal has always been to create a great restaurant and to create a great culture, to treat employees the right way – to form the right team with me that would like to move this balance and this boundary further with me. There was a lot of fun.

I am completely rethinking my company: OK, what does it actually mean to make the promises I make. So I put it in a profit sharing structure.

I want to open one[nother] Seattle restaurant because I like to cook – that’s why I got there. But I’m waiting for the right gut feeling. I’m looking for a little little place [so] that I can do a pop-up at least once a week or something in Seattle just to start cooking. If anyone has a great place out there, please let me know.

Is there something about the whole “Top Chef” experience that people wouldn’t expect?

Something I didn’t think would happen was the amount of personal growth I went through. I feel like a different person. I feel more secure, more open, and I am able to be more vulnerable with people – that has helped me immensely in management and happiness. I didn’t think I’d get that out of “Top Chef”. I thought I was just cooking food.

I had such a crazy experience. And you know, I felt naked; I felt like I had failed. Not just “Top Chef” – the whole experience of 2020. But I’m ready. I am ready to try to get something right.

Anything else?

Hey, next time Seattle. We are sorry! [laughs] Next time.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Bethany Jean Clement
is a food writer for the Seattle Times: bclement@seattletimes.com; facebook.com/bethany.jean.clement; on Instagram @bethanyjeanclement; on Twitter @BJeanClement.