'Top Chef': Lisa Fernandes can never forget Anthony Bourdain moment on the show that made her a better cook
Lisa Fernandes maybe out of the competition but she isn't sour about it. In a chat with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), the now-evicted 'Top Chef' contestant shared the new skills she picked up, the positive experience she has had on the show and how the quickfire challenges have helped her cook without planning.
"Being on Bravo's 'Top Chef' taught me how to cook on the fly. Meaning, make an amazing dish with not a lot of time and not a lot of space. Also, the quickfires really make you learn how to pull together a dish without having time to plan it," Lisa said.
A quickfire challenge pushes the chef to create something new and innovative under an extremely tight deadline. And obviously, when working under pressure, people tend to make mistakes and Lisa is no different. But she also understands that every dish has scope for improvement.
The judges weren't overtly critical of her dishes, except for the last one she created on 'Top Chef' — chili soy brussels sprouts with apples and pistachios. While model and judge Padma Lakshmi thought it was "clunky", judge Tom Colicchio commented that it would have been better had she teased all of her ingredients a bit more.
She took every piece of advice given to her and used them to better her craft. "I can't really pinpoint one specific piece of advice, but I did take every piece of feedback given to me and used it to improve the dishes that I made. Every dish can always be improved in some way," she shared. She added that if given another chance, she would go back and tweak every dish she ever made on the show because "there's always room for improvement".
When asked about her favorite and most memorable moment on the show from her season, she said it had to be the two times she made food for Anthony Bourdain. "He was an amazing chef and a great person. He will forever be missed," Lisa said.
She continues to be friends with everyone on the show and they keep in touch via text messages.
Catch all the episodes of 'Top Chef' on Bravo every Thursday.
