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**Disclaimer: This Top Chef article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.**
Top Chef season 22, which premiered on March 13, 2025, has chefs, seasoned and from diverse backgrounds, participating in the competition to showcase their skills and potentially win the title of the winner. However, only one can take home the victor's title and the $250,000 cash prize.
While some strong contenders for the position have emerged, only one has stood out as a clear frontrunner, and in my opinion, that is Tristen Epps, from Houston, Texas. He has consistently delivered noteworthy, but mostly winning dishes after finding his footing in the show and adjusting to its competitive ambiance.
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Unlike those contestants with a sporadic history of achievements, Tristen's dishes have almost always earned him a spot in the top three chefs in each episode, if not made him the round's winner. It illustrates his ability and tactfulness as a professional to excel at whatever is thrown his way.
Tristen's wide range of dishes showcases his versatility, proving he has the skills to take on a variety of cuisines. Even then, Tristen has always tried to include Caribbean flavors in his preparations to represent his culture and roots.
That way, he has not only honored his heritage but also ensured that his dishes stand out. He has had a streak of wins, won immunity thrice, and remained in the top three chefs in every episode. Moreover, how he showcased professionalism by staying on in the show despite his father's death adds to my argument, where I can claim that he deserves to become the winner of season 22.
In my opinion, the Top Chef contestant exudes every trait a worthy winner should have, from consistency, humility, professionalism, a sense of identity, to versatility.
Top Chef star Tristen Epps has never prepared a subpar dish
In episode 4 of Top Chef season 22, the contestants were tasked with deconstructing a dessert and preparing a savory dish inspired by it. Tristen was given figgy duffs, a sweet dish he was not fond of. Despite that, he managed to create a dish and impress the panel of judges.
Tristed presented them with pepperpot with braised lamb, lamb fat madeleine, and pickled grapes.
"I've got to ask him for the recipe for these madeleines. Honestly, I'm impressed he even did madeleines. They're finicky. Using that lamb fat was really smart," a judge said.
Impressed by his display of skills, Tristen was announced the winner of the round. It shows how the Top Chef contestant can prepare a plate of food with items he is not fond of and still secure the top spot. In my opinion, it is a quality that a worthy winner should have because it proves they can overcome any challenge.
In episode 5 of Top Chef, Tristen won another elimination challenge, earning his second immunity, by cooking, with Bailey, a grilled octopus with kalamata caramel glaze and charred green olive honey relish.
In the next episode of Top Chef, Tristen, once again, emerged on top by presenting the judges with a noteworthy remix of his Chipotle lunch order. The contestants were asked to use the ingredients from their orders and create "the best remix of their original order."
While most chefs stuck to Mexican flavors, Tristen used the ingredients to create a Caribbean dish. He made a steak tartare with obe ata sofrito, green harissa, crema, and lime-cured corn. After he was announced the winner, Top Chef judge Kristen said:
"It felt like the most remixed dish, and not another version of the dish that you already had."
This win of Tristen's demonstrates how he not only is versatile but is also not afraid of presenting his culture on a plate. A strong sense of identity and the ability to adapt are traits I believe a winner should possess, and Tristen does, which is why I feel he would make a worthy winner.
Tristen continued his streak by winning his third immunity by preparing pizza in episode 7 of Top Chef. However, before the elimination challenge, he was nominated as one of the best dishes in the quickfire round with his golden jollof rice, clams, peas, and charred shishito preparation.
Tristen's consistent delivery of outstanding dishes shows why he is worthy of the winner's title. However, it was episode 8 that proved how professional he was and how seriously he took the competition. Despite his father's death, Tristen stayed in the show.
He cooked a mushroom escovitch with grilled Canadian bay scallop, ajo blanco, and dawadawa, and for dessert, a milk chocolate custard with 'dirt' chocolate and caramelized parsnip. Tristen ultimately won the round, proving that irrespective of his personal battles, he would put his best foot forward in every cook.
In the latest episode, released on May 8, 2025, Tristen, once again, took a spot among the top three dishes of the day by preparing a king crab and sausage-stuffed chicken wing with crab boil americaine.
Looking at Tristen's journey on Top Chef, it is safe to say that he has not once delivered an underwhelming plate of food to the judges, which not only speaks about his skills but also his determination and drive to win the show. Thus, I believe Tristen would make a worthy winner of season 22 of the Bravo show.
Top Chef is available to stream on Peacock.
