Filipino Heritage Helped Paul Qui Take Top Chef: Texas

Uchiko's executive chef, Paul Qui, took the title of Top Chef this month, and Austin rejoiced heartily to see one of our own in the limelight. But while our city claims him now, Paul Qui told the Manila Bulletin that it's his Filipino heritage that won him the title:

“I think the number one thing that we Filipinos have is that we have a lot of heart and a lot of guts. And I definitely got that from my parents and that definitely helped me push through to ‘Top Chef,’” said he.

Cooking-wise, though, Qui noted how the Filipino dishes opened his mind to “citrus and acidic components,” to which he took a liking and eventually incorporated into his dishes, noting that they “open up your palate and make food taste better.”