COMPETITIVE-LEE MINDED
This OKC chef is taking on another Food Network battle
Fans of Guy Fieri’s “Tournament of Champions” will want to tune in to Food Network on Wednesday as Oklahoma City chef Kevin Lee competes in a new competition, “Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers,” as one of 16 chefs going head-to-head to win four coveted eighth-seed slots in the tournament bracket.
Lee, chef-owner of the recently revamped Birdie’s by Chef Kevin Lee, is no stranger to Food Network competitions, having competed on “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Alex vs. America,” “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Superchef Grudge Match.”
“This one was definitely different, because a lot of the shows I’ve done in the past – I’ve done ‘Alex vs. America,’ I’ve done ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ – going against the bigger names, but it was me going on their show so, it’s a little different. This is literally going head-to-head with some of the best chefs that’s been around in competitions not just on Food Network, but from ‘Top Chef,’ there’s ‘MasterChef ’ winners,” Lee said.
“There’s basically chefs who’ve won culinary competitions at every level that you could possibly think of when it comes to television and to just be amongst those groups, to be in the qualifier. I mean, I was definitely the underdog. It was very intimidating, but being a guy who likes to compete, it wasn’t my first rodeo.”
Across the qualifiers and main bracket, the skills and abilities of 32 chefs from the East and West coasts, including all four previous champions, will be pushed to the limit in the most difficult sudden-death, bracket-style culinary competition. The elite chefs do not know who their opponents will be and what challenges the randomizer will dish out, getting progressively harder and harder in each round.
Each battle will feature blind judging by some of the biggest names in the food world as the competitors watch their critiques from backstage. After eight weeks and 31 grueling head-tohead battles, one chef will win it all and be crowned champion, taking home the “Tournament of Champions” belt and $150,000, the largest cash prize in tournament history.
If Lee advances to the main bracket, fans will be able to watch him on “Tournament of Champions” when it returns for its fifth season at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
“After being a fine dining chef for years, and opening up a fast, casual chicken restaurant, I kind of lost my identity throughout the way. I kind of forgot who I was and what got me here and everything,” Lee said. “So, I want people to see the show and just kind of remind them, ‘Oh, Kevin was a chef. Oh s**t, he didn’t just cook chicken.’ I’m just kind of putting my name back on the map.”
“Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers” premieres at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Food Network.