Chef Joe Murphy of Houston’s Nobu Takes TruffleMasters Top Honor

But the People’s Choice winner is a real stunner

Dozens of Houston chefs competed, but there can only be one winner. The 2023 TruffleMasters competition went to Nobu’s Joe Murphy, who created a dish featuring black truffle grilled rice with parmesan dashi and wagyu lardon. That decadent-sounding dish was selected for the night’s top honor by a body of judges including food writers from the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, the Houston Press, Houstonia, Chron.com, Central Market, and more.

The second place dish came from Greg Shade and Brandon Jolley-Samples and the team from Masraff’s, who created a truffled-cured, smoked Texas wagyu short rib with Kennebec mille-feuille, earthnut potato mousse, and a truffle haystack. And the final nod was given to Russell Kirkham of Artisans with a plate of foie gras iced cream with truffled Chantilly.

The people also got a vote at TruffleMasters, and they chose Mayank Istwal of Musaafer’s Angus Kachila Puri with diced filet, truffle paste, cilantro, coconut, avocado, and lemon zest.

Phaedra Cook