Houston’s ‘Top Chef’ Winner Tristen Epps Is Taking His Afro-Caribbean Cuisine on the Road

Tristen Epps was already a rising force in Houston’s culinary scene, and now the James Beard semifinalist has even more accolades under his belt. Judges of the reality television cooking competition Top Chef crowned Epps the winner of its 22nd season, Top Chef: Destination Canada, on Thursday, June 12, after an outstanding run that showcased his culinary prowess and deep-rooted passion for Afro-Caribbean cooking.

The chef, who’s previously worked under acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, wowed the judges with his bold, inventive style, racking up two Quickfire wins and five elimination challenge victories. He also led his team to victory as executive chef during the show’s pivotal Restaurant Wars episode, all while coping with personal hardship: His stepfather was critically ill back home. Midway through the season, Epps learned of his stepfather’s passing. Rather than stepping away from the competition, he chose to stay, dedicating each dish to his stepfather’s memory.

Though Episode 10 brought his only real stumble — judges critiqued an imbalance in seasoning — Epps quickly bounced back. In the finale, he cemented his win with a four-course “Meal of Your Life” menu, a fusion of Ethiopian cuisine and his Trinidadian roots that featured monkfish with baccala mbongo; pollo dorengo with injera shrimp toast; and an oxtail Milanese crepinette. The win is especially significant: In addition to $125,000 in Delta Airlines credit, invitations to some of the biggest food and dining events in the country, and $250,000 cash prize (reportedly the largest prize in Top Chef history), Epps is also the first Black chef to win Top Chef in 15 years. 

Until recently, the chef kept his victory under wraps while preparing for his next big move: the launch of Buboy, a fine-dining Afro-Caribbean tasting menu restaurant in Houston. Now, Epps is finally free to celebrate — and to reflect. Eater caught up with Epps to talk about his favorite and most challenging moments on Top Chef, and what’s next for him professionally as he brings his vision to diners across the country.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Congratulations! How are you feeling?

Tristen Epps: I’m still trying to get used to it, but a lot of people are really supportive.

What was it like keeping your Top Chef win a secret? 

I mean, it wasn’t so bad. I call the same people every day, like my mom, so she makes it easy to talk about, and then my core group of friends knew I made it.

Did you have a strategy going into the competition?

My strategy going in was to not make friends and stay focused, try to take it really easy in the beginning, and just try to pace myself for longevity: keep to my point of view, and then, really ramp things up later. It didn’t go that way. I ended up liking everybody, and I ended up winning a lot in the beginning. I don’t know if it was my competitiveness, but I didn’t know how to take it easy — cooking and trying your hardest went hand in hand. But in the end, it was really cool. Like being in Canada, being in Italy — it was such a beautiful experience. 

Do you have a favorite moment?

Being able to tell my mom at the end that I won was a magical moment for me, and also my first individual win. I went in with this point of view of cooking diaspora cuisine, and you know, people are having more success with it, but you never know for yourself, right? My whole point of wanting to do this is to put it out there at a really high level, and when people decide to give you a shot at it, they have a lot of expectations. It’s like, “Impress me or I’m going back to what I know,” so it’s nerve-racking. The first day I did my cooking and won, it created this validation for me: “Okay, this cuisine is enough, and it’s enough to do in this format.” That was just an amazing feeling, especially on that platform.

What was the most challenging part of the competition? 

Staying who you are can be challenging. People will think something is all you know or all you can do, and sometimes you just naturally pander to whatever’s around you, you try to adapt, and you end up making others feel comfortable so you feel comfortable. I was trying to dictate what I felt and thought onto a plate, inaudibly to the people who don’t know me. The mental toll of the competition was probably the biggest challenge. If you’re not someone who can be alone or if you’re not able to really be comfortable in your thoughts for periods, that can be challenging. You don’t have the everyday things you can wind down with, right? There’s no scrolling the internet. There’s no talking to someone on the phone, and the person you might connect with might be gone the very next day. 

What else can we expect?

I’m still really soaking in the moment. I’m still planning on opening BuBoy at some point — finding a building and space that is important and meaningful to me is impactful. But right now, I think I’m just gonna take it on the road a little bit. I’ll be announcing more soon about it, and I just want to bring what I’m gonna do to the country. Top Chef was one of, if not the greatest, experiences I’ve had professionally. It’s such a rewarding feeling, even if I don’t feel the full brunt of it right now. I’ve been walking around Chicago and, you know, different cities since it has aired, and the reception I have gotten has been so amazing. Even walking around with some of my castmates has been so amazing, because people tuned in to see the food they’re making and the people they are. I would say this is a lesson to everyone: don’t be afraid of who you are, especially cooks. If you are part of a culture, scream it to the rafters. Learn about others, because they’re probably connected, talk to as many people as you can from other cultures, and always, always strive to learn more about yourself and where you come from, and how it connects to different people. Food naturally brings us together, so if I can understand more about your culture and food, other than just eating it, I think the world would be much more unified. I think that’s kind of the platform that Top Chef gave me. I’ve shown everyone that I can connect to culture, and I’ll also celebrate the hell out of it.