Two Houston chefs packed their knives and traveled to Toronto to compete on the new season of Top Chef. Bravo revealed the 15-person cast for season 22 of the show, which was filmed in various parts of Canada and will premier on Thursday, March 13.
Both chefs bring impressive resumes to the competition, although one is likely more familiar to Houstonians.
Chef Henry Lu is competing to win $250,000.Photo by Marcus Nilsson/Bravo
Henry Lu is one-half of the chef duo behind Heights restaurant Jūn. His co-owner, Evelyn Garcia, reached the finals of Top Chef season 19, which was filmed in Houston. Both Garcia and Lu have earned two James Beard Award semifinalist nominations — one for Best New Restaurant in 2024 and for Best Chef: Texas in 2025. Prior to moving to Houston, the Bronx native worked at a number of restaurants in New York City, including Pearl and Ash and Llama Inn.
Chef Tristen Epps' Top Chef headshot.Photo by Marcus Nilsson/Bravo
Tristen Epps recently returned to his hometown of Houston after working in Miami and New York. He earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation for his work at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster in Miami and a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in 2024 for his work at Ocean Social by Tristen Epps, a waterfront restaurant at the Eden Roc Miami Beach. He is currently working on opening Buboy, an intimate tasting menu restaurant devoted to Afro-Caribbean foodways.
The show’s winner will earn a number of prizes, including $250,000 provided by Saratoga Spring Water, $125,000 flight credit from Delta, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and a dinner at the James Beard House in New York. As was the case last season, Quickfire challenges are now an opportunity to earn cash, rather than immunity from elimination, with a total prize pool of $150,000 up for grabs during the course of the season.
Judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons are both returning, as is host Kristen Kish, who took over for Padma Lakshmi last year. Throughout the season, the contestants will explore different parts of Canada, including Toronto, Calgary, and Banff National Park. Guest judges include culinary legends and Top Chef alumni such as Richard Blais, Nina Compton, Danny Garcia, Gregory Gourdet, Buddha Lo, Daniel Boulud, Wylie Dufresne, Susur Lee, and Clare Smyth.
Here’s a sneak peek at this season's action:
Henry Lu, right, is following Evelyn Garcia's footsteps by competing on Top Chef.
