Yeah, I’ve been watching Top Chef Masters this season, even after all three Seattle chefs fell in their first episodes. I got a kick out of this week’s episode when Susur Lee (who’s a kick himself) made a lust-filled dessert, including a “little triangle” which prompted one of the judges to say “I think everything is a vagina.”

Those in the know somehow knew for weeks that Yang and Chirchi would be appearing on the show, but only recently learned that they’d be taking on the newest Iron Chef. And a million dollar vow meant that only a few (those who were at the taping) knew that the secret ingredient was Hawaiian moi – let alone the outcome of the judging. (Yang mentioned to me that she had hoped to serve everyone a sampling of one dish they did with this mild-tasting fish, but that moi is extremely difficult to get outside of Hawaii.)

Yang and Chirchi brought their usual boldness to their dishes, apparently to the discomfort of one of the judges, who seemed put off at one point by the spice level. But all the judges (and clearly the roomful of viewing judges at Murphy’s) seemed to like all the Joule dishes, multi-ethnic as always with Asian, French, and Middle Eastern influences. Oh, what I’d give for a taste of the bibimbap, as I enjoyed a previous version they prepared of this Korean favorite.

Before the broadcast, I continually said that there was virtually no chance that the new Iron Chef would lose his first competition. Yet as Yang and Chirchi’s dishes came together, I thought they had a good chance of winning due to the usual spark and innovation. Garces, though, prevailed, and the crowd’s discontent grew stronger when the final scoring showed that he won by just one point – and that being for originality. This shocked many, in disbelief that ceviche and fish ‘n’ chips represented originality to the judges.

Still, Yang and Chirchi were gracious competitors and proud of their performance, telling me afterward that they accepted the outcome as a challenge to be even more innovative with their cooking. Both were smiling and celebratory – appreciative of the crowd, and appreciative of each other. Watch the video for some excerpts from the event (really raw footage my little Flip camera), including quick commentary from Chirchi, who was clearly on Cloud Nine, and whose excitement was infectious.

And expect it to be a bit more challenging to get a table at the restaurant in the future. Sad for those of us who consider Joule to be a hidden jewel, but happy knowing that Yang and Chirchi continue to get the success they deserve.

Super Baozi vs Sushi man from sun haipeng on Vimeo.

Gastrolust headquarters moved this week, so it’s been a very hectic month. The new home looks like a hurricane hit it, as there’s a ton of unpacking and other work to do around here.

I hope to get back to my routine soon. For now, here’s a fun spoof of “The Freshman” which I hope you enjoy.

Ashley Merriman (who I hope to feature in an upcoming Sound Dish-Off) is the chef at Branzino in Belltown, while Robin Leventhal (who won the very first Sound Dish-Off I did, back in January 2008) is the former chef/owner of Crave. They were the cream of the crop following the casting call at Canlis last winter. Two talents who’ve already done Seattle proud. Bravo! We wish them well…

I don’t shop there as much as I did in the past, but it’s incredibly convenient to run there when I need last-minute ingredients. So here’s a fabulous little video (an “unauthorized commercial”) that celebrates Trader Joe’s: