Latest news with #Buboy
Eater
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
‘Top Chef' Winner Tristen Epps Takes Over Red Rooster Overtown
is an editor of Eater's South region, covering Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, and the Carolinas. She has been writing about the food scene in the Carolinas and Savannah for 12 years. Erin has resided in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past 20 years. Fresh off his win in the 22nd season of Top Chef, chef Tristen Epps is preparing for his next step — opening Afro-Caribbean restaurant Buboy in Houston, Texas. He's building buzz for the upcoming eatery with a pop-up tour, and one of his stops is Miami restaurant Red Rooster Overtown. Starting Friday, July 25, Epps will be back in the Red Rooster kitchen (he was previously an executive chef at the Marcus Samuelsson restaurant). Epps will serve dishes from his tenure at Red Rooster, as well as Afro-Caribbean fare that will be on the menu at Buboy. Red Rooster classics include the Rooster Royale (a whole chicken with tamarind-malta glaze), crispy green tomatoes with comeback sauce, oxtail fried rice, and tuna crudo with Cuban coffee ponzu. 'Working with Tristen has always been an absolute joy. He's a chef with deep creativity, heart, and an incredible sense of purpose. His return to Red Rooster Overtown is a full-circle moment, and I'm thrilled to collaborate with him again and feature some of his incredible new dishes from Buboy.' says chef-owner Marcus Samuelsson. When asked what to expect for the Buboy preview items, Epps says, 'My menus are always evolving, and I rarely repeat dishes. People can come each time and will have a different experience.' In an interview with Eater Houston, Epps explained that the Buboy pop-ups provide an opportunity to educate diners about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its enduring social, cultural, and economic impacts. 'I want to make sure that this story behind this cuisine is told,' he says. 'Black food is American food. Black history is American history, and I want that to be really shown and in ways as best as I can.' While cooking for a Miami audience, Epps says he leans into Afro-Latin and Caribbean-Latin cuisine. 'I can celebrate that side of the diaspora, which includes Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and more. Miami is a rich tapestry of all of those cultures, and it makes for a beautiful celebration of cuisine.' In Houston, he leans more into West African and Asian influences, as well as heavier on meats. 'In Miami, I do more in the lighter realm with fish and seafood,' he says. Diners can find information about upcoming dinners, including dates, menus, and reservation details, online. Eater Miami All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
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. 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. See More:
GMA Network
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Chariz Solomon teams up with Buboy Villar in 'Your Honor' Season 2
Chariz Solomon is joining Buboy Villar for the new season of "Your Honor!" Chariz and Buboy appeared on Wednesday's "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" and invited viewers to tune in to their show. "Iniimbitahan po namin kayo na manood po ng Season 2 ng 'Your Honor.' Kasabay po 'yan ng fifth birthday po ng YouLOL," Chariz said. "Your Honor" Season 2 will kick off with a special episode on June 14. On June 21, "Your Honor" will begin its "regular session" featuring Michael V. In the first season, Buboy was joined by Tuesday Vargas as host. "Your Honor" is a vodcast that combines satire, showbiz, and trending streams Saturdays on YouLOL's YouTube channel at 8:15 p.m. after "Pepito Manaloto." —Carby Rose Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Buboy Villar celebrates birthday with newborn reveal from girlfriend Khrizza Sampiano
Buboy Villar recently celebrated his birthday, and his girlfriend, Khrizza Sampiano, made the occasion even more special by introducing their newborn son to the world. On Instagram, Khrizza, also known as Isay, shared heartwarming family photos featuring their three-month-old son, Kyrus (Kyrie). She also posted a heartfelt message for Buboy, saying, ' Happy birthday to the guy who still makes me laugh every day! Here's to another year of blessings.' In the latest episode of 'Your Honor,' Buboy revealed that he and Isay have a child together, explaining that he initially kept it a secret to protect her from public scrutiny. Buboy has two older children, Vlanz Karollyn and George Michael, with his former partner Angillyn Gorrens. Despite their breakup in 2020, the two continue to co-parent their kids amicably. Related Articles
