Reporting from Mt. Rushmore - A Top Chef Collaboration for The Ages
A PYK listener recently ate at Buddha Lo and Melissa King's collab in NYC
This is a PYK summer guest post from a listener. Enjoy this free post!
Hey everyone! I’m Matt Krasnoff, a Top Chef super fan (and PYK day one listener) living outside of NYC. I recently had the amazing opportunity to dine at Huso, the restaurant of two-time champ, chef Buddha Lo, for his collaboration dinner with All-Star Champ, chef Melissa King.
This “Buddha King” meal was fit for royalty: a 12-course tasting menu, featuring some of their most iconic dishes from the show. An incredible night from two of the best to ever do it on TC (and probably the two whose meals I’ve most wanted to try).
The Setting
Firstly, kudos and congrats to Chef Buddha on his incredible new space. The décor, the ambience, and the staff were all so warm and inviting, but also first class, in only the way that Buddha could pull off. Our group of three was also fortunate to be part of a communal chef’s table downstairs just outside the kitchen. That’s right: full view of the magic by the two chefs and their crew. We were greeted by a warm, synchronized “welcome!” from everyone as we came down the stairs.
The most unexpected highlight of the chef’s table was sitting next to four other Top Chef super fans! We quickly bonded over favorite seasons (Vegas and LA All-Star, duh), Top Chef restaurants we’ve been to, and whose we’re dying to try. Needless to say, we found our people.
The Food
Man oh man, was every single bite spectacular. The menu was perfectly curated to show off each of their unique styles and backgrounds while still maintaining a through line and steady progression. Some highlights:
Our first dish was the epitome of Chef Melissa‘s uncanny ability to combine fresh (often Italian) ingredients into her homestyle Chinese cooking via a bite of Szechuan steak tartare in a beautiful purple shiso leaf that was recommended to eat like a one bite taco.
The picturesque and iconic Season 20 Buddha dish, “What’s For Dinner,” where nothing was what it seemed. The “mushroom” was a Parker House roll, the “olive” was feta, the “cherry” was foie gras, and the “black truffle” was an ooey-gooey cheese croquette. Oh yeah, and the “red wine” was a warm, rich but not heavy, beef and onion broth. It truly was a renaissance painting… a perfectly seasoned and delicious renaissance painting. A fun tidbit that Buddha shared with the group, since he often serves this on his Huso tasting menu: he knows he could only serve this at his restaurant after he won Top Chef. Nearly everyone that dines there is a Buddha fan and familiar with the dish, otherwise he said diners would be confused and probably send it back.
Melissa’s lobster wontons in yuzu broth might’ve been my favorite bite of the night. The thin wrapper melted in your mouth and the yuzu was a perfect complement to the fresh bite of lobster inside. Her sauces and broths all night were next level.
Buddha’s Mary Me Pasta is as good as you think it is. Simple, but truly one of the best pastas I’ve ever tasted. It also felt like the most “home cooked” dish, once again showing us that he doesn’t need tweezers to create a wow moment.
Their two signature dessert dishes were so different but both so good. Again, Melissa bringing that Hong Kong Milk Tea component into the tiramisu was so pleasing, and who doesn’t love a good mold from Buddha with the “skull” coconut ice cream as part of the refreshing “Freezing Myself to Death.”
The Takeaway
Top Chef collabs happen all the time these days. But it’s hard to imagine it ever topping the skill, craftsmanship, and time that went into this meal. Two living legends in their element, and a table of Top Chef enthusiasts living out their dream of tasting the food from the show.
When you’ve watched 20+ seasons of Top Chef, you learn to understand that it’s more than just the food. Like a great NBA team, it’s more than just the talent. It’s the experience, it’s the care, it’s the passion, and it’s the people behind the scenes who make meals and restaurants so memorable. For Chef Melissa and Chef Buddha, it is their everything. And when you can feel it in their kitchen, hear it through their tone, and taste it in the food, it really is special.
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I love everything about this, but most of all, Buddha's skull mold.
Thanks so much for sharing what sounds like a truly incredible experience.