Hubert Keller-Top Chef Masters Wins First Round

On last nights Top Chef Masters Hubert Keller took top honors and $10,000 for his charity Make-A-Wish Foundation.

He wowed a group of Girl Scouts with his delicious and whimsical desserts of a Chocolate Mousse Swan, a Whipped Cream Mouse with a chocolate tail and Fruit with Orange Sabayon in the quick-fire challenge.

Top Chef Masters then moved on to the Elimination Challenge were they had to prepare a 3 course meal with nothing more than a hot plate, microwave oven and a toaster oven. They had $150 and 2 hours to prep and cook for group of critics and several college students. The twist came in that they had to prepare their meals in college dorm rooms. Lack of space or a kitchen sink did not hinder Hubert Keller as he used the shower to drain the pasta, for his Macaroni and Cheese with Prawns, and to also cool down the pasta to stop it from cooking anymore. He also prepared Fresh Scottish Salmon and Carrot and Pea Soup with cinnamon croutons.

The students and the critics voted seperately from each other yet, came to the same conclusion that Hubert Keller was the Top Chef Master on this night. He will now go on to to the Champions Round for a chance to win $100,000 for his charity.

Hubert Keller-Top Chef Masters

Top Chef Masters starts tonight with 4 of the 24 chefs competing in the newest version of the popular Bravo TV series. Four well known and highly successful chefs Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, Christopher Lee of Aureole in New York, Michael Schlow of Radius in Boston, and Tim Love who owns Lonesome Dove Western Bistrow in Fort Worth will compete tonight in the first of six rounds to determine who is the best of the best.

Each show will follow the same format as the regular show, starting off with a quick-fire competition that leads to an elimination challenge. The quick-fire will test the chefs basic skills whereas the second challenge is more designed to test their abilities as a chef. Tonight's quick-fire on Top Chef Masters will test the chefs skills in making desserts.

Hubert Keller was born in Alsace, France, he is one of Americas most acclaimed chefs, known best for his world-renowned restaurants, Fleur de Lys (San Francisco and Las Vegas, the Burger Bar in Las Vegas, and St. Louis and he plans on opening another one soon to in San Francisco. Hubert's latest venture is SLeeK Steakhouse and Ultra Lounge in St. Louis. Hubert Keller has won numerous awards including the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award of “Who’s Who” in the industry. His influence extends beyond his restaurant kitchen to the millions of people he reaches through his cookbooks and TV show, Secrets of a Chef. A graduate of Ecole Hoteliere in Strasbourg, Keller started as a pastry chef and honed his culinary skills by working with master chef’s such as Paul Haeberlin, Roger Verge, Paul Bocuse, Jacques Maximin and Gaston Lenotre. Food & Wine ranked him as one of the "10 Best New Chefs in America" in 1988. He was the first guest chef at the White House, where he prepared a gourmet dinner for President Clinton and his family. He is also the author of Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burgers (Wiley 2009) with Penelope Wisner in bookstores now. He now resides in San Francisco.

Top Chef Masters will be played first in six rounds where 4 chefs go head-to-head with one winner advancing to the finals where they will go up against the six winners of the preliminary rounds in the finals. The winners of each preliminary rounds will win money that will be donated to the charity of their choice. The winner of Top Chef Masters will win $100,000 for their charity. Hubert Keller is playing for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.