Season 12, Episode 13
"Belly Dance"
Chopped Champion Matt Murphy
Episode theme: none
Original air date July 31, 2012
Image of cayenne peppers; dessert round ingredient.
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.
Meet the Chefs
Michael Chen
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Michael Chen went to Las Vegas to work and study under some of the world’s top chefs. He’s been integral to the Las Vegas stories of several well-known Asian cuisine restaurant concepts, including Momofuku and TAO. Currently Chef Chen is the executive chef at Yardbird Table & Bar located inside The Venetian Las Vegas.
Danushka Lysek
Chef Danushka Lysek was a professional model before going to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school and transitioning into a career as a private chef. She’s racked up an impressive number of polarizing appearances on Food Network shows beyond Chopped, including 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (2010), Food Network Star & Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen (Season 9, 2013), and Cutthroat Kitchen (2016). Nowadays, Chef Lysek lives and works in Austin, TX.
Ryan Bartlow
Chef Ryan Bartlow has come a long way. He began his culinary career scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins when he was just 14 years old. Since then, he’s worked in Michelin-starred restaurants Akelarre (San Sebastian, Spain) and Alinea (Chicago, USA). His first solo effort as a chef-partner opened on the Lower East Side of New York City in early 2020 and survived the pandemic. Ernesto’s is a Basque-inspired concept that draws from Chef Bartlow’s time spent living in Spain.
Matt Murphy
Originally from Ireland, Chef Matt Murphy was living and working in New Orleans when he competed on Chopped. He spent several years building his stateside reputation in fine dining, including a stint as the executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. In 2010 he opened The Irish House restaurant as an ode to his homeland. Unfortunately, it shuttered somewhat suddenly in 2017, and around the same time Chef Murphy returned to his home country. Presently he appears to be based in Dublin, Ireland, working on several enterprises in the hotel and restaurant operations consulting space.
Hungry for more?
One thing Danushka Lysek has delivered consistently is (mostly hateful) audience reactions.
During her many reality tv appearances, Her monotone speaking, disapproving expressions, and negative attitude left a bad taste in many viewers’ and judges’ mouths. Food Network even put together a 3-minute compilation video titled “Danushka’s Not Impressed” of her eyerolls, smirks, and sarcasm. You can check it out on their site.
See also: the Chopped season 12 intro clips at the top of every episode that include Chef Lysek pouting, “This is not a game!”