by Gina Scarpa

From the very first episode of Top Chef: Texas, it was hard not to see Paul Qui making it to the end. After all, he attended Austin's Texas Culinary Academy and stayed in the city after becoming the executive chef at the highly respected Uchi + Uchiko.  Beyond that though, he turned one impressive dish after another this season and defeated Sarah Grueneberg in the end for the title of Top Chef. Today, we talked to the winner about his favorite moments, the chefs he viewed as competition, and the sweet taste of victory!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did you know that Top Chef would be filming in Texas, where you currently work, and did that affect your decision to try out?
A. Paul: I didn't know it was actually in Texas until much later. I was referred to Top Chef and I was surprised that I went on the show. I'm a huge fan of the show. It wasn't because it was Top Chef: Texas that I did it.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You seemed like a frontrunner right from the very beginning. Throughout the competition, who did you think you were going to face if you had made it to the end?
A. Paul: Definitely Sarah was one of them because I've eaten at her restaurant and her food was amazing. I think if Ed would've done Top Chef a little earlier in his career, he would've been a fierce competitor as well. He always told me that he own a couple restaurants and he doesn't cook on the line as much as he used to.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You had so many great moments but which ones stood out to you the most?
A. Paul: Definitely my dish for the Mentor challenge. That dish and the one from the Charlize Theron challenge are closest to what I would do at the restaurant. It was only cooking for6-7 people and we had a little more time. I got to develop those dishes a little bit more.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How did you feel about the team that you chose for your final challenge, including Barbara Lynch?
A. Paul: I loved my team! It's pretty close to what I wanted. I picked them based on the dishes. It was a great experience to cook next to Barbara. She has a great energy and a great spirit.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did it make you nervous when the judges said that both meals were the best they've had on a Top Chef finale?
A. Paul: Not really because speaking with Sarah the night before, she said she wanted to make it a really tough decision.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was it like to get the win with your family ther?
A. Paul: I've never seen my dad cry like that ever!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What do you want to do from here?
A. Paul: Besides working with Uchi + Uchiko, hopefully some new projects in the future!

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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