Paul Qui

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Paul Qui (born 1980) is a Texas-based chef and owner of Austin restaurants Otoko, Kuneho (previously Qui), Thai Kuhn, and East Side King, .[1] In 2011, he won the ninth season of reality TV cooking competition Top Chef. He is also a James Beard Award winner.[2][3] In 2016, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his then girlfriend while intoxicated.[4]

Early life and career[edit]

Qui was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to the United States as a child.[5] He attended high school in Springfield, Virginia[6] and completed his culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas.[7] His initial forays into cooking professionally led to a job with Tyson Cole, chef/owner of Uchi and Uchiko restaurants in Austin. During his time in the kitchen, Cole became Qui's mentor, and Qui eventually worked his way up to become the chef de cuisine and executive chef at Uchiko.[8]

Qui was one of 29 contestants who appeared on Top Chef Season 9 in 2011, which was filmed in locations around Texas. He won eight of the season's 16 elimination challenges and went on to win the entire season. Following his win, he returned to Austin and opened his flagship restaurant, Qui, and a venture called East Side King, which showcases various Asian-inspired dishes via food trucks.[9] Restaurateur, chef and head judge of the TV show Top Chef, Tom Colicchio, said that Qui was the most talented chef in the first 12 seasons of the show.[10]

Awards and accolades[edit]

In addition to his win on Top Chef, Paul Qui also has earned the following awards:

  • Chef of the Year by Esquire Magazine in 2014[11]
  • Best Chef, Southwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2012[12]
  • One of Food & Wine magazine's best new chefs of 2014[13]
  • Winner of the 2013 S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup Young Chef of the Year[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Paul Qui". Austin Culture Map. Retrieved 2017-02-14. 
  2. ^ "Paul Qui". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  3. ^ "Uchiko's Paul Qui nabs the James Beard Award: Another Austin win". CultureMap Austin. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  4. ^ "‘Top Chef’ winner Paul Qui charged with assault after alleged cocaine use, fight with girlfriend". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-17. 
  5. ^ "How I Went from Being a Terrible Drug Dealer to Top Chef". MUNCHIES: Food by VICE. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  6. ^ "Paul Qui | TRIBEZA Austin Magazine". 205.186.161.206. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  7. ^ "Paul Qui". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  8. ^ "How I Went from Being a Terrible Drug Dealer to Top Chef". MUNCHIES: Food by VICE. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  9. ^ "Paul Qui | Austin Food + Wine Festival | April 22–24, 2016 - Austin, TX". Austin Food + Wine Festival. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  10. ^ "WATCH: Tom Colicchio Picks 'Top Chef's Most Talented Contestant". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-02-02. 
  11. ^ "The Best New Restaurants of 2014 and Other Tasty Awards". Esquire. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  12. ^ "James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  13. ^ "Meet the 2014 F&W Best New Chefs". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
  14. ^ "Paul Qui Wins S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup 2013". Eater. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
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