In the all-new season, the chefs will put their expert take on iconic regional dishes, while also being immersed in the ethnic diversity that has come to define Houston’s culinary identity.  With the city being home to the largest Nigerian population in the country, the chefs will be put to the test for a quickfire spotlighting Nigerian cuisine and an elimination challenge tasking them to feed Houstonians at an Asian Night Market that draws inspiration from some of the cities’ largest Asian communities. The chefs must also mess with Houston, Texas by putting their own spin on beloved staples including BBQ, biscuits, queso and the classic Tex-Mex original, the fajita, which was popularized in the city.  

Houston is home to infinite possibilities as the chefs create space-friendly dishes for former astronauts, and head out to the Gulf with Tom for an unforgettable fishing experience.  Taking inspiration from Top Chef France’s most difficult challenge, Padma tests the chefs to create two dishes that look identical but taste completely different. The competition’s signature challenge, Restaurant Wars, ups the ante with an open kitchen concept where the chefs must cook for a full dining room of guests, while also catering to an intimate tasting table for the judges. From paying tribute to the state’s female trailblazers to hosting a block party fundraiser to preserve Freedmen’s town, the culinary showdown from 15 to 1 “Top Chef,” is one for the history books.