Padma’s back with a new reality cooking show

You can take the host out of Top Chef but apparently you cannot take the Top Chef out of the host. Padma Lakshmi, who departed from Bravo TV’s Top Chef in 2023, is returning to the small screen as the host and executive producer of yet another reality cooking program. This one is titled America’s Culinary Cup and it features a grand prize of $1 million USD.

The show premieres tomorrow night on CBS following Survivor. Unlike Top Chef, the contestants are already well-established and recognized chefs from across the United States, and the show will not rely on gimmicky challenges. Another difference between the programs: like Survivor, the contestants will determine who will compete against each other and they will need to find allies and form alliances. There is one similarity: a catch phrase for sending home departing contestants. This one is “You served your final dish.”

According to the AP, the contestants include “six Michelin star chefs, two James Beard winners, 14 James Beard nominees, three Food + Wine best new chefs, two Bocuse d’Or medalists and multiple “Top Chef” winner Buddha Lo.” Michelin-starred chef Michael Cimarusti and molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne join Padma at the judge’s table for the series.