Chef Justin Sutherland shares how his Obachan, or grandmother, influenced his love for cooking at a young age and granted his wish for an Easy Bake Oven when he was five years old.
Chef Justin Sutherland shares how his Obachan, or grandmother, influenced his love for cooking at a young age and granted his wish for an Easy Bake Oven when he was five years old. He talks about pursuing law school after his undergraduate degree and what ultimately made him pivot to culinary school in Atlanta. Justin talks about the grind of paying his dues early in his career and what he learned when he sold all of his things and moved to Costa Rica for eight months to reset. He reveals what he has learned opening his own restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, his advice for aspiring restaurant owners, and what concept he has up his sleeve next. Justin shares his passion for encouraging conversations around social change through his streetwear brand and uplifting minority communities through his nonprofit organization. He recalls his experience competing and winning on Iron Chef and his thoughts on the randomizer after competing on the latest season of Tournament of Champions.
Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessed
Connect with the podcast: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/food-network-obsessed-the-official-podcast-of-food-network
Follow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetwork
Follow Jaymee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesire
Follow Justin Sutherland on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjustinsutherland/
Learn More About Tournament of Champions:
Find episode transcript here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/justin-sutherlands-advice-for-burnout-the-perfect-ramen-order
[MUSIC PLAYING] JAYMEE SIRE: Hello and welcome to Food Network Obsessed. This is the podcast where we dish on all things Food Network with your favorite Food Network stars. I'm your host Jaymee Sire And today, we have a chef with us to talk about his Easy-Bake Oven, Japanese heritage, and why one day he decided to sell all of his stuff and move to Costa Rica.
He is a chef, restauranteur, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is an Iron Chef America winner. And he's going to be on the new season of Tournament of Champions. It's Justin Sutherland.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Justin, welcome to the podcast. We just had Eric Adjepong on. We were reminiscing about the brew fest that we all did together before the world shut down. So it's so great to reconnect with you here on Food Network Obsessed.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Awesome. Now, thank you. Thank you for having me. Yeah, Eric's become one of my really, really good friends. So that's awesome you got to talk to him. He's crushing it right now.
JAYMEE SIRE: He is, as are you. So we're so excited to talk to you about all of your projects that you have going on right now. But let's start off with a little true or false. You asked for an Easy-Bake Oven on your fifth birthday. Is that true?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I absolutely did. My dad said no. It's early '80s, boys weren't getting easy-bake ovens. But my grandma said yes, and I got it anyway.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, you didn't look back, apparently. So apparently, you loved cooking at a very early age. What were you watching or experiencing that pulled you in that direction?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I was obsessed with the show Yan Can Cook. But Martin Yan, I just-- I don't know. My grandma used to take care of us when we were kids. And that was always on the TV there. So I was watching that and, really, was watching both of my grandmothers. They just-- they were always in the kitchen. And food was just their love language. And so just following them around, so it really got me into food.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah, it seems like you really have a special relationship with your grandmothers. I saw it on Instagram, you gave your Obacha, no, your grandmother, her first pair of Jordans for Christmas, which is the wholesome content we all need right now. How did she integrate Japanese food and culture into your childhood?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: In a very, very big way. When she came to this country, she spoke zero English. She met my grandpa when he was in the Korean War stationed over there, moved over here. So food was really the only way that she could teach us about Japan and get us connected to her past. I mean, we brought our friends over to her house all the time for sukiyaki and sushi. And she was always-- food was the way she could share her history with us.
JAYMEE SIRE: What are some of your favorite things to cook together?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Our two no one dishes we always brought our friends over to her house and that me and my brother still love are definitely her pork tonkatsu and sukiyaki.
JAYMEE SIRE: For anybody that doesn't know, what is sukiyaki?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yes. Sukiyaki is a very traditional one-pot meal that every family in Japan has their own ingredients that they add to it. But they have a table, a coffee table, in the living room with a burner built in the middle.
And they make this rich, hearty broth. And you throw in tofu and shaved beef and noodles and shiitake mushrooms and cabbage and all kinds of things. And then everybody just sits around this table and eats out of the same pot.
JAYMEE SIRE: I love that. Have you had an opportunity to visit Japan?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I have. Yeah, many times. When I was younger, quite a bit. My mom worked for the airline. So up until 2006, we got free flight benefits. So growing up, we had a yearly trip to Japan. So I've been many times.
JAYMEE SIRE: At some point, your path went a different direction. You actually went to business school in preparation for law school. What about that path at the time seemed compelling? And then what ultimately changed your mind?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I think it was twofold. I was always wanted to be a lawyer. Growing up, my favorite show was The Practice. We watched that with my family. I don't know. Business school is just the natural path if you didn't know exactly what you wanted to do. And cooking wasn't a glamorous profession whatsoever, especially back then. So I just-- business school was the default. But I always thought I wanted to be a lawyer.
JAYMEE SIRE: What made you change your mind?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: You know, I finished, I got my business management degree. I was getting ready to go to law school. I was selling mortgage in that summer and just sitting in a cubicle and cold calling and just continuing research and all this. So I remember calling my dad, and I was like, there's no way.
I was like, this is what the next 40 plus years of my life, because there's no way. And he is the one who is like, you've always loved cooking, you've always loved food. Why don't you try culinary school? And you're young enough. If it doesn't work out, you've got your business degree. We can restart. But don't get into life now and hate what you do.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I mean, that's good advice. And by the way, the lawyer to chef pipeline is actually somewhat common on this podcast for some reason, believe it or not. But you attended culinary school in Atlanta. You stayed there working for several years after. What were some of your formative experiences like in the kitchen after you graduated?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, it's really the first time that I started working in professional kitchens. And nowadays, these are things that we don't celebrate. We're trying to have a better grasp on our industry. But I remember working at the first fine dining restaurant. I worked at in Atlanta. I could work lunch and prep. They wouldn't let me work dinner service.
One day, the dinner guy called out sick. And the chef came up to me. And she was like, this is your chance, you're up. You're working sautée on dinner tonight, which was, I mean, what I've been working for the whole time. And I remember cooking this foie gras. And we had a little dump sink over by the side where we throw our dirty pans in.
I cooked this foie gras. All this rendered foie gras fat was in the pan. And I went to toss the pan into the sink. And the front of the pan caught the bottom of the lip of the dump sink. And in slow motion, I watched this foie gras fat come up in the air and just land directly on my arm and third-degree burn it down to the tendons.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, my gosh.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I ran to the bathroom. I cut the top of my sock off and put it over my arm.
JAYMEE SIRE: What?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Didn't tell anybody because I had to finish service. This is my first. I'll never get to work dinner service again. I can't tell Chef that I just burnt myself, and I have to go the hospital. So I continue to service all the way through.
And then afterwards, I was like, Chef, I think I should go to the hospital. And they pulled the ripped sock off my arm and showed her. And she was like, when did this happen? I was like, at the beginning of service.
JAYMEE SIRE: What does she-- I mean, what did she say?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, she gave me a fist bump for my making it through service and also told me I was an idiot and sent me to the hospital.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, obviously, you're OK now. I mean, do you still have scars from that?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I do. I have a sizeable-- I mean, it's covered with tattoos now. But I definitely have a sizeable scar. I mean, yeah, it was insane. But there was no way I was going to leave the line and go to the hospital on my first day getting to work the station I've always wanted to work.
JAYMEE SIRE: Is paying your dues a common theme when you're a young chef like that?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Absolutely. I mean, absolutely. I think the way in which you pay your dues are different now. The abuse is a little less. But I mean, you have to. I mean, it's a skilled trade. You need to learn.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, I want to get into your career growth in your hometown of St Paul and opening your restaurant Handsome Hog. But before we get to that, I'm super curious about your quarter-life crisis, as you called it.
After working a few years, you sold all of your belongings, bought a one-way ticket to Costa Rica and ended up staying there for about eight months. What was happening in your life at the time that forced you to hit the reset button?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I mean, it was just a culmination of so many things. I finally got where I thought I wanted to be, in a restaurant path. I started working at Meritage, which was the restaurant in St Paul that I really wanted to work for, worked my way up from garde manger to sous chef to chef de cuisine and open this new restaurant. There was a break-up in there at some point I had just totaled my car two weeks prior.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, wow.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: And probably shouldn't have walked away from it. My car was mangled, and didn't have a scratch. And just all these things came up. I was, what am I doing with my life? I got this job that I wanted. But I wasn't making enough money. I was working 100 hours a week. And I think just everything just closed in. And I was like, I need to go figure out what's next.
JAYMEE SIRE: So why Costa Rica?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I just heard stories that was the place to go to figure your stuff out. I had a bunch of friends that had done previously and spent a considerable amount of time. And I don't know. It was a very spur-of-the-moment decision. I wrote my parents a letter because I couldn't tell them. I was just-- I'll be leaving for a while.
JAYMEE SIRE: Wait. They didn't know that you were going?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: This was a decision made in 72 hours. I had hard service at work. I had the car crash, had the breakup with the girlfriend. It's all these things. And I was like, I'm out of here.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, I don't blame you. I've been to Costa Rica as well. It is a magical place. Would you describe that experience there as transformative?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Absolutely. I mean, mentally and just everything, it changed who I was as a person. I didn't know how long I was going to stay. I thought it was going to be two or three weeks and ended up being eight months. I met some best friends I still have today.
And really, it was good. It's always good to step back and evaluate your life. And you never really know who you are until you're just completely by yourself without any external people saying this is who we think you are. When you're completely by yourself and don't know anybody, that's when you figure it out.
JAYMEE SIRE: Did you work at all while you were there? Or are you were just there to reset and reevaluate things?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I definitely developed a network I was either sleeping in a hammock on the beach or sitting in hostels that were $2 a night.
[LAUGHTER]
JAYMEE SIRE: I mean, that doesn't sound too bad. What is your advice to someone out there who might be feeling the same, might be feeling a little burned out, a little uninspired?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I mean, I think times are a little bit different now. But I think you have to just do that step back. I just think what people expect of us can weigh very heavily on us. And you have to check in with yourself sometimes. And it's OK to take those mental health breaks and take those breaks, in general, just to be by yourself. I think it's very important. Sometimes, it's very important to be alone.
JAYMEE SIRE: Absolutely. And after that trip, you return back home. You were making some moves to open up your first restaurant Handsome Hog. When you were making your business plan and visualizing that first restaurant, what were some of the non-negotiables for you?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I had to be the boss. I was done working for people. That was why I left. I just-- for me, I wanted it to be small. I wanted it to be intimate. I wanted to be able to make the food be our-- talk to people and just keep it nice and small.
And I think the business degree helps a lot. Everybody wants to make good food. But there's so much more to the business. I think that's where a lot of us fail, which I have many times thinking, oh, this is amazing, everyone's going to want. It but you don't take into account the numbers. And you've got to pay rent.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yep. The dishes there are described as pork-centric Southern contemporary. How did you bring your classic French training and affinity for Southern food together to create this approach?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: That's what it was really all about for me with Handsome Hog. I love this Southern food, the story behind it, soul food, and the flavors. And then having been classically French-trained and working at a fine dining French restaurant, which I still love, but I wanted to take those skills that I had learned and apply them to very classic Southern food.
JAYMEE SIRE: How has the culinary community in the Twin Cities evolved over the years? And what do you see for it in the future?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, I think we have one of the greatest food scenes in the country right now. I think it's extremely innovative. I think when people think about what is food for Minnesota, but known or unknown, and we have the largest Hmong community in the country, the largest Somalian community in the country, a huge Vietnamese, Native American community.
And so there's so much food that resides in Minnesota in the Twin Cities that really define its culinary landscape. And there's Minnesota nice. But I think we have this-- just like, all the chefs here just play nice together. It's awesome. We always cook at each other's restaurants and these collaborations and popups and just so much support. So I love being a part of this.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. And then since opening that first restaurant, you've also added more projects to the portfolio-- Obachan Noodles and Chicken, Chickpea Hummus Bar, The Gnome, Woodfire Cantina, Grey Duck Tavern. Your business education certainly being put to good use, I would say. What did you learn in the process of opening the Handsome Hog that you were able to apply to these new ventures?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, so many things. Knowing your numbers, like, you have to know how to operate it as a business. I mean, a lot of times, restaurants are passion projects. And if it's just a passion project, my advice is just do it at home. This is a very, very expensive venture.
JAYMEE SIRE: If it's not a passion project, what is your advice for somebody that dreams of opening their own restaurant?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Know the neighborhood, the area you're going into. Again, it comes down to really dialing in those numbers and those food costs and all of the things that are not associated with the food. We focus-- especially when you're chef-owner, is if you're a chef or a business person, they're generally watching their numbers. But if you're a chef-owner, you're usually more concerned with the food. And yes, that's the most important thing but not to the bank.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. Is there a restaurant concept that you've had on your mind for a while that you would still like to bring to life that you haven't yet?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I have one-- I have one on the way. That will be coming out soon. I'm obsessed with egg sandwiches.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, yes. Me too.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Obsessed. It's my favorite food in the world, is a good egg sandwich. And I'm obsessed with '90s hip-hop. I have a new concept coming that'll be multi-state, quick service concept called Big E.
JAYMEE SIRE: OK. I like it.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: For Big E, and the Big E. But it's just-- it's a high-end egg sandwich concept that we'll be rolling out here in the coming months.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's amazing. Is there going to be one in New York, hopefully?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: New York's on the list. I think we've got four or five locations in Minneapolis, Portland, Nashville, and definitely, New York.
JAYMEE SIRE: OK. All right. Well, let me know when that happens. But you are obviously a very ambitious individual entrepreneur. You're also the co-owner of Hybrid Nation, which is a socially conscious streetwear and lifestyle brand. You co-founded a nonprofit called North Sands to support and provide relief to struggling hospitality workers during the pandemic.
And both of these initiatives really focus on support for Black and Brown communities and encourage conversations around diversity and social equality. When we're looking, I guess, specifically, at the culinary industry and the food world, what does genuine representation and diversity look like to you?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: It's a big question. I mean, if you focus it on the culinary world, I mean, I think it stems from the beginning. I mean, if you look at brands like Uncle Nearest and get their stories, I mean, there was so many times where people of color, whether it's the cooks, whether it's the dishwashers, whether it's the Chef that came up with the menu, was always in the back of the kitchen but never able to be the face of it.
So I mean, that's a huge part now, and women in the kitchen that are just seeing this resurgence of female chefs that are finally being given the platform that they've always deserved. I think people of color, immigrants have always been the backbone of the restaurant industry. So being able to support and showcase them is important.
I mean, being a person of color and coming up through this industry and knowing how difficult it's been to get any credit has always been tough. And once I finally got somewhat of a spotlight, looking around and seeing how many other people have not been given that same opportunity, so I was given a shot. And I want to make sure that everybody else has the opportunity to tell their stories and do their thing.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JAYMEE SIRE: Coming up next, Justin tells us what it was like to compete against Alex Guarnaschelli on Iron Chef America and teases what we can expect to see on the next season of Tournament of Champions.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You've competed on Iron Chef America. How certain were you about your foray into competing on television? Did it feel natural?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Initially. I mean, no. I don't even remember my Iron Chef. I blacked out. It just happens. I mean, I remember being at work. And somebody from Food Network called, this is the producer from Food Network, do you want to be an Iron Chef?
And I thought I was getting a prank phone call because it was the year I opened Handsome Hog. I'm like, somebody is messing with me because I opened my first restaurant. And literally, I think I hung up on them. Soon they called back, and they're like, no, this is serious. But I love it. I mean, it's fun. It's always good to win. But it's also a lot of fun.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I mean, I can't believe you don't remember it because, I mean, you won. You won against the Iron Chef herself, Alex Guarnaschelli. You finally got to flex those ramen muscles on stage, create some dishes that really reflect your diverse background that we've been talking about it. So I mean, do you remember what was going through your mind when you were on the clock? Or do you really not remember anything from that?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, it was a while after. I mean, I had my sous chefs there. And when we got done, I was like, do you guys remember anything that happened? And then I've written, when it finally aired, and I watched it. And I was like, oh, my god. But we had practiced so much leading up to it. And I think it just-- you just get into that war mode. And I don't know, something clicked. I saw red and just went, and then it was over.
JAYMEE SIRE: I mean, how do you prepare for something like that, obviously not knowing what the secret ingredient is going to be but just honing the dishes that you maybe would want to represent on the show?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I think twofold on that. I mean, we practiced. I grabbed Donald and Brandon. And the first thing we did is just figure out what we can't accomplish in that time frame. So my friend's restaurant was only open for dinner. So we go there from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM every day and just practice things that we knew how to do and see if it was something that we could do in that amount of time.
But we didn't know the ingredients. So I was like, all right, if I want to make this, is it even possible? So you know what things to check off of your list that you can't do this. And then you figure out things you absolutely wanted to do. I was like, no matter what, I'm going to make ramen in one hour on TV.
I knew I wanted to do it. And the first time I made it, like, just making it, it took 19 minutes from beginning to end. And then I practiced it every day. And then by the time we get it done, I made it in six minutes. And I was like, all right, if I can do this in six minutes, and then yeah, muscle memory just kicks in, and you just do it.
JAYMEE SIRE: How do you make ramen in six minutes?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I couldn't do it. I think that was a fast learned and fast unlearned skill. I really couldn't do it again.
JAYMEE SIRE: You mentioned your sous chefs who, in that format, you get to bring with you on these competitions. How did you choose who was going to come with you and help out?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, I knew immediately. I mean, they were the first. The second I got that phone call, the next phone call, was to bring Randolph and Donald Gonzalez. Both of them have worked for me or with me in many capacities and been Chefs from other restaurants. But that's definitely not always the key.
I think it's-- you've got to have somebody that thinks like you, that you don't have to say anything, that we can just give one-word cues, and we're all in sync. And these are two guys that I've cooked with for a lot in my life. And I knew they were the ones to bring.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, I mean, I know from doing an Iron Chef Showdown, it is a beast. So the fact that you were able to go on and also beat Alex Guarnaschelli is certainly an accomplishment. And now you have a new challenge ahead. Without spoiling too much, you are on the new season of Tournament of Champions. So how terrifying is the randomizer in person?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: It's absolute insanity.
[LAUGHTER]
It's amazing when it comes to food competition because it makes it anyone's game, I mean, walking in there with some of the 32 greatest chefs in the world. But then that randomizer is its humbilizing It brings everybody to an equal playing field. You never know what's going to come up. But it's absolutely ridiculous. Guy, you are crazy.
JAYMEE SIRE: Was that your first time working with him?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: It was, in a real capacity. I just, last week, got back. I did a week of Guy's Grocery Games, post Tournament of Champions. But yeah, that was our first time working together.
JAYMEE SIRE: I'm sure that was a nice change from being on stage, competing under the gun, and just being able to sit back and have fun on Guy's Grocery Games.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Oh, no. You haven't seen my episode yet. It was [LAUGHTER] There was no relaxing and having fun.
JAYMEE SIRE: No relaxing? OK, I'm looking forward to seeing that. I mean, how does Tournament of Champions compare to other culinary competitions?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. I mean, it has all of the things from other competitions-- the time limit, the picking food. But having the randomizer choose and having the random bracket, and especially with a seeding situation in the last couple of seasons, we've seen a lot of upsets with number one's losing to number tens and this and that. So I think just the entire way it's put together, it's definitely in the Chef's best interest because it puts everybody on an equal playing field. But it also makes things potentially crazy.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I mean, I think the blind taste testing as well the judges not knowing even who's competing at all. I think, like you said, it really puts everybody on that even playing field. So we'll look forward to seeing how you progress in that competition. You're also a fresh face on Chopped as a judge, which is super exciting. Who did you get to judge alongside on your first day?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Oh, man. Brooke Williamson and Mark Murphy, I think, we're our day ones. We did an episode after that with Kwame, which was awesome.
JAYMEE SIRE: Nice.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah, I think I did seven episodes in total. So we ran a whole gamut of awesome judges.
JAYMEE SIRE: What is it like being on that side of things, not actually having to compete, just getting to analyze what the other competitors were doing?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, it's definitely better to be on that side of the table than the other. But there's a whole other level of things that you have to do. I mean, you've got to speak eloquently. And at the end of the day, you're sending people home and crushing some dreams. So you have to make sure that your feedback is valid and true, and your palate is right.
JAYMEE SIRE: What never ceases to amaze you when you're observing these competitors up there on Chopped?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, it's intense. Chopped is crazy. And it's unlike other things where you have one hour to do this or 30 minutes. I mean, they're making a full three-course meal. So I'm always impressed when people come out on Chopped and make it through that day.
And it's a long day. It's an 8, 10-hour day of just nonstop cooking. And you get-- there's no other show up there that makes you cook three separate meals in one day. So I'm impressed by everybody who does that.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's nuts. I mean, as a judge, are you ever in your head, thinking about what you would do with those chopped basket ingredients?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: 100%. I think all the judges do. I mean, as soon as the basket ingredients are revealed, all the judges get together. And we're like, what would you do, what would you do? We have an entire game plan. And sometimes, you just get the itch and like, oh, I just wish we could go out there and do it. But yeah, you can't help but look at that and try and figure out what you do.
JAYMEE SIRE: Is there an ingredient out there, either that you saw during one of your episodes or just in general, that would, hands down, get yourself chopped?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, yes. I mean, I'm impressed that anybody-- and anybody who doesn't get chopped on that show. I mean, we've had episodes with lettuce-flavored ice cream with--
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, a savory dish with Christmas cupcakes. I mean, so many things, I mean, that's the whole point of the show. But there's so many-- everything that comes out is meant to make you lose your mind.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, there are certainly so many exciting things happening for you. As a public figure with your name, your career on the rise, what keeps you grounded?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Everything. I mean, knowing that none of this was intentional. It could all go away any day. You know, I'm just very happy to cook food and do it on a platform. I feel very blessed and grateful every day.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, it's been so fun to see your career develop, evolve, shoot up over the last couple of years since we first met. And this has been such a blast catching up with you and hearing your story. We're going to finish things off with a few rapid fire questions. And then, we have one final question that we ask all of our guests here on Food Network Obsessed. So rapid fire, guilty pleasure TV show?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I think watching the show called Big Sky. I don't know if you--
JAYMEE SIRE: OK.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I don't watch a lot of network TV. But it's just, like, it sucked me in. And it's on ABC. And it's cheesy. And I don't tell people I watch it.
JAYMEE SIRE: Your ramen order.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I think shoyu ramen with pork, and there's got to be a runny egg.
JAYMEE SIRE: I agree. Tattoo that won't make sense to anyone but you?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: And I have 70 tattoos, and most of them mean absolutely--
JAYMEE SIRE: 70?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I think so. Yeah, I mean, all kinds of little weird stuff. And most of them don't make any sense because I'll put anything on my body. I do have a tuna on my hand that everybody asks about that nobody would know. And it was after Top Chef, we all decided we'd get a tattoo that represented the last dish that we cooked on Top Chef before we got sent home.
JAYMEE SIRE: OK.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Most of us got some weird connection to that. So I had a big yellow tail tattooed on my hand.
JAYMEE SIRE: What was your first tattoo?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: My first tattoo was the chef hat that I drew after finals in culinary school. And I got the tattoo to make sure that I didn't quit the job. And I was like, well, if you get a tattoo, then you have to keep doing it because you can't get a chef hat and then in 10 years, tell people you're not a chef.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. That's a good way to hold yourself accountable. Favorite way to unwind?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I mean, take a nap.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yes, fair. If we looked at your Spotify account search, what would we find?
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: A lot of Rufus Du Sol, probably, a lot of Rick Ross. There's two different sides of me, either chilling or getting really aggressive.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. A hidden gem in St Paul that you love.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: There's a really cool bar called the White Squirrel Bar. It holds 20 people, but they tend to pack 60 people in there. But they don't have a phone number or a website or anything. You just find it. And they've got generally awesome live music and just a cool little hole in the wall.
JAYMEE SIRE: Very cool. Favorite streetwear brand other than Hybrid Nation.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I wear-- I like a lot of off-whites, [INAUDIBLE]
JAYMEE SIRE: Person you would love to sit down to dinner with.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Can I have dinner with Barack Obama and Jay-Z?
JAYMEE SIRE: Sure. Yeah. I love it. Our final question, as I teased, we ask us to everybody on Food Network Obsessed before we let you go. And it is a question that obviously elicits a lot of different responses. What would be on the menu for your perfect food day?
So we want you to take us through the entire progression of meals throughout the day, breakfast, lunch-- you can throw on some snacks if you want, you don't have to-- dinner, and then dessert if you're a dessert person. There, basically, are no rules so you can time travel, spend absurd amounts of money, anybody can serve you these meals. You could cook them if you want. We just want to hear what your ideal food day would be.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: I love-- I'd probably have some eggs Benedict in the morning. Maybe I'll have Thomas Keller make a homemade hollandaise for me--
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, OK.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: --in my house. I don't want to leave the house.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah, of course. He is going to--
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: He has to come over.
JAYMEE SIRE: He's coming to you.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: He's coming to me.
JAYMEE SIRE: I like that.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yes. I'll be wearing a robe and only a robe.
[LAUGHTER]
And then yes, Thomas Keller is going to make a hollandaise, do a good eggs Benedict. Probably, I'm going to go to Japan and get a bowl of ramen in Kyoto and get some Kobe beef right out of Kyoto. After that, I think I'm a big-- I like to taste a lot of different things. So I think there'd just be a smorgasbord, definitely, king crab, huge, huge, huge steak fans. We'd probably have-- man, I'm hungry.
[LAUGHTER]
JAYMEE SIRE: So wait, that's for dinner. You'll just have this huge smorgasbord.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Yeah. A huge smorgasbord for dinner. I'm not a big dessert person. But I like cheeses and fruits and things like that. So I think I'd just be somewhere in France having just a plate of all of the greatest cheeses in the world with a lot of wine and some fruit and nothing too sweet because we're going to do it again.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. Well, that sounds lovely, especially right now in the midst of a winter here in New York and also Minnesota. I'm sure we'd like to be in France just sipping on some wine and eating some cheese as well. So thank you so much for taking the time. We are looking forward to seeing you in action in a bunch of different Food Network shows. And we'll be rooting for you on Tournament of Champions.
JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: Awesome. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Good to see you.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JAYMEE SIRE: Such a delight chatting with Justin today. I'm so looking forward to watching him on the new season of Tournament of Champions, premiering February 27 at 8:00/7:00 Central on Food Network and streaming on Discovery Plus.
Thanks so much for listening and make sure to follow us wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And if you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review. We love it when you do that. That's all for now we'll catch you foodies next Friday.
[MUSIC PLAYING]