South Shore chef to compete on Food Network's show

QUINCY – A local chef will appear on the Food Network's popular cooking show "Chopped."

Laurence Louie, chef and owner of Rubato, a Hong Kong-style café on Hancock Street, will compete in the March 5 episode of "Chopped," which is titled "A Taste of China." The episode first airs at 8 p.m.

Each episode is comprised of three rounds: appetizer, entrée and dessert. The chefs receive a basket containing four mystery ingredients, some traditional, some more unusual. They are given 30 minutes to create each dish. After each course, one contestant gets "chopped" until only the winner is left. The prize is $10,000.

He couldn't give any show spoilers, but Louie said he competed against three other chefs from around the country in a battle focused on Chinese cuisine. The show was filmed in Brooklyn in December.

"It's a pretty authentic and genuine experience. The Chopped crew was excellent," Louie said.

Louie said one of the top questions he gets is if the competition actually plays out like viewers see on television.

"It's all real," he said. "You get the allotted time and you don't know what the ingredients will be."

Louie opened his 1,000-square-foot cafe in August 2022 in the former Contempo Bakery on Hancock Street, which his mother ran for 22 years.

The menu features HK French toast, steamed bao buns and buttery bolo bao sandwiches that can be stuffed with fried chicken, pork or Spam.

Louie was named a semifinalist in this year's prestigious James Beard Awards competition last month. The awards recognize "exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability and a culture where all can thrive."

Last fall, Rubato was named one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants of 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Owner of Quincy's Rubato to compete on Food Network's 'Chopped'