Local contestants dish on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ experience
Chef Ramsay details winning prize

by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, March 22, 2008

  
From left, Bobby Anderson of Niagara Falls, Chef Gordon Ramsay, and Shayna Raichilson-Zadok of Buffalo. (photos ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX)

“Hell’s Kitchen” is about to get a little warmer.

Local interest in the FOX Network’s reality cooking competition is set to reach a boiling point when season four premieres on Tuesday, April 1 (9 p.m., Ch. 6). The show will feature two Western New York contestants: Bobby Anderson, 37, an executive chef from Niagara Falls, and Shayna Raichilson-Zadok, 28, owner of Bohemian Hostess, a Buffalo catering company.

Along with 13 other chefs from around the country, Bobby and Shayna will compete for the opportunity to serve as executive chef at The London West Hollywood, a restaurant set to open this summer. Judging the competition is world-famous culinary master Gordon Ramsay.

Bobby and Shayna spoke to the Sentinel this week about their audition process, cooking experience, and what it was like to work for Ramsay, the boisterous, F-word-spouting super chef and London West Hollywood owner.

Bobby, the self-described “Black Gordon Ramsay,” has served in principal chef roles for the Seneca Niagara Casino and Shanghai Red’s. Currently, he is employed by Wegmans.

He said he auditioned for “Hell’s Kitchen” on a whim.

“I was in the New York City area; they were auditioning at this one restaurant I was eating at,” he said. With a long line of hopefuls, he was hesitant. However, he said, “My wife made me try out.” Producers were able to whisk him through the line into the interview room, where he shined.

Though he’s only caught a couple of episodes of “Hell’s Kitchen,” what Bobby saw was enough to convince him he could win its top prize.

“I looked at those shows, why those idiots couldn’t make a risotto,” he said of the “Hell’s Kitchen” staple. “I make a pretty good risotto.”

Shayna, on the other hand, has been a fan of “Hell’s Kitchen” since its inception. She said she planned to audition for season three, but became pregnant and passed.

Undeterred, she met with season four casting agents and was selected to compete.

“It’s something that I wanted to do since I saw the first season,” she said.

Asked why she’d make a good contestant, Shayna said, “A, I really love the show. B, I can cook my a- - off, and C, I have a personality to boot – I’m the perfect candidate.”

On the show, she said she had the good pleasure of working for the perfect chef.

“I can’t even say enough good things about him,” Shayna said.

Bobby, likewise, said he enjoyed working with Ramsay.

“He’s like one of the best chefs I’ve ever met,” he said. “He knows it from A to Z.”

Ramsay, in a conference call Monday, said he got a kick out of Bobby. During the audition process, the chef donned a prosthetic disguise and sat alongside show hopefuls.

“It was really weird to sit opposite Bobby on the couch when he’s like yelling at me, ‘I’m the black Gordon Ramsay and you guys, good luck, because you’re going to need it. I’m the five-star general.’ ” Ramsay said. “It was so funny because I was ‘Terrance from Texas’ and I was absolutely peeing my pants with laughter but trying to keep a straight face.”

When the season premiere airs, Shayna said she’ll watch with friends and family – most of whom have no idea how far she advances, as contestants are bound to secrecy.

“It will be nice to sit down with them and share what I went through,” she said.

Bobby said he’d be watching at home with his new television equipment. He said the notion of becoming a celebrity “hasn’t even hit me yet.” He’s more interested in viewers seeing someone from Niagara Falls make it on the national scene.

“I’ve been digging and grinding for the past 22 years,” Bobby said.

“I want to show people you can learn a craft, be the best at that craft, and pass that on,” he added.

Shayna, too, hopes people will discover what Western New York has to offer.

“I’ve long thought that Buffalo should be a culinary destination,” she said. “It’s got great, fast food.”

Ramsay said he’s pleased with the caliber of chefs competing in season four.

“I’m very excited about season four, more so than any other year before,” he said. “When you look at the setup in terms of the level of professionalism, this year we’ve raised the bar. Looking for a chef, personally, is something I’ve stood by, got very nervous about, and more importantly, I’d like to think that we have the most amazing – I hate that word ‘cast’ – I call them chefs. FOX wanted to run a show and I run the restaurant. So, it’s a great team of chefs, more so than any other year, and an amazing, talented female following this year, which I’ve never seen before anything quite like it. It’s quite refreshing, really, on the back of a male dominant, chauvinistic stance that kitchens have today, so I was really pleased.”

The winning chef will be afforded the opportunity to work at the London West Hollywood, which Ramsay said will live up to its name.

“Here, in L.A., trust me, there will be fireworks from the canapés right through to the desserts,” he said.

The “Hell’s Kitchen” experience will undoubtedly continue for the show’s top chef.

“I’ve been here for three years now. I’ve been in New York for 15 months. Winning two … stars in the Zagat ‘No. 1 Best Newcomer’ within 10 months of opening in New York has taught me a big lesson. Come out of the trap strong, explode from day one,” Ramsay said.

“If you think customers are impatient in New York, wait to you see how impatient they are here in L.A,” he said.

As to the menu, Ramsay said, “It’s not going to be sedated, heavy, rich French cuisine; it’s going to be a light and American, California-style, with a bit of a Japanese influence. Everything is healthy, fresh.”

So too, he said the restaurant would be fresh and exciting.

“The style, the feel, and the décor of the dining room is vibrant. It’s very L.A.; very cool fabrics, lots of silver, lots of nickel, brushed stainless steel and lots of cream fabric,” Ramsay said. “It’s going to be fast, it’s going to be furious and, more importantly, we have that level of intimacy, that level of fun without being long-winded. That’s really important.”