The excitement of Top Chef Season 22 continues as it showcases diverse culinary talents vying for a grand prize of $250,000. One of the standout contestants is Paula Endara, the executive chef at The Manchester in Lexington, Kentucky. Originally hailing from Ecuador, Paula’s culinary journey began unexpectedly, stemming from her initial experience in hospitality.
“I was waiting tables, and then I fell in love with hospitality, and those two just click, you know, it made me feel comforting, and it’s nostalgic, and it’s so fun to just connect with people you know, through food,” she shared.
Before diving into the culinary scene, Paula aspired to be a musician. However, her growing passion for food and building connections shifted her focus, leading her to train at the prestigious Basque Culinary Center. Her journey included innovative ventures such as collaborating with Amazonian farmers to create a nomadic restaurant in Quito. Additionally, she launched her own establishment, Roots, in Arkansas, expertly merging Ecuadorian flavors with locally sourced ingredients.
Paula’s Culinary Evolution and Experience on Top Chef
Currently, Paula leads the kitchen at both The Granddam and The Lost Palm, situated within The Manchester hotel in Lexington. Although her background was not rooted in professional cooking, her experiences have catapulted her into the national spotlight through her participation in Top Chef. Reflecting on her time on the show, she mentioned:
“It’s really easy to judge when you’re watching on the couch,” she shared.
She emphasized that adapting to a new kitchen in an unfamiliar city presents unique hurdles that add to the competitive intensity.
“I don’t know if it was being in a different city or a different kitchen that you’ve never been in before. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s like ‘oh wow, this is crazy,'” she added.
According to her Top Chef profile, Paula’s experience includes working with avant-garde cuisine, engaging in international collaborations, and maintaining a strong connection to her Ecuadorian heritage. Although she prepared extensively for the show, she acknowledged that the true trials emerge at the moment the clock starts ticking.
As an introvert, Paula admitted that the newfound attention was an adjustment.
“I never had people asking me for pictures and autographs. Now I have that, which is kind of weird in some ways, but also exciting. It’s been fun,” she shared.
Episode 3 Overview: The Cold Dish Challenge
In Episode 3, which aired on March 27, 2025, the Cold Dish Challenge required the chefs to create dishes inspired by ice hockey. Entitled “Better Served Cold,”the elimination challenge asked contestants to select cloches bearing hockey-related terms which corresponded to specific ingredients or concepts for their cold dish.
Hosted by Kristen Kish and accompanied by Canadian Olympic hockey player Natalie Spooner, the challenge kicked off with Paula drawing “peanut butter”as her theme, which led her to craft an Ecuadorian-style ceviche. While defending her broth-based creation as a cultural staple, judges believed the peanut flavor was too subtle for the challenge.
Paula articulated her stance, stating that, in Ecuador, ceviche is traditionally served “brothy”; however, the judges critiqued the execution rather than its authenticity. During the Quickfire Challenge, which focused on Jamaican patties, Paula participated alongside her fellow competitors, while Katianna successfully clinched her second consecutive Quickfire win.
In the elimination round, other chefs took on various ingredients; for instance, Massimo faced critique over a dessert themed around the word “muffin,”while Tristen‘s deviled egg tartare received high praise. Katianna, Corwin, and Tristen emerged as the top three contenders, with Katianna ultimately winning yet again. Paula found herself in the bottom three but was ultimately deemed safe, resulting in Anya being eliminated.
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