FlaySyed2018SOBEWFF
Editor's Note: Congrats to Chef Asif! He beat Bobby Flay.
He’s zoomed around a supermarket and cooked his heart out at light-speed in two previous Food Network battle royales. His foes on Guy’s Grocery Games and Cutthroat Kitchen? Noted chefs just like him from across the U.S.
But for his next turn in the spotlight, Asif Syed, chef and owner of 21 Spices by Chef Asif in Naples, has a much bigger fish to fry. On Sept. 20 at 10 p.m., the TV network will air “Chop of the Mornin’ to Ya,” an episode of Beat Bobby Flay that pits our local spice superstar against none other than Iron Chef, restaurateur, decades-long small-screen personality and celebrity chef Bobby Flay.
In a press release, Syed reflected on the experience, “I feel honored that I was able to not only represent Southwest Florida but also my hometown, Hyderabad, India, on such a large stage.” And even though he needs to keep details mum, he joked, “I know that it was quite a challenge for [Flay] as well. He was forced to get out of his comfort zone, and I am sure it was not the curry that made him sweat.”
Syed will host a viewing party with a special four-course meal at his restaurant on Sept. 20; check the 21 Spices website for more information and to reserve a seat. He has also been a regular on the channel’s festival circuit, with consecutive appearances at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival; tickets for the February 2019 event go on sale in October.