The Biggest Regret Shota Nakajima Has About The Top Chef Finale

Seattle Chef Shota Nakajima's reaction to his second-place finish on Season 18 of "Top Chef" has been complicated. As he told The Daily Dish, he went on the show, which was filmed in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, simply because he wanted to cook with people again. He was proud of himself for just making it to the finale. "I remember walking into the kitchen and looking at these two amazing chefs and (being) overwhelmed with joy," Nakajima said. "I'm here cooking with these guys right now, and that means something."

Nakajima said something similar to Vulture. "I was extremely proud of myself for making it to the finale and not giving up, even though it was very hard. ... Obviously, if I would have won, that would have been mind-blowing, but I was extremely happy that Gabe (Erales) won as well." He put a positive spin on his defeat by relating it to his experience playing a video game. "It's just like 'Dragon Ball Z': You get defeated, you become stronger. ... You don't do it to win; you do it for the game."

So no regrets, right? After all, Nakajima got a consolation prize of $10,000 from being named the Top Chef Fan Favorite, per Bravo. Well, maybe he has one regret. He keeps replaying that four-course meal from the finale in his mind — and even in the kitchen.

Chef Shota Nakajima had a great run on Season 18 of "Top Chef," but he fell a little flat in the finale. As Parade reported, Nakajima's four-course finale was disjointed. Incredibly, a chef known for his Japanese cooking somehow managed to mess up the rice. Nakajima told Parade he could have tweaked his courses, but he wouldn't have changed much. Maybe he would have skipped the rice he had served with his beef dish.

The first thing Nakajima did after returning home from "Top Chef" was to recreate his finale meal (via Vulture). "I know the mistakes I made," he said. "I didn't have to change the dishes. I could have changed the concept of what it was and how it was presented."

But speaking with The Daily Dish, Nakajima admitted he would have changed one thing about his finale meal, after all. "I would've done a clear broth. I don't know why I didn't do a clear broth, 'cause that is, like, Japanese cuisine to the core," he said. He added that he would have explained to the "Top Chef" judges that "it's the first soup base that I was taught, as the basis of Japanese cuisine."

But again, Nakajima's reaction to finishing second on Season 18 of "Top Chef" was complicated. "Maybe I haven't got the title, but you know what? I think I won a lot of other things," he told The Daily Dish. "I'm just very humbled every day."