Meet Seattle's Aspiring Season 9 Top Chefs: Ashley Villaluz

Name: Ashley Villaluz
Age: 25
Current job: Caterer, Metiza Catering
Culinary background: Villaluz graduated from the culinary program at North Seattle Commmunity College in 2005. She's since cooked at Café Juanita, El Gaucho and Joule.

SW: What's your signature ingredient?

AV: Fish sauce. I like the Vietnamese Three Crabs brand.

SW: What was your favorite childhood restaurant?

AV: Growing up, my dad was a chef, so we ate a lot at home. He worked in corporate kitchens.

SW: What's your favorite meal in Seattle?

AV: Joule barbecue. (ed. note: The $24 dish consists of short rib steak, sweet chili sausage, and grilled kimchi.)

SW: What's your favorite place to eat outside of Seattle?

AV: San Francisco. I love the Slanted Door. And who doesn't love the French Laundry?

SW: Drink of choice?

AV: I'm from Seattle, so coffee.

SW: What can the rest of the country learn from Seattle chefs?

AV: The rest of the country can learn being local and seasonal, sort of farm-to-table.

SW: If you had to gauge chefs' skills using a challenge that didn't involve cooking, which activity would you use?

AV: I don't know. Something to see how well they prove leadership.

SW: What were your impressions of Texas before being cast on Top Chef?

AV: When I think of Texas, I think of dirt pastures, old taverns, and tumbleweeds rolling down the street.

SW: Who's your reality show role model?

AV: I like Gordon Ramsay, just because he always gets the job done. He seems like the bad guy, but he always does everything right.

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