Physically, this season of Top Chef was very challenging. We stayed up for 48 hours for the BBQ challenge we ran around in a hurricane. I got sick, had a fever, lost my voice, stuffy nose, but kept competing.

I didn't cook for the competition, I cooked for myself, I cooked for my loved ones, I cooked to represent my culture, I cooked to represent Chinese-American immigrants. I was proud of what I was able to accomplish under the conditions.

One thing inspired me the most from the time I spent in Charleston was how much heritage and history are connected to influencing how I cook. Each dish tugged my heart in a different spot that after I finished cooking, I was really emotional and felt fulfilled at the same time.