‘This show just keeps getting better and better’: Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ season 23 debuts this week with 3 SoFlo chefs

Attention cooking-competition fans in SoFlo: We will be well-represented in Season 23 of TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” with three chefs participating from Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s hit show — last season ranked as fall 2023’s No. 1 cooking show among adults age 18 to 49 and total viewers — is set to debut locally at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, on WSVN-Ch. 7 and WFLX-Ch. 29.

According to Fox-TV, this upcoming season for the first time filmed on the East Coast, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, where one of Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurants is located. There is also a Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in downtown Miami.

“As my very first show on Fox, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ holds a very special place in my heart, and it’s incredibly gratifying to have it renewed for its 23rd and 24th seasons,” Ramsay says. “This show just keeps getting better and better, and … you can expect even bigger challenges, stronger talent and more intense competition in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ in the years to come.”

The local chefs joining the cast for the new season, which is for “Head Chefs Only,” are:

Below, learn more about each South Florida chef from our Q&A sessions, which have been edited for brevity and clarity.

AMANDA CURRIE

Chef at Oceanic at Pompano Beach Pier; oceanicpompano.com 

Currie was born in Trinidad but moved to Orlando in 1990. “And in 2013, I moved from Orlando to Pompano Beach in hopes of growing my career in a larger market,” she said.

Favorite SoFlo hangout spot: “After a long day at work, I love kicking back at Circus Bar in Pompano Beach. It’s a great serving industry staple with late-night food, and it’s been around for over 30 years. Another place I love visiting is the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood. It’s only open on the weekends, but definitely go hungry. There are so many dishes from all over the world to try, plus shops to get ingredients if you’re looking to ‘chef it up’ at home.”

What you love about SoFlo cuisine: “My absolute favorite part of South Florida cuisine is the food diversity … our climate is tropical and we have access to some of the best ingredients in South America and the Caribbean as well. I love tying in classic techniques with Caribbean flavors to really push what I think Florida cuisine is all about. There’s always a new spot to try and the mom-and-pop places are usually the best.”

Without any spoilers, what you can tell us about this season: “I think this season is going to be SUCH a hit with foodies! Head chefs means next-level cooking! I think that other chefs and aspiring chefs will be able to relate because we all have similar frustrations in our industry, and it’s one thing to watch cooks compete, but when all the players are on a more even field, the game is always a little more fun.”

What it was like being on a TV show for the first time: “Being on a TV show is the most surreal thing I think anyone can do. There are so many moving parts behind the scenes, it can be overwhelming. But the positive is that we were all in the same boat, so this experience was the quickest bonding experience you can have as an adult, I think.”

If you ran into chef Ramsay at his Miami restaurant, what you would say to him now: “If I ran into chef Ramsay (and let’s be real, I hope I do), I would make sure to let him know how much I appreciated all of his mentorship. I’d also probably mention that if the Red Team needs a sous chef in the future, remember the redhead from Season 23.”

Upcoming plans: “In the future, we can look forward to me bringing Trinidadian flavors to South Florida and celebrating the diverse culture we have here.”

Hannah Flora-Mihajlovic

Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach; chefhannahflora.com

Flora-Mihajlovic was born in Akron, Ohio, and moved to DeKalb, Illinois, for the remainder of her adolescence. “From there I relocated to South Florida to embark on my culinary career journey,” she said. “I am currently in Boynton Beach … where it is just enough calm to relax my mind from this busy lifestyle.”

Favorite SoFlo hangout spot: “That depends on when you ask me! During busy season, my favorite place to hang out is my home and the gym. I enjoy gardening, hanging out with my pets and focusing my mind in the gym to clear the clutter. Time at home is limited, so I take advantage of that. During our off-season and when I have more time for myself, I focus on checking out local restaurants and spending time with family.”

What you love about SoFlo cuisine: “My favorite thing about South Florida cuisine would have to be the
availability of product. We are fortunate enough to have great weather — yes, sometimes too hot — but [we have] weather that allows us to pick and choose quality produce, meat and fish. The seafood in Florida is always fresh, caught daily and delivered right to our door. The ‘seasonality’ of items is more easily accessible with our purveyors, lending us time to be picky. South Florida is a hot spot for up-and-coming trends, I love that I can jump on that bandwagon.”

Without any spoilers, what you can tell us about this season: “With so many talented leaders all in the same kitchen, it will be exciting and edgy. It will really filter out the weak leaders and focus on those that are masters of all trades, which led them to become an executive in the culinary field. With the diverse backgrounds and perfectionism by all head chefs on this season, there will be egos crushed, tears shed and barriers broken — not to mention that we know how to cook and not just throw slop on a plate! Foodies will absolutely be hooked right out of the gate. I hope that my personal experience inspires foodies across the world!”

What it was like being on a TV show for the first time: “First off, woah! A unique experience in itself! The level of organization that the production team and all of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ staff has is incredible. To be able to flip a room within a few moments for the next scene/set, is true teamwork — magic at its finest. Being on a television show for the first time for me was a bit nerve-racking! ‘Wait, I’m being watched and monitored 24/7?’ I’m a very private person, so this was outside my comfort zone, for sure. I quickly adapted to my environment and focused on the task at hand, cooking, which is my passion. Not to mention living with 18 people when my entire adulthood I’ve been living alone or with my significant other. Game changer!”

If you ran into chef Ramsay at his Miami restaurant, what you would say to him now: “Ohhhhh, I have a few things I’d like to air out. Jokes aside, I would love to say to chef Gordon Ramsay, ‘Thank you for being an incredible mentor, coach and solid human being — for staying true to yourself and not drifting from being a human being and also treating us as we are.’ Teaching me some tricks of the trade that made chef Ramsay so successful are moments I will carry with me for my entire life. I’d also love to say to him, ‘Let’s do it again!’”

Upcoming plans: “I’ve got some fun stuff in the works. My future plans consist of continuing to challenge myself, pressing the boundaries and being the voice and face of young culinarians to pursue their dreams. I hope to inspire and grow the culinary field with hungry future chefs, female-forward presence in the kitchens and the drive to be who you are. Keep your eyes peeled for what I’ve got up my sleeve.”

Egypt Davis

Executive banquet chef of The Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens; Instagram.com/the_bizzychef

Davis was born and raised in Chicago. “However,” he said, “I have had the pleasure of calling Riviera Beach home, and Florida, for about 10 years.”

Favorite SoFlo hangout spot: “My favorite place to hang out in South Florida is simply at home with my family.”

What you love about SoFlo cuisine: “My favorite thing about Florida cuisine is the brightness of flavors from locally sourced farms and the abundance of varieties of seafood, which is amazingly locally fished.”

Without any spoilers, what you can tell us about this season: “This season there are a lot of talented head chefs competing and so, as expected, the food you’ll be seeing prepared will be top-notch and bursting with flavor and creativity. So it is safe to say that foodies will be more than pleased with this season.”

What it was like being on a TV show for the first time: “It was a bit overwhelming at first and mind-blowing to see all the moving parts that go into the production of one of my favorite shows. You never really know what it takes to put something like this together.”

If you ran into chef Ramsay at his Miami restaurant, what you would say to him now: “If I came across chef Ramsey at Hell’s Kitchen Miami, I would thank him for the opportunity he gave me to share my love of our craft and the guidance he provided that will stick with me in my culinary ventures to come.”

Upcoming plans: “With the show fast approaching, my followers can expect to see more instructional cooking videos for private purchase, some Bizzy Chef merchandise, and for me to continue to provide more foodie content for my followers.”