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Kiersten Gormeley, founding owner and executive chef of SHAKA, won the Taco Brawl episode of "Chopped" on Food Network, taking home the $10,000 grand prize.
The episode aired May 18.
Gormeley felt confident going into the competition.
As an all-state swimmer in high school, she learned how to manage pre-match nerves, and the variety of tacos she’s served since SHAKA’s opening in 2016 gave her a solid foundation to work from, the restaurant said in a press release.
Her rivals were talented, and some of the ingredients in those mysterious baskets were daunting, the chef said.
Judges Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy and Scott Conant tasted the dessert taco Gormeley made with mango, dried hibiscus, a margarita and a cream cheese chimichanga.
After a moment of tension, host Ted Allen announced Gormeley the winner.
"I’ve dreamed of being on "Chopped" since my sister Krista and I were little and we hosted our own make-believe restaurant, ‘Café Croissant,'" she said.
"To have the judges choose me as the winner is an amazing affirmation of the path I’ve chosen, and I’m even more excited about what we’ll be offering our guests as SHAKA grows.”
SHAKA offers three types of tacos:
- Tiki (bbq pulled jackfruit, kalúa pulled pork or chicken, topped with pineapple, cabbage, pickled onions, spicy shaka sauce)
- Coconut Shrimp Tacos (seasonal special: house-battered coconut shrimp in grilled mango/pepper salsa, corn tortillas, topped with hot honey and fresh cabbage)
- Cauli-Pua Tacos (corn tortillas, battered cauliflower tossed in a Thai chili sauce, topped with house-made slaw, pickled cabbage, avocado crema)
SHAKA was founded in 2016 on Monroe Street in Hoboken, and in 2018, it opened a second location on Washington Street.
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