For one Richmond chef, the hassle of brunch pays off.
On the question of brunch, the late, great chef Anthony Bourdain once noted, “the ‘B’ word is dreaded by all dedicated cooks.” As creator of The Big Brunch, an eight-episode cooking competition on HBOMax, Dan Levy begs to differ.
“Brunch is the ultimate connector,” says Levy, the Emmy-winning co-creator and co-star of Schitt’s Creek and the show’s host. “It’s the perfect convergence of food, comfort, and friendship.” Unlike cutthroat cooking competitions, Levy’s is “rooted in support, kindness, and encouragement,” delivered with the same edgy warmth that made Schitt’s Creek a hit.
On the show’s 2022 debut season, Richmond’s Daniel Harthausen, 27, the Korean-born chef behind Richmond’s popular Young Mother pop-up dinner series, won big, taking the $300,000 prize after his Japanese katsu curry with a dashi-rich steamed custard made the judges swoon. His competition included fellow Virginia chefs Antwon Brinson of Culinary Concepts AP in Charlottesville and Kip Poole of Norfolk.
“I was really throwing myself around that kitchen…had so much fun cooking under pressure,” Harhausen shared on Instagram. His title secured, Harthausen, who’s popped up at Adarra, The Jasper, and Cobra Burger, is looking for the right partner before opening his own restaurant, but he vows to continue his sellout pop-up dinners. He also hopes to develop a food incubator where chefs can test new concepts.
“Whether rooted in playful memories or historical hardships, giving dishes the ability to tell their stories again is extremely important,” he noted after the win. Harthausen’s current obsession is combining Japanese and Korean dishes to highlight the similarities and complexities of Asian cuisine.
Young Mother will also be starting it’s dinners again, for the summer/fall season. Be sure to check our their instagram page (@youngmotherva) for more information.
This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue.
