Meet the Competitors of Chopped: Impossible

One of these 12 chefs will face off against Robert Irvine in the finale for a chance to win $40,000.

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Photo By: Susan Magnano

Photo By: DecarloPhotoBlog.Com ©DecarloPhotoBlog.Com

Round 1: Barry Frish

After his last appearance on Chopped, Barry went on to follow his dream and opened Taquitoria in New York's Lower East Side. The restaurant serves taquitos to mainly a late-night crowd. Previously Barry was the sous chef for Marc Forgione, both in his restaurant and on Iron Chef America. Barry says Chopped was the hardest thing he's ever done — that is, until he opened his first restaurant.

Round 1: Diane Dimeo

Although Diane has an education in psychology, she always found that her passion was food, so she decided to follow her heart and traveled the world. It allowed her to expand her repertoire, and she eventually ended up in culinary school. She previously competed in the Champs episode. Currently she has restaurant projects in New York City and Mexico City, and she travels between the two cities.

Round 1: Marc Anthony Bynum

Marc didn't find his place until he discovered the culinary arts during his junior year of high school. Watching his mom cook, and seeing others enjoy the food, drew him to the culinary arts, and he decided to become a chef. He recently opened a restaurant on Long Island, Hush Bistro, after having worked at some of the area's top restaurants. He previously won two out of three Chopped battles.

Round 1: Roxanne Spruance

Growing up in a family that prided itself on homemade cooking inspired Roxanne to go into cooking. After apprenticing as a pastry chef in her hometown of Chicago, she moved to New York City and began working at wd~50 and then at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. She is currently working on opening her new restaurant, Kingsley, in New York's Nolita neighborhood. In her previous battle she showcased her love for farm-to-table cooking.

Round 2: James Major

Getting a job as a dishwasher at the age of 14, James started making his way up the ladder. He cooked with the navy after that, then went on to attend The Culinary Institute of America. He ran a jazz club for a time and worked in restaurants before he became the executive chef for the Cincinnati Reds Ballpark, where he serves 40,000 people per game. In his previous round, James showcased his mastery of meat.

Round 2: Nong Poonsukwattana

Growing up in Thailand, Nong learned all about food from her mom, who worked as a cook. Nong came to the United States in 2003 with just two suitcases and $70. She worked first as a waitress, and then she opened a food cart. She now operates three carts and a restaurant, all named Khao Man Ghai, a Thai chicken and rice dish she specializes in. She showcased her expertise in Thai cooking in her previous battle.

Round 2: Robyn Almodovar

Robyn found her way to culinary school after seeing an infomercial. Until then she had been trying to get out of a bad part in her life. Once on a better path, she worked her way through hotel restaurants in South Florida until she decided to start operating her food truck, Palate Party, which is all about the "party in your mouth," she says. In her previous episode, she proved she could beat three male chefs.

Round 2: Timothy Peterson

Deciding to get his GED instead of graduating from high school, Timothy went straight into the industry at the age of 13, working in fast-food restaurants as a dishwasher and delivery driver. He finally decided to attend culinary school once he found his focus and hasn’t looked back. He's a sous chef at Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social in New York City. He previously battled in the Bizarre Foods episode.

Round 3: Antonio Mure

Antonio enrolled in culinary school in his native Italy at the age of 13, hoping to travel the world as a cruise chef. But after getting kicked out, he kept up with cooking in restaurants and eventually joined the army as a chef. He moved to Los Angeles in 1995, where he opened Ado. He now runs Adoteca and Casa Ado and still works the line. He won over the judges in his previous round with complex dishes.

Round 3: Emily Chapman

Emily originally went to school for archaeology, but after a tumultuous event in her life, she reevaluated and found herself enrolling in culinary school. She's had a knack for cooking from a young age, and she loves simple foods. She started out as a waitress, before transitioning to the back of the house. She's now the sous chef at Louro in New York City. In her previous battle, she stood out with impressive dishes.

Round 3: Jonathan Kavourakis

Jonathan comes from a food family, as his dad was a baker and his uncle was a chef. He grew up working in the kitchen of his family's Greek diner, first washing dishes at the age of 13. Jonathan believes he learned more from real-life experiences than culinary school. He is the executive chef at Beauty & Essex in New York City. In his previous battle, Jonathan showed off his "big sexy" food and personality.

Round 3: Leslie Roark Scott

Leslie considers herself a true Southern girl, and she's a fifth-generation barbecuer. She won her first competition at the age of 19, and she has been hungry for more ever since. When she's not tending to the family restaurant in Yazoo City, Miss., Leslie can be found competing alongside her dad in the BBQ competition circuit. On Grill Masters she proved she could fit with the best of chefs.

More Chopped: Impossible

Learn more about the competition, go behind the battles, and hear from the winning chefs and Robert himself. Visit the Chopped: Impossible page.

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