East Naples chef Asif Syed beats Bobby Flay on TV cooking contest

Chef Asif Syed celebrates his win on "Beat Bobby Flay" during an episode watch party on Sept. 20 at his restaurant, 21 Spices, in East Naples.

The "King of Spice," chef Asif Syed of 21 Spices restaurant in East Naples, beat world-famous chef Bobby Flay at his own game on Food Network.

It was the smoked, fiery-red chicken tandoori that did it in an episode of "Beat Bobby Flay" that aired Thursday.

"Every time I make this dish, it just gets better and better," said Syed, whose cooking style is influenced by his Indian heritage.

Where the Chefs Eat:21 Spices Naples' Chef Asif Syed

The idea is to bring seasoned chefs from across the country to first battle each other before, hopefully, advancing to the final round against Flay, whom few chefs have been able to beat.

The showdown pitted Syed, whose appearance Thursday night was his third on the popular cooking network, against New York City chef Jordan Frosolone. They prepared a dish of Flay's choosing: lamb chops.

The panel of judges, including "Chopped" regular Amanda Freitag and Laura Vitale, selected Syed's mustard-crusted lamb with mint and mango chutney as the winning dish.

Then it was time to face Flay.

More:Like Indian food? 21 Spices chef Asif R. Syed will be at Paradise Coast Wine & Food

In the final round, Flay's competitor chooses his or her signature dish, hoping to gain an edge over the Iron Chef. Syed chose chicken tandoori, a traditional Indian dish of roasted chicken marinated in a blend of spices and yogurt.

​​​​​"That is the one of the most popular items at 21 Spices," he said. "I have made thousands and thousands of tandoori chicken the past three years."

The competitors had 45 minutes to prepare the dish in Flay's arena.

Executive chef Asif R. Syed in his Naples restaurant 21 Spices on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016.

Syed sauteed onions, tomatoes and garbanzo beans, and used a Moroccan tagine, an earthenware clay pot, with hot charcoals to smoke his marinated chicken, giving it deliciously blackened char. A blend of spices and a smear ofred food dye, which is traditionally used in the dish, gave the chicken thighs their signature scarlet color.

"That smoke was the best part of it," Syed said. "This is an ancient technique of smoking barbecue."

Flay, meanwhile, simply grilled his chicken, and prepared a toasted coconut and lime yogurt with mango mint chutney, the same chutney Syed prepared in the first round.

"I am teaching you something, huh?" Syed quipped confidently during the episode.

In the end, a panel of judges, who tasted the dishes not knowing whose they were eating, thought Flay's chicken tandoori lacked spice, and Syed was crowned "The Spice King."

"I'm very excited. I'm so proud of him," Syed's wife, Semeena Amtul, said after the episode.

Executive chef Asif R. Syed prepares a specialty lamb dish in the kitchen of his restaurant 21 Spices on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016.

Syed's first national TV appearance was in 2015 on "Guy's Grocery Games." He returned to the network a year later on Alton Brown's "Cutthroat Kitchen," which puts big-name chefs against each other in a competition that awards the last chef standing a cash prize.

Syed watched the episode Thursday night with 100-some of his closest friends and family during a watch party at his restaurant. Through the 30-minute episode, Syed had his arms wrapped around his two kids, Ranya, 9, and Amin, 5.

Every time Syed appeared on screen, the crowd erupted into applause. 

"It was an amazing experience," he said. "It showed me how many people love me and how our town supports me.

"It was an unbelievable experience. I’ve never felt like that and I’m so proud."

21 Spices

  • Where: 4270 U.S. 41 E., Suite 11, East Naples

  • Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
  • More information: 239-919-8830; 21spicesdining.com


Online

See more photos and watch of video of Chef Asif Syed celebrating his win. naplesnews.com