After a fierce competition against America’s best home cooks, finalists were ready to battle it out for the title of Masterchef! Faced with the toughest judges on the planet—Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Christina Tosi—the competitors prepared to make their final meal.
One of these talented finalists, our very own Winston has risen to the top of America’s culinary scene. Winston quickly became a front runner in the competition, with his love for family and food capturing the hearts of viewers worldwide. Avid Masterchef viewer Sandra Ximen (’26) exclaimed, “I’d never seen a better contestant than Winston on the show before, and I’ve watched them all! Masterchef US, Masterchef Canada, Masterchef Junior, you name it. No one has ever brought such elegance, delicious cooking, and love to the show. He 100% deserves the win.” Not only was Winston the kindest and most unproblematic contestant Masterchef US had ever seen, but his culinary ability was also second to none. Winston brought a taste of Saint Francis to Masterchef, and swept the competition off their feet one after another. Winston’s reputation truly precedes him (fully deserved). As Coo Rootenburg (’28) says, “Yeah, I came to Saint Francis because I heard Winston was here.”
Entering the arena with his trademark, “What’s up, family!” and a fist bump to the crowd, Winston was giving major nonchalant, cool-guy vibes. Not a hint of nervousness could be seen in his expression, only the determination in his eyes and the smile that could make anyone feel like a part of the Lancer family.
For the appetizer round, Winston served up an elevated breakfast burrito, wrapped in its signature yellow parchment paper. During our Saint Francis watch party, burrito lover Adleyhay Afay (’26) immediately yelled, “Oh, that’s winning for sure; I leave first period at least an hour early to beat the breakfast burrito rush.”
At first, the judges were skeptical. Clearly, they had never tried a Saint Francis burrito before. With little to no adornment to the plate, the dish looked, well, rustic at best. However, when they opened up the wrapping, the judges were taken aback by the aroma of the freshly-made tortilla and the promise of a delectable, savory filling. Upon their first bite, filled with melty cheese, warm scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and perfectly spiced breakfast potatoes, the judges were blown away by Winston’s palate. Despite the dish’s simple appearance, the taste garnered an abundance of praise. Gordon Ramsay commended the burrito, highlighting that “he had never tried a breakfast burrito that spectacular before. It was certainly no idiot burrito.”
Glowing with praise from the appetizer round, Winston rolled up his sleeves and was ready to knock out an amazing entrée. We were beyond excited to see what else Winston had in store for us. Winston was ready to bring out his secret weapon, whipping up his signature dish: an extravagant sushi boat! The sushi boat was bedecked with colorful nigiri, the most delicious combination rolls, and decorated with beautiful flowers. Ramsay had never seen such an innovative entrée before. The sushi boat was elegant and was filled to the brim with unagi sushi—his favorite. The other contestants truly didn’t stand a chance.
Moving on to the final round: the infamous dessert round. How would Winston tackle the most difficult round of the finale? Well, we should know by now that Winston never disappoints. Winston’s dessert combined the famous Saint Francis cookie with an ice cream sundae and an acai bowl, topped with fresh berries, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, Oreos, chocolate chips, and the perfect coconut granola. Had Winston gone mad?! There was no way that combination of flavors could work well together!
Initially, Bastianich and his notoriously picky palate were not impressed by Winston’s dessert. He turned up his nose and refused to take a bite. However, world-renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi’s first bite ended in a cascade of praises for Winston’s dessert. Somehow, the sweet and tangy flavor of the acai bowl was the perfect complement to the creamy vanilla ice cream and the warm chocolate chip cookie. With this glowing review, Bastianich had no choice but to take a bite out of Winston’s delectable concoction. His silence was nerve-wracking, until tears began streaming down his face! With Winston’s masterful dessert bringing Bastianich, the toughest and most unfair critic on Masterchef, to tears, the finale winner was a no-brainer.
Winston took home the title of Masterchef and donated all the money to charity. Seriously, no one deserved the win more than Winston. Next time you see Winston, congratulate him on his win! He’s too humble to say anything.
