Food & Drink

NYC chef bests Bobby Flay on Food Network competition

The Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” had its season finale last week and, throughout this year’s season, only one chef succeeded in besting Flay in the cooking-competition TV show: New York City’s own Brian Tsao. Tsao, 29, the executive chef at Flatiron restaurant Mira Sushi & Izakaya (46 W. 22nd St.; 212-989-7889), prevailed over Flay in a “meat taco” challenge, cooking his signature beef bulgogi tacos.

The tacos feature Tsao’s Korean grandmother’s beef bulgogi stuffed in a wonton taco shell with Asian pear and kimchee slaw.

Tsao, a Queens native, moved with his family to China in his teens and went on to play guitar for that country’s first touring thrashcore band. He says his cooking and his guitar playing share a similar attitude.

“[My tacos] are a little rebellious,” he says. “That’s what rock ’n’ roll is all about.”