Kalispell barbecue truck owner appears in new Food Network competition

Kalispell’s Stephen Kina was born and raised in Hawaii, so he isn’t unfamiliar with the island terrain and climate. But he admits that when he initially utilized to be on “Chopped Castaways,” he thought it was going to be extra of a barbecue competition.

Advertised as “live fire cooking on an island,” the owner of 406 BBQ thought it was up his alley as somebody who considers himself a pitmaster. When he acquired the ultimate casting name and it was clear that it was a part of the “Chopped” franchise, he had doubts he’d have the ability to stand in opposition to the opposite cooks in the competition.

“I think the biggest thing for me was going into the show and hopefully inspiring my two sons, Ronin* and Ryu, that it doesn’t matter if there’s a challenge in front of you or if you’re faced with obstacles out of your comfort zone. If you have a chance to do it, you should make the best out of it,” Kina stated.

“Chopped Castaways” combines actuality TV-style video games with traditional Food Network cooking competitions. Battling the weather throughout two grueling cooking rounds every week, rivals should construct a working kitchen from fundamental provides, earn their signature “Chopped” ingredient baskets by way of intense bodily challenges and cook dinner completely over open hearth, in line with a launch from the Food Network.

The premiere airs on May 12 at 10 pm Mountain Time, or 9 pm ET/PT. Times could fluctuate relying on the tv service.

The eight-episode sequence pits 12 cooks in opposition to one another on a distant island, the place they compete for the $100,000 grand prize. They will begin out in groups earlier than dissolving into a person battle.

There had been a couple of issues Kina felt assured in earlier than heading to the island, like her cooking expertise over hearth. His dishes at 406 BBQ use these methods, the place company are in a position to see his cooking course of in real-time, utilizing no electrical energy over sizzling coals.

Kina’s expertise has received him recognition at barbecue occasions and competitions throughout the US, however he is nonetheless considerably of a newcomer.

“I only started to barbecue four years ago, and I only started to kind of really dabble into the culinary world about a year ago,” Kina stated. “So that was my biggest concern going in, just the lack of experience compared to these other world-class chefs that I’m competing against.”

There had been additionally the bodily challenges to organize for, as every episode opens with survival-driven bodily challenges, like archery, spearfishing or diving. He stated he was tremendous snug in the fitness center, operating and understanding so much.

But there was no strategy to totally put together for what the island had in retailer.

“I know I can’t go into too much detail, but everything that I did to prepare for the show went out the window as soon as the first challenge started. And I know all my other competitors are the same. Everything we expected was completely different. And I think that’s what made this feel so fun,” he stated.

He was ready to make use of his power to his profit in most of the challenges, however there have been some the place endurance was key.

Battling in opposition to the island’s parts makes every problem tougher. And as a result of there hasn’t been a Food Network present like this earlier than, Kina stated he and his rivals did not have a lot to go off to organize.

“We’re not doing it on a set, where you know the waves and the current are contained or fixed. It was crazy. We are still at a loss for words for everything we experienced there because everything we’ve seen on cooking shows is just so controlled. It’s a controlled environment,” Kina stated.

But it wasn’t one thing he was completely unfamiliar with as somebody who grew up on an island. His background in the army proved helpful, as he may mentally face up to being in an uncomfortable surroundings.

“So I was comfortable being stuck on the island,” he stated.

Kina’s love of barbecue was fostered throughout his time in the army and from residing on the East Coast. When he moved to Montana in 2020, there weren’t many barbecue choices, and he’d at all times wished to open his personal meals truck.

He went full-time with the enterprise in 2022 after being open for about 5 months. He stated he confronted challenges as an Asian American man cooking southern-style barbecue in Montana. Although many glossed over the operation at first, he stated he ultimately received folks over with the meals and have become one of many high barbecue joints in the Flathead Valley.

406 BBQ was invited to cook dinner meals for the Kentucky Derby, the one restaurant from Montana to be invited to take action in the race’s historical past, Kina stated. He’s additionally discovered success at nationwide barbecue competitions. At a latest occasion in Texas the place he was a featured pitmaster, attendees instructed him that they “didn’t know they did barbecue like that in Montana.”

“I love winning people over with flavors because it just breaks those stereotypes. That’s kind of the mindset that I took into the show, like I’ve already faced a lot and I’ve always tackled each challenge as it comes. I don’t give up, I just work harder. I found success because of that, and I wanted to take that same mindset to the island,” Kina stated.

Although he is discovered success exterior the Flathead Valley, he is at all times giving credit score to the place the place his goals began. He feels honored to signify Montana at nationwide barbecue occasions, and much more proud to signify each the Treasure State and his dwelling state of Hawaii in the “Chopped” competition.

“Hawaii is kind of underrepresented in a lot of things that you see on TV or even in culture and business, but Montana is too, in a way. So, it’s cool to represent both these states that have been super influential in the success that I found,” Kina stated.

Learn extra about 406 BBQ at 406-bbq.com.

For extra details about the premiere episode of “Chopped Castaways,” go to www.foodnetwork.com/exhibits/chopped-castaways/.

*This story has been corrected.

Stephen Kina and his fellow rivals on “Chopped Castaways.” (photograph courtesy of the Food Network.)