Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

There’s an old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

FilAm Hotel Chef Louross Edralin couldn’t stand the heat of the foul-mouthed, fiery renowned Chef Gordon Ramsey. The 24-year-old Ritz Carlton Las Vegas chef Edralin, more commonly known as “Louross,” was ousted by the host for undercooking meat in one of the episodes of this season’s Fox Hell’s Kitchen reality TV show contest.

“Louross was never short on energy, he was just short... on cooking ability,” said Ramsey after ordering the 5’1”, mohawk-rocking Louross to hang up his jacket wardrobe.

He was the ninth contestant to be booted off the show.

The Bodog gaming site, however, had him as a slim favorite to win the show.

A few weeks after being expelled, Louross was back in his own kitchen at the Ritz Carlton Galileo lobby lounge, still wondering how things went wrong.

“I was representing Filipinos,” said Louross to the Asian Journal. “Filipinos can cook. You know, the show is an individual competition…but we were supposed to work as a team, as a family. I’m Filipino and you know, Filipinos work together. I tried to bring that [team concept] way to the [men’s] team. I was telling, Matty, Craig, and Jason, the people I was rooming with, to all work together.”  

Louross told his team that “Ramsey is already giving us the blueprint to win,but some people were working for themselves. When you win, you’re going to win as a team. I got tired of telling them. When I got kicked off, everyone was being fake and doing their own thing.”

Ironically, most of the people that Louross mentioned were booted off the show earlier than him. Without a strong ally, Louross was left to fend for himself when it came down to decision time.

He’s not angry that he fell so soon. He’s not angry that Petrozza (that episode’s winner from the men’s team) chose him to be on Chef Ramsey’s chopping block on episode 9.

“My true colors were showing,” he said. “I’m a team-oriented guy. When it comes down to cooking, I know I’m a good chef. Unfortunately, I messed up on some of my steaks. Petrozza had to make a decision. He chose me to eliminate the threat.”

Back at the Ritz Carlton, Louross is disappointed but glad he represented well in the show.

“I held my weight down,” he said. “No one can understand what we went through. We were mentally gone.”