MasterChef Christine Ha talks her inspiring journey and new restaurant in Houston

HOUSTON – Christine Ha is a local Chef and culinary superstar! She joined us in-studio today to talk about her inspiring journey from losing her sight, to becoming one of the most memorable winners on Gordon Ramsay’s MasterChef. She also whipped up a few recipes with Derrick Shore and Deepi Sidhu!

Ha is breaking barriers in the culinary industry as a blind cook and is elevating Vietnamese cuisine with her new restaurant located in Spring Branch.

She became a culinary star after winning Season 3 of Gordon Ramsay’s well-known cooking competition, MasterChef.

She lost her vision due to Neuromyelitis Optica almost 20 years ago, and re-learned how to cook without her vision.

After opening her restaurant ‘The Blind Goat’ in downtown’s Bravery Chef Fall in 2019, she continued to impress critics and regular diners with her modern take on Vietnamese foods.

Recently, she just opened a larger version of her restaurant The Blind Goat in Spring Branch. The cuisine is an homage to Vietnamese street food in the form of a modern gastropub.

The restaurant accepts walk-ins, but reservations are highly encouraged.

Watch the video above to hear more of Christine’s inspiring story and see her cooking demonstration.

She also has a cook book, ‘Recipes from My Home Kitchen’ that was a New York Times bestseller. For the book and more information, you can visit her website.

FOOD DEMO

GREAT GREEN PAPAYA SALAD – Available at her restaurant

This is an updated version of Christine’s winning first course from the MasterChef finale—sweet beef jerky, grape tomato, roasted peanuts and sesame, honey and shrimp paste vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS

Vinaigrette:

½ tsp shrimp paste

2 tbsp neutral oil

3tbsp fish sauce

2 limes, juiced (2 fl oz.)

1 tbsp honey

2-3 Thai chili peppers, finely chopped

Food and Veggies:

1 green papaya; peeled, seeded, shredded and drained

3 grape tomatoes (halved)

8 Thai basil leaves, torn

3-4 oz. shredded Vietnamese sweet beef jerky

½ roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped


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