With the Olympics over, it’s time to pick out something new to binge-watch. Tune into the premiere season of America’s Culinary Cup on CBS, where you’ll find Chris Morgan, the chef behind Vienna’s Joon.
The cooking competition invited 16 prestigious chefs from across the country to compete in culinary challenges, based on 10 culinary commandments, for the chance to win $1 million — the largest prize in culinary television history.
For Morgan, the answer to join the all-star competitors wasn’t immediately yes. “Full disclosure, I’ve never really wanted to do competition cooking,” says Morgan. But at the beginning of last year, the Michelin-starred chef lost his mother and was starting to second-guess career decisions while trying to navigate this hard time. That’s when America’s Culinary Cup reached out.
“I knew that if I were to call my mother and say that this opportunity came about, she’s that person that we all have in our lives, who you call and the first thing they say to you when you’re calling them and explaining something is, ‘Why are you even calling me? You know what I’m going to say,'” Morgan says. “I just kind of heard that voice in my head that that told me … ‘Why not?’”
The show includes some of the top chefs in the industry — including six Michelin-starred chefs, two Bocuse d’Or medalists, two James Beard Award winners, and 14 James Beard Award nominees. When you add an unknown challenge, a ticking clock, and a camera, Morgan says the pressure is unlike anything he has faced in his career.
“It was a new level of anxiety, a new type of anxiety I’d never experienced before,” says Morgan. “It was very trying, mentally. Day one, I was like, I don’t know if I can do this. It’s hard, and you have to be on. You want to cook the best food possible, but it’s hard not to second-guess yourself. It’s hard, for me at least, to trust your instincts.”
When the show’s host, Padma Lakshmi, created the concept for America’s Culinary Cup, she said she wanted it to be like the World Series of cooking. And, according to Morgan, the show lives up to the hype.
“It’s pretty turned up,” says Morgan. “The way they drop us in on the first episode, and the way the show kicks off is a very intense start, and it continues to be that intense throughout the entire season.”
Foodies might even have a chance to get a taste of what Morgan makes on the show. The chef is in talks with his staff about adding special dishes to the menu at Joon as the season progresses. Joon was named to our 50 Best Restaurants in 2025.
America’s Culinary Cup premieres on Wednesday, March 4, with a special 1.5-hour show beginning at 9:30 p.m. on CBS. All episodes will be available for streaming on Paramount+.
Feature image of Chris Morgan by Jackie Brown/CBS
