Sang Yoon, the chef behind both Father's Office and Lukshon in Culver City, was eliminated from the show Top Chef Masters last week. He (and his sous chef Ted Hopson) survived into the top five, but Yoon was eliminated during a tricky Mexican food challenge.

Yoon won several challenges over the course of his run, and the way the judges praised his dishes really made me feel lucky that we have him -- and his amazing dishes -- in our midst. It was great to see his competitive intensity and his ability to be successful under pressure -- traits that no doubt contribute to his success as a restaurateur.

In the end, he raised $30,000 for his charity, Worldwide Orphans Foundation. "Top Chef Masters was much harder than I expected it to be," Yoon said after his elimination. "Being on Top Chef Masters has been an incredible honor -- just an insanely fun ride. It was a super-challenging. An emotional roller-coaster. But it was all worth it. I was happy to make it this far, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished."