He went in with a plan.
Ype Von Hengst, co-founder and executive chef of the Rockville-based Silver Diner chain, took the title on Tuesday’s episode of the Food Network’s “Chopped,” defeating three other contestants in a diner-themed competition.
He attributes his victory, which came with a $10,000 prize, to his strategy: coming in armed with rough concepts for dishes he would prepare with the show’s infamous “mystery basket” of ingredients, no matter what those might be.
But, he said, “you still have to stay innovative.”
“Chopped,” a cooking competition with three rounds — appetizer, entrée and dessert — begins with four chefs before a panel of Food Network judges “chop” one each round. The last chef standing takes home the cash prize, which Von Hengst and his wife, Denise, matched and donated to Doctors Without Borders.
On the episode entitled “Blue Plate Fare,” Von Hengst avoided the “chopping block,” where competitors are eliminated if their…
