CLC alum featured in current season of Fox’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

GRAYSLAKE – Among those competing on Fox’s current season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Vlad Briantsev once honed his chef skills as a College of Lake County student.

Briantsev, who now goes by Truffle Boy and works as a traveling chef, had taken dual credit courses at CLC while at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and enrolled in the college in 2013 after graduating.

“I took every possible cooking class,” remembered the 27-year-old Briantsev, a 2016 graduate of CLC. “The teachers were amazing. It gave me tons of knowledge.”

Chosen to compete on Season 21 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Briantsev first sought out the reality cooking competition several years ago as a young sous chef at GT Prime Steakhouse in Chicago. When he first applied, he wasn’t chosen.

“Hell’s Kitchen” pits contestants against one another as they attempt to impress legendary chef Gordon Ramsay. Airing at 7 p.m. Thursdays on Fox, the show follows the chefs 24/7 through the perils of working in Ramsay’s restaurant.

Passionate about cooking since childhood, Briantsev had been a fan of the show and other reality cooking shows since childhood.

Once the pandemic started, he was furloughed like many in the culinary industry, but remained quite active on social media. That’s when “Hell’s Kitchen” reached out. He went through an eight-month “treacherous” interview process, including numerous Zoom calls, psychiatric tests and other evaluations.

“It’s almost like we’re Olympic athletes going to compete in this show,” he said.

He found out he had earned a spot in the competition early last year. Filming for this season of the reality show took place in January 2021.

“I thought it was amazing, probably the best New Year’s present I could have received,” he said. “Just meeting Gordon in itself was amazing.”

Because the season is currently airing, Briantsev said he must “tread lightly” when talking about the experience. Although he can’t reveal the outcome, he praised the experience.

This year’s season brought 18 chefs together, first dividing them by age with the “20-somethings” on one team and the “40-somethings” on another. After the third episode, the teams were redivided by gender, with women on the red team and men on the blue team.

It took a bit of an adjustment to get used to the loudness and pace of the kitchen and to one another, Briantsev said, but he went in “moldable” and most of the contestants became like family.

“Most people watching this show wouldn’t understand why you would go through such pain and trauma,” he said. “That’s been a blessing to have that kind of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ team and community.

“I’ve always wanted to kind of prove to myself and show the world what I bring to the table. I really like using high-end products, things that are very unique and scarce and doing it right. I was able to demonstrate that.”

He spoke of an initial episode in which he served Ramsay a white truffle. When Ramsay asked how much he would charge for this dish, Briantsev replied $225. Ramsay praised it for being cooked perfectly and told Briantsev he would pay $230 for the dish.

With the sixth episode of this season’s “Hell’s Kitchen” airing tonight, Briantsev remains a contestant and regularly gathers with friends for watch parties.

“It’s definitely surreal watching yourself get yelled at by Gordon Ramsey on TV next to your friends,” he said.

Each episode typically includes a challenge and a dinner service, followed by the elimination of a chef or multiple chefs. Briantsev credits CLC’s student-run Prairie Restaurant with helping him gain the skills needed to work in a fast-paced kitchen.

“It gives you that real feeling of being in a kitchen, that pressure, that sense of urgency,” he said. “That was really cool to experience.”

The chef developed a passion for cooking at age 13 when his parents first opened a restaurant. They’ve since retired. Originally from Ukraine, the family moved to the Chicago area when Briantsev was 7 years old.

Now working as a travel chef with Levy Restaurants, a company that specializes in fine dining at sports stadiums and events, he said his dream is to open his own fine dining restaurant and showcase his favorite food and drinks.

As for “Hell’s Kitchen,” he said he has “no regrets.”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said. “I hope there’s another chance or another show I can go on with Gordon and really connect.”