Chef Michael Mina in the kitchen at Bourbon Steak. Photo courtesy Amber Pfau.

Now that we know the outcome of the 2009 Capital Food Fight to benefit D.C. Central Kitchen, we have to wonder whether Chef Michael Mina was laying it on a little thick last week when he said he was scrambling to try out some recipes that he could whip up in 10 minutes. Mina wound up the big winner at the Iron Chef-inspired cooking competition, seizing the title from former two-time champ Barton Seaver and out-slicing, -spicing and -dicing the likes of Bryan Voltaggio, Mike Isabella and others. When he sat down to talk with DCist earlier that day, however, he was just hoping to make it past round one.

“10 minutes is short. I will tell you, I usually never do cooking competitions that are timed, because it’s not my forte and I hate to be rushed like that when I’m cooking,” said Mina, who has opened 16 restaurants in hotels around the country, the most recent being Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons in Georgetown. “I might get knocked out in the first round.”

Mina said he was just glad to be able to participate, after he missed last year’s event because it fell smack in the middle of the final push to open Bourbon Steak. He often participates in similar programs in San Francisco—which he calls home—and just finished teaching a class to recently-homeless and rehabilitating students hoping to work in the restaurant industry.

“It’s an amazing cause,” he said of D.C. Central Kitchen. “Feeding hungry people, sure, but also people helping people to get into this profession. It’s great to see a charity that has multi-layers that all weave together.” Mina sat down in the lounge of Bourbon Steak last week to talk with DCist about the first year in D.C., restaurants, the recession and his local favorites.