It’s no secret that great chefs run in the Sok family.
Food lovers have been flocking to the Sok family-owned Blue Dragon Restaurant and Sophear Bar and Restaurant in Red Deer, and Bamboo Hut in Sylvan Lake to taste the culinary delights whipped up by Peter, Sue, Dany or Pon for several years.
And a real life sibling rivalry will play out on television for the whole world to see when Peter, 36, and Dany, 30, compete on the Food Network’s Chopped Canada on March 26.
The brothers will put their kitchen skills to the test in an episode called Bro-Down Showdown with two other chefs.
The brothers applied individually without telling one another.
When the family found out they both had applied, it brought up a little friendly competition.
The odds were low that they would be both picked, said Dany.
Pete, on the other hand, was much more worried that his younger and less experienced brother would make the cut instead of him. The 36-year-old owner of Sophear has a chef de cuisine diploma from Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa. Dany operates Bamboo Hut.
“What if Dany gets in and I don’t,” laughed Pete. “I am such a failure if Dany get’s in. That’s actually how I felt. Because after our video interview, Dany calls about an email. I was like, “what email?” I didn’t get the email.”
The good news was actually in Pete’s junk mail.
The brothers taped the show in the summer. They are not allowed to release any information on the outcome. It was only recently that they were permitted to let people know they were in the competition.
Pete, who has loved cooking all his life, said taping the show was a wonderful experience. He said the Red Deer community has been very supportive.
“We don’t even get to see any of the footage,” said Dany. “We are really excited.”
“I just enjoy cooking for people,” said Dany, who is mostly a self-taught chef. “I get to see the customers come in the door. I get to see them walk out the door while I am cooking. When they leave, the majority of the time they are happy because they got their fix. That’s what I enjoy about it.”
The episode airs on the Food Network at 7 p.m. on March 26.