Daniel Harthausen is one of 10 contestants on the HBO Max series "The Big Brunch." (Photo courtesy of HBO Max)
Richmond Chef Daniel Harthausen of Young Mother is known to evoke some pretty serious responses to his umami-packed, often broth-heavy dishes. During the second episode of the HBO Max series “The Big Brunch,” that get-every-last-bite sentiment often expressed by diners at his pop-up was echoed by judge and producer Dan Levy.
“I will be putting this aside to eat later,” says the Schitt’s Creek star after trying Harthausen’s gnocchi home fries with an angel biscuit. “I legitimately will be wrapping that up. And if Sohla doesn’t want hers, I’ll be taking hers as well.”
Spoiler alert: That compliment from Levy resulted in Harthausen being dubbed the “Best in Brunch,” a title bestowed upon the chef with the top dish of the challenge. The following episode, a course of braised scallop-like daikon swimming in a flavorful togarashi butter would earn Harthausen back-to-back wins.
“I needed something like that to happen because I wasn't standing out in any way,” shares Harthausen of the momentum. “I think in those settings, I don’t have an extremely strong personality outward. Being able to showcase my cooking a little bit more and have them [the judges] be receptive to it was really good for me on the show.”
Levy, chef and author Sohla El-Waylly, and restaurateur Will Guidara, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, are the trio of judges behind the inaugural cooking competition that reimagines brunch. Premiering last Thursday, “The Big Brunch” aims to spotlight undiscovered culinary talents from every corner of the country. It also aims to do things differently.
A feel-good, easy view, "The Big Brunch" eliminates the dramatic, anxiety-inducing music of cooking shows like Bravo’s “Top Chef” or Gordon Ramsey’s “Master Chef." Instead, it feels calm and casual at times as the judges banter and sip on everything from an espresso martini to a bloody Mary throughout episodes. It's a little less competition, a lot more camaraderie and charm. Bonus, the show is delightfully binge-worthy as episodes have rolled out three at a time (six are currently available).
One of 10 chefs competing for a $300,000 grand prize, Harthausen says his comfort with the basis of the competition, as well as expressing his style of cooking —which draws on Japanese and Korean influences — through brunch-forward dishes, began to feel more organic after the first episode.
“There was a shift,” says the 27-year-old, noting it was one his fellow chefs noticed.
“I think at first when I came on, I didn’t have a lot of confidence, and I think I’m naturally a very confident person, so not feeling myself, I look at something like it's not important. Then I was like, I’m literally on TV, and after that became more myself.”
And while Harthausen hasn’t necessarily introduced a breakfast menu to Richmonders, his abilities to impress the judges and push boundaries are evident. The youngest contestant on the show, Harthausen is also the only one who wasn’t either working full-time in a kitchen or a restaurant owner when asked to join the cast.
While the realization of his part-time status initially came to a surprise to some of his fellow chefs, the distance from the kitchen has proven to work in Harthausen’s favor. His movements and responses when he puts on an apron are out of instinct, rather than learned muscle memory, similar to the timed, thoughtful challenges presented each episode.
“I don’t cook every day, I cook once a month,” he explains. “I think that experience kind of helped me because when I do service, I’m prepping an entire menu in a day and cooking it without any repetition or knowledge. I like that aspect of competition because it’s like, ‘I gotta do this.' I like existing in that space.”
A former bartender at Restaurant Adarra, Harthausen launched his pop-up there last year as a way to explore his collection of recipes inspired by his upbringing. After only six dinners under his apron, Harthausen says he was approached about “The Big Brunch” when a casting company commented on a Young Mother Instagram post. He initially thought it was a scam but, following a series of interviews, including a zoom call during a shift at Adarra, he says he was impressed with their desire to pinpoint the soul behind his concept.
The final two episodes of “The Big Brunch” will air next week. And while Harthausen can't reveal how the series ends, he shares that he hopes to one day provide a space for other culinary entrepreneurs to find their footing.
“Building a restaurant with the intention of you want to prop up other people, the way I became successful,” he says. “Adarra obviously wasn't created for that reason, but if it wasn't for Adarra, I don't think I would have catapulted it to where I was right now. Allowing someone else you believe in to latch on to that brand is something I want to provide for other people, especially with a mission of having something that is authentic and different."
He confirms that Richmond is where he plans to solidify his foundation. “I’m more aligned to create a restaurant here than anywhere else because the audience is excited about it," he says."I think in the next year I can see myself having a place."
