Bravotv.com: Some would refer to you as a culinary sex symbol (in case you didn't know) -- is that something you're aware of? How is being a chef different now in terms of fame than it was when you started?

I always say to whomever says something like this, that it has nothing to do with cooking and therefore it doesn't help in the kitchen. It doesn't affect my daily life -- I have not seen any groupies waiting at the back door of Le Bernardin, but more people say hello to me and for sure the interest in food and chefs and restaurants is only growing in our country.

Bravotv.com: What are you obsessed with right now (ingredients, restaurants, etc.)?

I am obsessed with Japanese ingredients -- and everything about Japan. It's a little bit of a challenge for Le Bernardin since we are not a Japanese restaurant -- I have to balance the menu, with my passion of the moment, and the soul of the restaurant.

Bravotv.com: Any favorite Summer restaurants besides your own?

In the summer, I spend a lot of my time eating outside during the weekends in the Hamptons. I am curious to try Sam Talbot's place in Montauk (Montauk Surf Lodge) and I love to have a late lunch on the top terrace of the restaurant at Sunset Beach on Shelter Island.

Bravotv.com: What is your favorite thing to cook at home (do you cook at home)?

After eating seafood all week at Le Bernardin, I love to cook a steak on the grill during the weekend, and I love to create a mini Middle Eastern-inspired buffet -- perfect for the summer.

What do you cook for your son/wife? Are you training his palate? Does he have any interest in being a chef?

My son eats fish every day and has a very good palate for a 4-year old. He's really a great eater -- of course he wants to become a chef. Actually, he thinks he's a chef already.

Bravotv.com: How are your newest restaurants doing?

We have recently opened two casual restaurants -- very different from Le Bernardin:

In Washington, DC, last fall, I opened Westend Bistro, and it's become one of the hot spots in DC. I'm happy to bring together Republicans and Democrats -- I guess that's the magic of food.

In May I opened 10 Arts in Philadelphia. I loved discovering Philly -- it's a great food scene and the setting of the restaurant is absolutely spectacular.

Recently I also launched a new Web site called Avec Eric, and on it we have debuted a fun video series called Get Toasted where I cook very simple things in a toaster oven. I stumbled across the idea when I saw my wife cooking for my son in the toaster oven (so much easier than heating the big oven). I realized it had a lot of potential and so it inspired this series. It's a great reminder that you don't need much: just some simple, great quality ingredients and basic techniques to enjoy delicious food.

Bravotv.com: What are the five essential items everybody should have in their fridge?

I am not that dogmatic -- my fridge is almost empty all the time. However I keep my extra virgin olive oil in it, good butter, unpeeled garlic, dark chocolate, and spicy chorizo.

We also had the chance to finally ask Chef Ripert about his pivotal role in the Puerto Rico finale of Top Chef: Chicago:

Bravotv.com: Are you a Top Chef fan? Did you have a pick for the winner of this season before the finale?

Of course I am a Top Chef fan. However, I never watch the season before I appear as a judge so that I have no preconceived notions and so I can judge solely on the quality of the food given to us.

Bravotv.com: Stephanie chose you as her sous-chef first -- were you surprised? Were you excited to work with her?

I felt it was a compliment that she chose me and I certainly was excited to work as her sous-chef.

Bravotv.com: Stephanie made a comment that she was looking over you when you were filleting fish and you might have been offended. Were you?

Absolutely not. I was very happy to deliver whatever Stephanie needed. I really tried to be the best sous-chef I could be. Filleting fish is certainly not a challenge for me since Le Bernardin's specialty is seafood.

Bravotv.com: When was the last time you served as someone's sous-chef?

In 1990 in the kitchen of Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington, D.C., and then David Bouley in NYC.

Bravotv.com: You seemed thoroughly enthralled with Richard's molecular gastronomy. Have you ever cooked with this method before? What is your stance on molecular gastronomy in general? (It's been fairly controversial, especially on our show.)

I was genuinely curious about the use of liquid nitrogen -- something I had never seen before. I had classic training, however I use a few techniques at Le Bernardin -- the problem I had with molecular gastronomy was that it seemed to be all about the technique and not about the ingredients but those chefs were pioneers. I believe in the future of molecular gastronomy when those techniques will be used to enhance qualities of beautiful ingredients. In that case, cooking will be even lighter than it is today.

Bravotv.com: How were the final meals -- who impressed you the most?

Stephanie impressed me the most with her food. Richard had a very ambitious program that night -- however the seasoning was lacking through the meal. It gave Stephanie a very big advantage. Lisa's food was tasty but didn't have the originality of Stephanie and Richard's. Stephanie's lamb was really two thumbs up. At the end, her dessert was weak, but because of her previous dishes I believed she would win. And I was happy to see the result of the Judges' Table when they selected her as the winner.

Bravotv.com: Stephanie won and says she is opening up a restaurant soon -- what is your advice on having a successful restaurant for a long time?

The secret and challenge is to be consistent -- it's much easier to be great one day and not as good the day after, but to keep high standards consistently in the kitchen and in the dining room requires a lot of passion, knowledge, and talent. Stephanie will have to be a constant inspiration to the team by sharing her excitement, and this attitude will carry on down the line and be apparent to the clientele.

Bravotv.com: What's the best thing you've eaten on Top Chef through all your appearances?

Tiffani's dessert in the Holiday Special episode this past December.