Top Chef Top 10: Michael Voltaggio

1. Sneakers

"I wear slip-on Vans a lot. I've been traveling so much recently, and they're my airport shoes. They're easy to get on and off when I go through security."

2. Tattoos

"I only have eight tattoos on my left arm. Jason at Tattoo Lounge in Venice, California, did four of them. He'll end up filling in my whole arm."

© Chris Graythen/Getty

3. Street Art

"When I was looking at spaces for Ink, I got really into street art. But I don't map it out. That makes it more fun when I find something like a Banksy".

4. Salt-Crusted Snapper

"There's something sexy about baking a whole fish in a big pile of salt. And then cracking into the salt crust and having the fish be perfectly cooked and seasoned inside."

Courtesy of Huy Fong

5. Condiments

"I like Sriracha hot sauce, but only a dot of it. I'm not big on superspicy. I like mayonnaise, I like mustard, and pickles are definitely necessary for me when it comes to sandwiches."

6. Pressure Cooker

"I'm obsessed. I'm cooking all my sauces in it, I'm cooking seeds and nuts, pretty much anything I can put in there. You get such clean flavor so fast."

© Larry Marano/Getty

7. Rap & Reggae

"Matisyahu gave one of the better concerts I've seen in my life. He's the Hasidic rapper and reggae artist; his live show was unexpected and crazy."

8. Comfort Food

" We're cooking a lot of pig ears and feet. Ink's comforting cuts are short ribs and wings, not steak and chicken breast."

9. Regret

"I wish I'd learned to play an instrument. There's a piano in the Charlotte, North Carolina, airport, right near the food court. Random people sit down and play and fill the airport with music. I always wish I could just sit down at that piano and start playing."

10. Sushi

"I always start with sashimi. Then I ease into nigiri (fish with rice) based on the sashimi I liked best. My best sushi was at Urasawa in L.A."