Neighbor Spotlight
Neighbor Christian Alquiza Heats Up Fox's Next Level Chef
One of your neighbors is competing on national television! Christian Alquiza, who moved to Anderson Mill in 2025, is currently a contestant on Season 5 of Next Level Chef. By all accounts, he's holding his own against some serious culinary talent.
What Is Next Level Chef — and How Do You Watch?
Next Level Chef is a Gordon Ramsay–produced competitive cooking show on FOX featuring three distinct groups of competitors: professional chefs, home cooks, and social media chefs. Ramsay serves as host and mentor, joined by chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais. The grand prize is $250,000 & a year mentorship from all three chefs!
A California Kid Who Found His Calling in the Kitchen
Christian grew up in Carson, California, and his early spark came not from a fancy restaurant but from a high school home economics class. He had a knack for creativity and discovered that cooking gave him a way to channel all of it. When his friends started raving about his food, something clicked. He enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and launched what would become an 18-year professional culinary career, cooking across Los Angeles, Hollywood, Orange County, and Santa Monica.
Going Viral (One Recipe at a Time)
About three years ago, Christian pivoted toward social media content creation, building a following by posting cooking videos from his home kitchen. He posts consistently — typically Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometimes three or four times a week — and his work caught the attention of the popular food media channel First We Feast. His following has grown steadily, and since the show began airing, he's amassed over 20,000 followers. You can find his cooking content and follow along under the handle @illsqueezeya across social platforms.
From a Social Media DM to an International Film Shoot
Christian's path to Next Level Chef began with a connection he hadn't expected. He shared a mutual friend with a previous contestant from Season 1. She eventually reached out and encouraged him to try out for the show.
The audition process was rigorous. Starting in January 2025, Christian went through roughly 5 rounds of interviews over several months, plus health screenings, a psychological evaluation, and even a background check. In August, he finally got the word: he was in. The show was filmed in Ireland, and production took several weeks.
How He Ended Up in Anderson Mill
Christian and his wife, Emily, enjoyed visiting South Austin and downtown back in 2017. After welcoming their second child, he and his wife began seriously exploring a move. In 2024 they made the leap to Austin, then made the move to Anderson Mill shortly after landing.
What's Next: Bastos Sauce and Community Events
Beyond television, Christian is in entrepreneur mode. He's developing Bastos Sauce — a bold, all-purpose condiment rooted in Filipino culture and attitude. The name "bastos" means naughty by nature, playful & somewhat rule-breaking. The sauce is inspired by chimichurri, salsa verde, aji verde, and he characterizes it as a different version of “salsa doña” from Tacodeli. It's currently going through shelf-life testing, and he'll be selling it at the upcoming Lao’d Bar Solar New Year event on April 18 from 5pm-10pm. At the event, Southeast Asian vendors will gather for food, sauce, and community. You could also try out his cooking when he co-hosts a “Next Level Brunch” event at East End Ballroom on Saturday March 14 from 11am-2pm. Options include southwest flank steak with elotes and a fiery Asian steak with gochujang butter and sesame chili crisp cucumber salad. Keep an eye on his social channels for more details on that event. He’s teaming up with Jared Veldheer, Former NFL Offensive Tackle, & Tim Laielli, a Dripping Springs local culinary creator.
Cheer Him On!
New episodes of Next Level Chef air every Thursday night at 8/7c on FOX and are available to stream the very next day on Hulu. Past seasons are also available on Hulu for those who want to binge before catching up to Christian's run.
We're proud to have a neighbor representing Anderson Mill on the national stage. Good luck, Christian!
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And support his new venture!
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