Gene Villiatora's third child was born seven months ago. A few weeks later he took off for New York, to be part of the fast-cooking fury of “;Top Chef.”;

Being bumped from the Bravo TV cooking competition meant Villiatora could go home to Las Vegas and his young family. Still, “;nobody likes to lose,”; he says.

Villiatora is the first Hawaii-born chef to gain entry to the Bravo competition in its five seasons. He grew up in Whitmore Village, leaving for Vegas in 1993 after graduating from Leilehua High School.

He said he was first approached by a “;Top Chef”; producer while he was cooking at a culinary event two years ago. “;When it came to this season, I pursued it.”;

His run came to an end in the episode that aired last week.

His final dish was a whole fried snapper on a bed of daikon “;pasta”; with tomato and basil sauce. The judges praised it for creativity and good looks, but gave it low marks for taste.

Villiatora says it was a risky choice—cooked daikon may be familiar in Asian cuisine, but mainstream diners know it only as a relish in sushi bars. But he says the other chefs seemed to be relying on comfort foods, and his style is to reach beyond. “;If you stick inside the box it tends to get boring.”;

Villiatora started as a dishwasher and has no formal culinary training, a fact that he wears as a badge of honor, along with the tattoos covering his arms and his heavy gold chain. “;I think I may have opened the doors to others who weren't fortunate enough to go to culinary school.”;

Back in Vegas, he's just completed a development concept for a new casino restaurant, where he'll be executive chef.

So there is life after “;Top Chef.”; He laughs: “;Thank God.”;

“;Top Chef”; continues with nine chefs remaining. New episodes air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. All the episodes repeat frequently.