While at Departure, Gourdet also made his first foray into Reality TV. There he competed on season 12 of Top Chef where he wowed the judges with his innovative flavor profiles that mixed and mingled cultures. This appearance increased his celebrity chef status and resulted in him appearing 5 more times as a contestant and judge on Top Chef.
As his celebrity chef status increased Gourdet capitalized on his forward momentum and opened his own restaurant, Kann in Portland.
A wood-fired concept that brought together his
Haitian heritage and the flavors of the Caribbean diaspora, Kann was briefly stilted by COVID-19 and opened fully in July 2022.
Gourdet's success in the culinary world stems from his ability to expertly weave together classical culinary traditions and techniques with the historical flavor profiles of his heritage. As a Black chef in America, Gourdet embraces the traditional techniques of his past, using them as a fulcrum to catapult his own stories, culture, and heritage into the modern eye.