Beverly's Top Chef Takeaway? Pride

Beverly Kim had a wild ride on Top Chef: Texas -- surviving not one, but two cooking competitions (thanks to Last Chance Kitchen) as well as the barbs of her fellow cheftestants and her own penchant for mid-kitchen flailing -- before she was asked to pack her knives and go. But while the eccentric chef didn't make it to next week's finale, she earned the respect of her colleagues -- and says she has no regrets moving forward.

(Where are your favorite chefs from past seasons? Catch up with them in our "Where Are They Now?" photo gallery.)

Beverly told The Insider, "I'm really proud of the fact that I never gave up, and I think a lot of it was psychological, the second guessing nature of the show. I had to get to a point where I had faith in myself. That's really important as a chef to do; the first person you need to convince is yourself. Top Chef really taught me how to bring in that inner confidence."

She loved the opportunity she was given in Last Chance Kitchen, too: "You have to be open to whatever they give you... A lot of people are ready to go once they have been eliminated," she said. "The fact that it was a total surprise shows a lot about the fact that I never give up or complain, I just put my head down and I do it."

So what's next for Bev? "Really awesome opportunities are coming my way right now. Collaborating with other chefs is one of my goals right now. It's a beautiful thing to share your point of view with theirs. In the longer road, I do want to have my own place, so look out for that!"

Want to show Bev a little love? There's still time to rally for her -- or any of this season's cheftestants -- in the race for Fan Favorite.