East Naples chef Asif Syed beats Bobby Flay on TV cooking contest

Chef Asif Rasheed Syed of 21 Spices beat celebrity Chef Bobby Flay during an episode that aired Thursday night on Food Network. Shelby Reynolds, shelby.reynolds@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4829

The “King of Spice,” chef Asif Syed of 21 Spicesrestaurant in East Naples, beat world-famous chef Bobby Flay at his own game on Food Network.

It was the smoked, fiery-red chicken tandoori that did it in an episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” that aired Thursday.

“Every time I make this dish, it just gets better and better,” said Syed, whose cooking style is influenced by his Indian heritage.

The idea is to bring seasoned chefs from across the country to first battle each other before, hopefully, advancing to the final round against Flay, whom few chefs have been able to beat.

The showdown pitted Syed, whose appearance Thursday night was his third on the popular cooking network, against New York City chef Jordan Frosolone. They prepared a dish of Flay’s choosing: lamb chops.