Orchid Paulmeier

Owning a restaurant was always part of "Mama" Orchid Paulmeier's American Dream. The daughter of immigrants, Orchid picked up the fundamentals of Filipino cooking from her mother and grandmother. After working her way through the restaurant business all the way up from the hostess stand, Orchid took an internship in Hilton Head Island. Along with her husband, Mike, Orchid began laying down roots in the Lowcountry and digging in to the deep, colorful cooking traditions of the region. Orchid opened her restaurant, One Hot Mama's in 2007, handpicking the menu and mixing up all of the signature sauces herself. Chef Orchid runs her kitchen like she lives her life - surrounded by fanmily, friends and feel-good food. She blends time-tested Southern favorites like collards, cornbread and slow-cooked barbecue and ribs with her own home-spun recipes. For Food Network fans, Orchid may seem familiar as she auditioned for and won a slow on season seven of The Next Food Network Star. Accolades have followed as she was named a 2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassador and one of the Featured Chefs at the James Beard House Dinner.