For folks who’ve been keeping up with Top Chef Boston, Katsuji Tanabe is no stranger. The LA-based, MexiKosher chef made it all the way to episode nine before being asked to pack his knives. Tanabe, known for his multi-ingredient dishes and a way with words (though not necessarily with clams), chatted with us from the West Coast about his time on the show and in Boston. See what he had to say before you tune in to the first part of the three-part finale which airs tonight.