S17.E10: Colossal Coliseum Kaiseki

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

With only six chefs remaining, the challenges get even more difficult, when pastry super-chef Sherry Yard awaits the all stars for a dreaded dessert Quickfire; chefs endure a blindfolded taste test to pick their ingredients.

Original air date: May 21, 2020

[Bastet]

The blindfolded taste test is always fascinating to me, for how many ingredients fantastically-talented chefs fail to recognize just based on taste and smell.  It seems like this group averaged better than those in previous such challenges (which would make sense, being all stars).

Bryan’s QF dish looked completely unappetizing.  Even Karen’s unset panna cotta was something I wanted to eat, because of the flavors, but his did not appeal to me at all.

This exchange as Padma introduced the elimination challenge made me laugh out loud:

Padma: It’s time to let the games begin.
Stephanie: What have we been doing?

What a tough EC; it’s such a specific meal, that takes a lot of practice to perfect, and so different from what the cheftestants typically do.  I think it's good to challenge them in that way, especially since they were given an example by two masters. 

I liked Melissa’s way of assigning courses; everyone was best matched with their course, especially Bryan.

And, indeed, his dish looked utterly fantastic; I wanted so badly to eat it.

Same with Stephanie’s dessert; first and last course brought it home!  I flat-out cheered in my living room when she won, especially as a unanimous runaway winner.

Melissa’s was another dish I wanted very badly to eat, despite its little errors.

Malarkey’s looked quite visually appealing, but I was not surprised to hear it didn’t eat very well.

Gregory’s seemed underwhelming.  It’s hard to under-salt something enough to bother me, but I suspect this is one of the few times I’d have joined in on that complaint. 

But Karen’s was disappointing, and the clear loser.  A good dish, but not up to par with the rest.  And that’s what I love about this all-stars challenge.

The “Same Dream. New Year.” commercial about the postponed Olympics got me a little choked up after seeing some athletes I really like as guest judges.

[ProudMary]

No Karen, you were not "sent home for a good dish." Your dish clearly had major flaws both in the actual grilling of the duck and also in the (lack of) precision with which it was cut and precision is a major component of a Kaiseki meal. I haven't watched LCK yet, but in my book, when you are eliminated two times in the same competition, you should stay eliminated. 

I really didn't care for the way Padma threw some shade at JT at the noted Kaiseki chef when she said that even though she got a small piece of crab shell in Melissa's dish, she ate it all because it was so delicious. Maybe it was just the way the editors wanted it to appear but the chef didn't seem to appreciate Padma's comment. Based on what we saw when everyone was eating, it seemed that the chef was the only diner who had gotten a piece of crab shell in her dish, but then to later find out that Padma's dish had shell in it also makes you wonder how many others may have gotten some in their dish also. Considering that they said Melissa's custard hadn't fully set, she actually had two major issues with her dish. I'm glad she lived to cook another day and that they sent Karen packing. 

Stephanie certainly had a big night, winning both the QF and the EC.  I'm very happy for her.

[buttersister]

Happy for Stephanie. And I want that dessert now!

This was a difficult change, but it also showed that Gregory can make mistakes. We know Melissa and Bryan can, too. I think they’ll all go to Italy, but oy.

Edited May 22, 2020 by buttersister

[avecsans]

It was sad to see the world class athletes preparing for Tokyo, knowing what will happen. I hope the olympics take place in 2021 and that they all get to compete.

Stephanie’s dessert looked delicious and I was happy for her. I figured Karen was a goner as soon as she started complaining about the grill. Malarkey can go next, and then I would be happy to see any of the others win. I do have a soft spot for Gregory, though, and I was concerned because he committed the sin of underseasoning.  Melissa seems like such a good person. I liked how she tried to match the chefs with the courses to help them succeed.  I’m not a fan of NotGail as a judge. I hope real Gail comes back next week.
 

[catrice2]

I am nervous for Gregory...and I do not like Last Chance Kitchen. 

[riprock]

When I saw a budget of $200 for a meal inside the Memorial Coliseum, i had the impression the challenge was impossible. Then I learned there were only 12 diners. 
 

did they say why Gail didn’t join? Nilou's critiques and presence are noticeably of a lower level. 
 

wanted BV's dish, and ITA with Bastet. As appetizing as sand.

35 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Bryan’s QF dish looked completely unappetizing.  

I think the minimalist Kaiseki progression, which I learned about for the first time, helps me understand sushi a little better. It’s about the fish, and bringing it out just a tiny bit. Hopefully I’ll make some foodie friends irl someday and get to try such a menu...

[Fukui San]

Gregory has bad eyesight but makes up for it with other senses. So, he's Daredevil?

You're going to the Olympics in Tokyo! Well, I got some bad news for you guys...

I think all of those athletes are retired from Olympic competition, but I could be wrong.

Good of Melissa to assign everyone their best course. Remember Spike trying to sabotage everyone every time he had the advantage of choosing and it always backfiring in his face? Good times.

One thing that occurred to me while watching Last Chance Kitchen (no spoilers).  I don't remember seeing one Sous Vide or foam this season. But liquid nitrogen ice cream is in. How have culinary trends changed.

[Thumper]

Well, I’m just a basic Jane so I thought this Kaiseki food sounded way too “special” and picky.  And stupid.  Sorry!  😁 (I mean really — how it is cut makes a difference???!)

Happy for Stephanie; glad Melissa and Gregory made it through.

[Fukui San]

20 minutes ago, Thumper said:

Well, I’m just a basic Jane so I thought this Kaiseki food sounded way too “special” and picky.  And stupid.  Sorry!  😁 (I mean really — how it is cut makes a difference???!)

Happy for Stephanie; glad Melissa and Gregory made it through.

The Japanese are... a little intense about knife skills.

 

 

[Tess23]

Tom's face mirroring Stephanie's look of surprise when she won was hilarious. He really seems to be enjoying this season.

[Dawn]

I didn't hate this challenge, but I didn't particularly like it either (though I thought learning about the Kaiseki progression was interesting). To me this seemed just as gimmicky (or more so) than last week's challenge. At least last week they were allowed to cook whatever they wanted (though of course limited by ingredients available); this particular style of food was so specific and precise and seemed much more limiting and "unfair" than last week's challenge (IMO). 

It was neat seeing the Olympians (though I also mourned at all the happy Olympics talk), but they weren't exactly well matched to this challenge/menu, other than the completely random Olympics = Japanese theme, so I don't think they added much interest to the episode. I would have much more appreciated hearing from people who at least fancy themselves foodies of some sort and are somewhat familiar with the food; most of them seemed even more out of their element than the chefs.

I was worried for Gregory and Melissa, but it was clearly time for Karen to go (again). She seemed really off the whole episode, and particularly uncomfortable with the EC (though the grilling task seemed difficult, but choosing duck maybe wasn't the best bet, since it's not an easy meat to cook correctly in any circumstances).

I don't think Stephanie can/should win the whole thing, but I was very happy for her to win this one. I have also grown to like her a lot over this season, and am proud of her for keeping her head above water and excelling on occasion. I absolutely love lemon (particularly in desserts), so her dish sounded like perfection to me. And it was very smart to use the lemon as a "dish". 

Melissa is great and very kind (though I was surprised she didn't do better -- this seemed up her alley more than some of the others), I adore Bryan Voltaggio (dorky laugh and all) so am happy to see him do well, and, well, I think it's about time for Malarkey to go. He's made it farther than I thought he would, so good for him. But if the final isn't Melissa, Gregory, and Bryan, I will be really disappointed. 

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, Dawn said:

It was neat seeing the Olympians (though I also mourned at all the happy Olympics talk), but they weren't exactly well matched to this challenge/menu, other than the completely random Olympics = Japanese theme, so I don't think they added much interest to the episode. I would have much more appreciated hearing from people who at least fancy themselves foodies of some sort and are somewhat familiar with the food; most of them seemed even more out of their element than the chefs.

I kind of liked the randomness, since guest diners' feedback never much matters - as compared to that of guest judges and, especially, the regular judges - to hear what "regular" folks thought about the dishes simply as something to eat as compared to what those who were evaluating them on how they did or did not succeed under the challenge parameters thought. 

[Thumper]

So,the guest diners’ feedback isn’t included as “judges?”   I have always been unclear about that.  Agree that it’s nice to see the Olympians, but not sure they are expert judges of food (nor am I!).

[mlp]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Same with Stephanie’s dessert; first and last course brought it home!  I flat-out cheered in my living room when she won, especially as a unanimous runaway winner.

Me too.  I don't think Stephanie is the best chef there but I really like her and I'm happy to see her doing well.  I hope she gets her trip deferred or is given a substitute trip to somewhere she'd like to go.

Overall, I liked this episode better than the camping last week but I have no interest in a progressive dinner of tiny plates with even tinier bites of food for, I assume, huge prices.  I'd rather have a steak and a baked potato.  It was interesting to watch the chefs adapt to the challenge but I'll bet most of them weren't thrilled about it.

I like Malarkey even though he is annoying.  He somehow hasn't figured out that his bragging beforehand always seems to make him look foolish afterwards.  

I was very happy to see Karen go.  I thought she'd never leave.

[Vermicious Knid]

Well, I liked that none of the chefs were experts at this style of cooking and they were actually challenged. Nobody crowing about how this was totally in their wheelhouse. Melissa, for all that she was familiar with the dishes didn't seem to have done it often. And there's nothing wrong with making them be precise. Remember when they did that one season where the first episode was actually the final elimination for who got in? The contestants had to cook basic things like peas and scrambled eggs. I would like to see something like that again, that forces them to demonstrate some skills. The one season of professional Masterchef UK I got to see made them do it every episode, like breaking down sea urchins, because they were expected to be at that level.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

I liked Melissa’s way of assigning courses; everyone was best matched with their course, especially Bryan.

My favorite part was that Malarkey was an after thought.

[NowVoyager]

4 hours ago, Dawn said:

I didn't hate this challenge, but I didn't particularly like it either (though I thought learning about the Kaiseki progression was interesting). To me this seemed just as gimmicky (or more so) than last week's challenge. At least last week they were allowed to cook whatever they wanted (though of course limited by ingredients available); this particular style of food was so specific and precise and seemed much more limiting and "unfair" than last week's challenge (IMO). 

It was neat seeing the Olympians (though I also mourned at all the happy Olympics talk), but they weren't exactly well matched to this challenge/menu, other than the completely random Olympics = Japanese theme, so I don't think they added much interest to the episode. I would have much more appreciated hearing from people who at least fancy themselves foodies of some sort and are somewhat familiar with the food; most of them seemed even more out of their element than the chefs.

I was worried for Gregory and Melissa, but it was clearly time for Karen to go (again). She seemed really off the whole episode, and particularly uncomfortable with the EC (though the grilling task seemed difficult, but choosing duck maybe wasn't the best bet, since it's not an easy meat to cook correctly in any circumstances).

I don't think Stephanie can/should win the whole thing, but I was very happy for her to win this one. I have also grown to like her a lot over this season, and am proud of her for keeping her head above water and excelling on occasion. I absolutely love lemon (particularly in desserts), so her dish sounded like perfection to me. And it was very smart to use the lemon as a "dish". 

Melissa is great and very kind (though I was surprised she didn't do better -- this seemed up her alley more than some of the others), I adore Bryan Voltaggio (dorky laugh and all) so am happy to see him do well, and, well, I think it's about time for Malarkey to go. He's made it farther than I thought he would, so good for him. But if the final isn't Melissa, Gregory, and Bryan, I will be really disappointed. 

Yeah, I didn't think the Olympians added much to the conversation. For example, Nastia Liukin, a *GREAT!* gymnastics champion 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 is retired & has only done tv commentary for many years. Others I didn't know at all--- but *Good Luck!* to them & I'll be rooting for them in 2021!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 As for the Olympics, Please Have Faith Folks! They Will! get their time to shine! A little late, but... by then we will have all learned a lesson about perseverance & strength. (😭😭😭) Still, I don't think professional athletes are the best people to ask about food. The one's I know are happy to eat bland, boiled chicken breast 3 times a day; they eat for performance, not for taste.

4 hours ago, Thumper said:

Well, I’m just a basic Jane so I thought this Kaiseki food sounded way too “special” and picky.  And stupid.  Sorry!  😁 (I mean really — how it is cut makes a difference???!)

Happy for Stephanie; glad Melissa and Gregory made it through.

Well, I think how the food is cut does make a difference; however, I prefer homestyle cuisine. I would probably prefer an uneven cut of meat or veg, where some bits get more roasted & caramelized & some are left more succulent & juicy. I appreciate the kaiseki meal, but the whole thing had me nervous sweating from start to finish! The guest judges were brutal! I knew Voltaggio would do well with his precise cuts & I was cheering out loud for Stephanie's dessert. How much do we *love* Melissa for picking chefs for each course based on who she thought would excel!? She's soo pretty & cool & talented. #GirlCrush

Edited May 22, 2020 by NowVoyager

[Ellee]

I enjoyed this challenge. 
 

Loved seeing Stephanie win and her reaction. 
 

As usual hated seeing anyone go.  And hope from here on out that the eliminated chef goes out on great dishes and the judges have nothing critical to say and only look petty on their reasons.  That is not to be a slap at the judges. It’s a compliment to the chefs. I like them all. 

[cameron]

Did anyone notice that at the beginning of last night's episode, they did a recap of Padma eating Bryan's V. dish and it had an egg sandwich on it that was oozing out yolk.  So much for someone else putting in an egg dish for the camping episode.  Selective editing there.  Always thought that those mothers wouldn't go along without some sort of egg dish on the buffet.

Edited May 22, 2020 by cameron

[raven]

Loved the challenge.  I always enjoy when the chefs are challenged outside of their comfort zones, as long as it is culinary related and not something dumb like chopping stuff out of a block of ice.  It's interesting to me to see who gets excited and rises to the challenge, as well as seeing the different food progressions and the criteria that have to be met.

Great job by Stephanie and I wanted to try her dessert.  I also really liked the quickfire; the blind taste test is my favorite after the mise en place. 

Really enjoying this season.

[wlk68]

I liked this episode. I think it was a great leveler since none of the chefs had experience with it. Most of the challenges they pretty much have free rein so it was time to see what they could do when they had very specific parameters. Bryan V tends to be very elegant and precise so I'm glad he did well. I was initially worried since his dish came first in the progression. I figured by the time everyone got to the end, any impression he made would be forgotten. Happy that was not the case.

Much like the Trolls premiere earlier in the season, the bit about the Olympics was a sad little gut punch. 😞 

[Corgi-ears]

I think the moment the duck was "disrespected" was when it was killed, but maybe that's just me.

[hendersonrocks]

All the props to Melissa for trying to set chefs up for success and diners for a special meal. Some chefs - like Malarkey described in an earlier episode - definitely would not have gone that route.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Stephanie shine, and as soon as the episode shared the clips of her talking about her brother I knew she was either going to do REALLY well or be gone. Glad it was the former, even though I still can't imagine she'll be able to complete with Melissa/Gregory/Bryan in the end.

Speaking of Bryan V., the man is just not designed for quickfire success. He is so focused on what he does and how he does it, which can translate well to elimination challenges but not to quickfires where you need to Spin Three Times While Holding a Lime and Then Make It Into A Taco in Fifteen Minutes.

[Rai]

I loved this challenge. It really put the chefs through their paces and there was a huge element of uncertainty (although I did think pretty early on that Karen was doomed. Miscooking the protein is usually a great way to get knife'd). It was also a little funny in a bummer way that of all people, Melissa had some shell in her dishes. I figured this was her challenge because of all the knife cuts she obsessed over in her season, and then the custards didn't set up, and the shells.

If it wasn't going to be Melissa, then I figured it'd be Bryan winning it since it seemed like it was close to what he likes to do as is. But then I saw Stephanie setting up her dessert in the lemon rinds, and thought "damn, that looks like a Japanese dessert." I was so happy she won one. It took her until late in her season to really find her groove, actually, and then she got sandbagged by Nick's immunity. So maybe she'll do a late surge again?

That Olympic 2020ne commercial made me teary. Stupid tears.

[meep.meep]

Enjoyed the episode - putting them out of their comfort zones in a structured manner is always good.

Even though Stephanie doesn't get to go to the Olympics this summer, we were speculating on what lame event Top Chef is likely to send her to.  You know it won't be anything in the main stadium.  I came up with men's Rhythmic Gymnastics, or the initial heats of 50m freestyle swimming.

[Miss chi chi]

Had to watch a second time with the knowledge that Gregory and Melissa were not PYKAG'd so I could enjoy it.

So glad that Steph got such a great episode. I continue to love her sense of humor and her relationship with Gregory. They are a delight together.

I have always liked Padma, however, I can't get over how hard it is for her to move her mouth and face. It's very distracting.

Both sushi chefs seemed incredibly humorless. Not a fan. 

 

[dleighg]

On a shallow note, I thought that Nihal's dress looked like an unfortunate bridesmaid dress I wore in 1988. Same color and all.

[rhygirl720]

Thoughts and musings:

Some of these challenges! ugh! While I appreciate the art form of Japanese cooking for me it's about taste! Opinions may vary.

Rock on Stephanie! Superstar episode for her!

I just love Gregory and was a little worried about his dish. Glad he was safe.

This was tailor made for Bryan V and he did have a good showing. 

Melissa was a surprise I thought she'd do better here but... loved that she approached the pairings with such class. Love her sensibility.

Karen..it was time. I am always amazed with these chefs that insist on doing panna cotta within a short time frame and they always fail! there are thousands of dessert options choose something else.

Malarky: he just grates. He is exhausting and just too too much all the time.

My predicted final three : Kevin ( no spoiler just a hunch) Bryan V, Melissa/ Gregory. 

[Brookside]

41 minutes ago, Miss chi chi said:

Had to watch a second time with the knowledge that Gregory and Melissa were not PYKAG'd so I could enjoy it.

 

 

Me too!  What a sad sign of the (coronavirus) times that a cooking show can almost bring me to tears. (Not including the Great British Bake Off, which can have the same effect as peeling onions!)

7 minutes ago, rhygirl720 said:

 

Karen..it was time. I am always amazed with these chefs that insist on doing panna cotta within a short time frame and they always fail! there are thousands of dessert options choose something else.

 

At least she didn't do bread pudding.

[Quilt Fairy]

14 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Stephanie certainly had a big night, winning both the QF and the EC.  I'm very happy for her.

Technically, Stephanie only came in first in the QF prelim.   Melissa won the actual QF. 

[ProudMary]

20 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Technically, Stephanie only came in first in the QF prelim.   Melissa won the actual QF. 

You're right; my mistake. I was just so blown away by Stephanie's ingredient identification abilities (again!) that I forgot about the cooking element of the challenge. 😶  Melissa's dish looked so good.

[carrps]

The only Japanese dish I really do not like is chawan mushi, but Melissa's looked so good, I'd eat hers!

I've been to several highly rated "name chef" restaurants, and I always go with the chef's tasting menu. I love getting a whole lot of dishes with different flavors, textures and plating. I've mentioned before that my best meal evah was at Michael Cimmarusti's Providence. Seven courses not including the amuse bouche, and the three tiny "cocktails" in spoons. So goooood.

I like a good steak and potato, and I have my local favorite place for that, it doesn't have the blow-me-away awesomeness that a good tasting menu does. I would love to go to N/Naka, but Malarkey (?) said you can't get a table (well, not now), so I guess I can never go now. 😆

Everything looked so good to me, but Stephanie's dish was perfection. Karen's duck....the best part of duck breast is the crispy skin, and the fat must be rendered .... was not good.

I liked Stephanie and Gregory discussing her brother. I'm guessing that shared background is giving them an extra link.

ETA: Does anyone think Malarkey calling Bryan Michael was on purpose?

Edited May 22, 2020 by carrps

[seltzer3]

I'm curious what they are going to do with Stephanie's prize since of everything related to Covid right now.

I'm very happy for Stephanie winning, but I was kind of surprised she won.  I thought she was going to get points docked for doing not a pure Japanese dish, but a fusion one.

[catrice2]

Looks like Gregory is in trouble again next week.....oh no.  I am going to be sad if he doesn't make top 3.  

[SemiCharmedLife]

2 hours ago, carrps said:

ETA: Does anyone think Malarkey calling Bryan Michael was on purpose?

I don't know, but I find it crazy that he would forget the name Bryan, which is also his own name!

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, carrps said:

Does anyone think Malarkey calling Bryan Michael was on purpose?

I absolutely thought Malarkey did it deliberately just to get under Bryan's skin. Looked like it worked too.

[catrice2]

I float in and out of Top Chef....this seasons seems so gimmicky and bland. 

[dleighg]

5 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

float in and out of Top Chef....this seasons seems so gimmicky and bland.

Maybe so, but I so like the vast majority of the chefs, esp. the ones left, that I don't care. I have a crush on Bryan V and was happy he did well this week. And Melissa has been awesome.

[Totale]

I'm sad now that I've learned I've been chopping my vegetables heartlessly.

[catrice2]

54 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Maybe so, but I so like the vast majority of the chefs, esp. the ones left, that I don't care. I have a crush on Bryan V and was happy he did well this week. And Melissa has been awesome.

I like most of them too.  

[Rahul]

As a vegetarian who doesn't consume seafood, I haven't paid much attention to  Japanese cuisine and was unfamiliar with the difference between Omakase with Kaiseki.  

I was convinced Stephanie was going to be eliminated when we got a glimpse into her personal life and the backstory about her deceased brother. I haven't done a tabulation but usually a call home is a good signifier it's the last we will be seeing of a chef.

Stepahnie has quickly become a favorite of mine; she's the underdog not only because she doesn't have her own restaurant but because she's a private chef who's always doubting her own abilities. On top of that, she has a great, sarcastic sense of humor and has shown immense kindness when it counts (ie. dispatching her husband to help LeAnne when LeAnne's mother had to leave for health reasons).

I was thrilled that Stephanie not only crushed the blind taste testing but got her very first elimination challenge win amongst this tight core of talented cheftestants. Her dessert looked and sounded absolutely delicious and I would have loved to try it, if only panna cotta didn't contain gelatin. I really hope Stephanie makes the cut to Italy.

Did anyone notice how Padma quickly had to turn to Brian Voltaggio to let him know he was also a favorite? Padma has always had a soft spot and a bit of a flirtatious bias when it comes to the best looking male contestants each season. Wondering if anyone else picked up on this.

 

[caitmcg]

6 hours ago, seltzer3 said:

I'm curious what they are going to do with Stephanie's prize since of everything related to Covid right now.

I'm very happy for Stephanie winning, but I was kind of surprised she won.  I thought she was going to get points docked for doing not a pure Japanese dish, but a fusion one.

French and Italian pastry and technique are pretty big in Japan, and she made sure to use very classic Japanese flavors (like yuzu), and had really good instincts for someone without experience in cooking Japanese food, like using the hollowed lemon rinds as a vessel, which one of the guest judges noted is typical.

Even if the summer Olympics goes ahead in 2021 (unclear, according to today’s NY Times) and the sponsor still fulfills the prize, the games may go ahead without spectators, just as is starting to happen with some pro sports abroad, and potentially at some point in the US.

44 minutes ago, Rahul said:

I was convinced Stephanie was going to be eliminated when we got a glimpse into her personal life and the backstory about her deceased brother. I haven't done a tabulation but usually a call home is a good signifier it's the last we will be seeing of a chef.

The call home/poignant backstory tends to either mean someone's gone or someone’s doing great that week. Back when, it was a sure kiss-of-death indicator, but the producers wised up, and especially with a cast like this, you don’t know whether it’s a good or bad sign until the episode fully unfolds.

[gorgy]

Most Olympians train their entire lives from sun up to sundown for years focused on a single goal, and every 2-4 years NBC trots them out to judge some reality tv competition due to corporate synergy, and because they are so focused on that one singular pursuit, their commentary absolutely sucks. That, along with those two severe guest judges made for a dull main challenge. I'm not taking anything away from their food, as I'm sure its outstanding (especially compared to last's weeks campsite crapstavaganza) but watching the regular judges trying to get any valuable repartee out of this group was like pulling teeth.

Although it's evident TV Chef© Brian Malarky has his issues, if I was given a giant storeroom of free food and an industrial ice cream maker, I'd probably mess around with it, too. And I don't even really like ice cream

[JMarie99]

On 5/21/2020 at 11:51 PM, Thumper said:

 

Well, I’m just a basic Jane so I thought this Kaiseki food sounded way too “special” and picky.  And stupid.  Sorry!  😁 (I mean really — how it is cut makes a difference???!)

 

@Thumper, I’m with you all the way.  I did a little research on Kaiseki, and I think I understand the concept, but it literally leaves me cold. All that talk about perfect knife cuts, “respecting the ingredients” - please. They are just ingredients - proteins, fruits and vegetables. So if a dish comes out wrong, you have “disrespected” the ingredients? Have you hurt their feelings? And what was that thing about making a soup that should be barely seasoned when you are making it but the flavor comes out when you serve it? Maybe I got that wrong, but it sounded ridiculous. In any event, the rules of this challenge, which apparently are the rules of Kaiseki, left me cold. The only thing I would have any interest in eating is Stephanie’s dessert. 

I should add that I have a great amount of respect for the Japanese people. I doubt that the majority of them eat this kind of super-picky food. Also, every mention of the Tokyo Olympics made me sad. Maybe that colored my impression of the whole episode. 

[dleighg]

4 hours ago, JMarie99 said:

And what was that thing about making a soup that should be barely seasoned when you are making it but the flavor comes out when you serve it? Maybe I got that wrong, but it sounded ridiculous.

I had the same thought. It seems (to me, ducking) that there's a small bit of "emperor's new clothes." Especially when that tasting menu costs $275 per person (another $125 or the wine and sake pairing.) God forbid you should want something to surprise you with flavor. I guess it's a "thing," but it seems you have to buy the theory to have any hope of enjoying it at all.

[Brookside]

N/Naka?  How self-importantly pretentious can you get?

[dleighg]

21 minutes ago, Brookside said:

N/Naka?  How self-importantly pretentious can you get?

Is there some meaning I'm failing to get? Or is it just weird, like Elon Musk's baby's name?

[lh25]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:49 PM, mlp said:

I like Malarkey even though he is annoying.  He somehow hasn't figured out that his bragging beforehand always seems to make him look foolish afterwards.  

Hubby and I were talking about this watching the show.  We can't decide how serious his bragging it.  But it is funny how so often, the results he gets doesn't back up the brag.

[Fukui San]

Some of you haven't watched dozens of episodes of original Iron Chef Japan and it shows.

Just kidding. I haven't had Kaiseki myself, but I'm sure it'd be incredibly tasty to even skeptical diners.

Japanese cuisine has it's own set of rules that sets it apart, like putting square foods in round containers and round food in square containers, having inedible but natural decorations on the plate, etc. I'm glad that the chefs are sometimes challenged to do something different and specific and that they seem to have risen to the occasion, unlike, say, the dim sum challenge in All Stars 1.