S17.E10: Colossal Coliseum Kaiseki

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On 5/22/2020 at 11:56 AM, meep.meep said:

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.

Lol ... that said, I’m the weirdo that prefers men’s gymnastics to women’s (even rhythmic) ... with the exception of anything Simone Biles does which is always must-see TV for me. As a retired sportswriter, I’m in awe of the guys (got to cover a few world class guys when they were still in high school and was just blown away by their strength and grace). 

[meep.meep]

Rhythmic Gymnastics are not regular Gymnastics.  It's not pommel horse and rings and parallel bars - it's ribbon or ball or Indian clubs.  Not a sport you can get a scholarship for in the US.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

16 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Rhythmic Gymnastics are not regular Gymnastics.  It's not pommel horse and rings and parallel bars - it's ribbon or ball or Indian clubs.  Not a sport you can get a scholarship for in the US.

But rhythmic gymnastics is still an Olympic event, yes (I know it’s only women)? Wasn’t sure if it was one of the events taken off the table. I guess since men”s artistic has six events compared to women’s four it’s fair lol!!! 
 

 

[seltzer3]

I wasn't surprised that Karen got eliminated.  I feel like of the 6 dishes, her's was probably the most difficult to make them uniform.  It seems like cutting the duck into vertical strips wasn't the greatest idea, since not all of the strips were going to have even length, and they were going to cook differently.  Maybe she could have cut them into squares?

Also, I get that Japanese cuisine can have a minimalist attributes.  However, her dish is just a ducke breast with chopped up grapes.  (I hate how chefs love to plate with so much negative space)  So I would probably eliminate hers just looking at visuals.

Edited May 23, 2020 by seltzer3

[theatremouse]

On 5/21/2020 at 9:20 PM, 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. 

It wasn't really random though. The next Olympics are supposed to be in Tokyo. It's a flimsy connection, sure, but it didn't come out of nowhere.

On 5/22/2020 at 11:19 AM, carrps said:

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

I do not think he did it on purpose. I do think it revealed that Malarkey basically thinks of them as one interchangeable unit.

[JD5166]

3 hours ago, seltzer3 said:

I wasn't surprised that Karen got eliminated.  I feel like of the 6 dishes, her's was probably the most difficult to make them uniform.  It seems like cutting the duck into vertical strips wasn't the greatest idea, since not all of the strips were going to have even length, and they were going to cook differently.  Maybe she could have cut them into squares?

Also, I get that Japanese cuisine can have a minimalist attributes.  However, her dish is just a ducke breast with chopped up grapes.  (I hate how chefs love to plate with so much negative space)  So I would probably eliminate hers just looking at visuals.

I would NEVER eat this and not just because I am not a duck fan. Horrible looking! 

I know one thing about this challenge, I would have walked away starving and picked up a pizza on the way home. Not a fan, not a foodie either so I don’t really get it. I enjoy the reality part of the show, and honestly everyone left ex pet Malarkey, who I no longer hate after restaurant wars, but I can do without him....he’s still annoying and he totally thought (pretty much like every week) that he was going to win the whole thing. 

I love Stephanie and loved seeing her so happy. This is a great crew. It makes me sad to think I won’t get to watch this show again for awhile. 😢

[Rambler]

I wanted to tell the Japanese chef that probably the main reason she doesn't find bits of shell in a traditional Kaiseki meal is that the chefs that cook it aren't in a competition under a tremendous time crunch.

If this whole chef thing doesn't work out for Stephanie, maybe she could find another career as a song writer: "That’s so cold… cuz it's a freezer". The lyrics sent shivers down my spine.

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

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.

I invite you to watch Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma, which is an anime set at an insanely competitive culinary high school in Japan. Even the humblest of street food is treated to extensive breakdowns on technique and taste and why a recipe works or doesn't. It's hugely popular. They may not eat in 5 star restaurants often, but preparation and presentation are very much part of all Japanese cooking.

So there's three more episodes? And has the Food & Wine festival been cancelled?

[Yeah No]

I knew Bryan was going to do well in the elimination challenge since it seemed more in line with the way he likes to cook.  He seems to be most comfortable with the subtle, building of flavors as opposed to the hit-you-in-the face punch of flavors like Malarkey likes to create.  And that's great as far as I'm concerned because I love Bryan and I think he has been mostly overlooked and underappreciated this season.  I think most of the challenges so far have not been those that would showcase his talents most successfully.  I felt like this one threw him a bone.  I hope he gets more in coming weeks because it would level things out somewhat.

On 5/22/2020 at 10:04 PM, Rahul said:

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.

I noticed that but I chalked it up to guilt over the fact that he has been mostly underappreciated and forced outside of his comfort zone more than a lot of the other chefs.  I interpreted it as yet another bone being thrown to him, probably because Padma and the judges know it's been kind of unfair to him so far.  I actually think it's a testament to his ability as a chef that Bryan has lasted so long this season and I hope that future challenges don't continue to trip him up the way they have so far.

Anyway, speaking of Stephanie, I admit I am not really a big fan of hers but she has really been impressive this season.  And Melissa continues to impress too.  I wasn't a huge fan of Karen's and so I was not too sad to see her go, but I think from now on the eliminations are going to hurt more every week.  Also, we still have to see who comes back from LCK (I hope it's not Karen, lol).

On another note, it was great to see Diana Taurasi again as she got her start at UConn years ago and I remember when she was all the rage here because she was the huge star of the Women's basketball team.  I'm not even a sports fan but there were many times I tuned in just to watch her because she was so amazing!

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Yeah No

[ProudMary]

If I may make a suggestion to those Top Chef viewers who do not regularly watch Last Chance Kitchen, do yourself a favor and watch LCK's finale episode for this season. No spoilers, but the producers have done something very different this season and I think that viewers of the regular competition will be missing some important information if they haven't watched LCK. Also, unlike most previous seasons, those of us who've watched LCK are already aware of the final outcome of LCK. It is a lengthier episode than most, clocking in at 29:04. For easier access, here is a You Tube link to the series finale. I'm not embedding the link, just sharing, so there's no screen cap showing.

https://youtu.be/5Ku1f4nbzf8

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by ProudMary
Slightly re-worded something I thought might be construed as a bit spoiler-ish.

[meep.meep]

I just looked it up:

Bryan Voltaggio

Brian Malarkey

Taking it for the team,

meep.meep

[Ashforth]

This is the first season that I've watched LCK and I have enjoyed it so much! I highly recommend it. I would even suggest going back and watching all of the LCK episodes from this season, they're generally just a few minutes long. I didn't expect them to be such a good supplement to the regular episodes.

And, of course, WWTD. It is a pleasure to watch that man cook.

[JD5166]

7 hours ago, ProudMary said:

If I may make a suggestion to those Top Chef viewers who do not regularly watch Last Chance Kitchen, do yourself a favor and watch LCK's finale episode for this season. No spoilers, but the producers have done something very different this season and I think that viewers of the regular competition will be missing some important information if they haven't watched LCK. Also, unlike most previous seasons, those of us who've watched LCK are already aware of the final outcome of LCK. It is a lengthier episode than most, clocking in at 29:04. For easier access, here is a You Tube link to the series finale. I'm not embedding the link, just sharing, so there's no screen cap showing.

https://youtu.be/5Ku1f4nbzf8

 

I enjoy LCK but I can’t  get the finale episode to come up on demand, it’s annoying! 

[Souris]

I love the blind taste tests! So fun. I would like to have seen more of it.Stephanie smoked that!

I don’t think she’s the strongest chef of the group, but I like her and was pleased for her win. So happy Melissa and Gregory survived.

Ouch! at Malarkey calling Bryan “Michael.” How many times has that happened to him, I wonder? Rough.

I didn’t love the challenge. Too specific IMO. Plus I’m a huuuuuge Olympics slut, so it made me sad.

I squealed when Stephanie was plating her dessert, because the bowls are my exact dish pattern! It’s called “Cherry Blossom” from World Market, and they’re made in Japan. So they went even that far with the detail for this challenge.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Souris

[Gramto6]

I have those bowls too! I smiled when I saw them!!

[caitmcg]

6 hours ago, JD5166 said:

I enjoy LCK but I can’t  get the finale episode to come up on demand, it’s annoying! 

I watched it online on the Bravo website.

4 hours ago, Souris said:

I squealed when Stephanie was plating her dessert, because the bowls are my exact dish pattern! It’s called “Cherry Blossom” from World Market, and they’re made in Japan. So they went even that far with the detail for this challenge.

I know those dishes. World Market also has another Japanese cherry blossom pattern made in Japan that’s on pale blue, called Sakura (the Japanese word for cherry blossom). I have some of the small plates in that line.

[biakbiak]

On 5/23/2020 at 5:57 PM, Rambler said:

I wanted to tell the Japanese chef that probably the main reason she doesn't find bits of shell in a traditional Kaiseki meal is that the chefs that cook it aren't in a competition under a tremendous time crunch.

There is literally never been a challenge on this show that would not ding a chef for having shell or even scales in their dish, it might be a competition but that kind of mistake, particularly with a fairly small amount of dishes that had to go out is also unacceptable in these circumstances.

[greyhorse]

Why hasn't LCK been recording lately for me even though I have it set?  Last two weeks now it's been missing and can't be found via streaming.  Bravo website wasn't working for me but I'll have to try again.

During the Quickfire, Gregory had access to his notebook and he was flipping through it?  Really?  Are chefs allowed to use their books?  I suppose I guess so, although we never have seen it during the actual competitions.  We see them writing in them and planning, but never used as a reference.  I'm sure these chefs have tons of books in their bags that have recipes, ideas, etc.  But you can't really use them, right?  I think in Masterchef, there was speculation that cheftestants could reference recipes etc.  Always wondered how these chefs know instantly how to make stuff, the exact measurements for baking, etc.

Karen was just a hot mess.  She doesn't have the sophistication that any of the remaining chefs do.  A little surprised to see her power lifting all that weight, especially because she doesn't look the healthiest.  

Voltaggio's appetizer looked the most authentic and delicious.  Rooting for this guy to win.

One of these days I will make it to n/naka.  I hear reservations are almost impossible to get.  During the pandemic, they're selling bento boxes that sell out immediately.

What a random collection of athletes.  I guess they're looking for ones that live in Los Angeles.  Kerri Walsh, ok, she's recognizable.  Diana Taurasi, of course.  Natasha Liukin (sp?), I guess everyone probably forgot about her until this show.  And the others, I have no idea.  Track and field stars, it seems?  None of them seemed particularly knowledgeable about food.  The African American track guy seemed to know nothing and it it was his first time eating duck?  It's not like it's foie gras.  If he's never eaten duck, he probably wouldn't be a good guy to have on a food show.  Mike Tirico?  OK, he's the Olympics host.  He made one non-food comment at the end but just so random.

[caitmcg]

30 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

During the Quickfire, Gregory had access to his notebook and he was flipping through it?  Really?  Are chefs allowed to use their books?  I suppose I guess so, although we never have seen it during the actual competitions.  We see them writing in them and planning, but never used as a reference.  I'm sure these chefs have tons of books in their bags that have recipes, ideas, etc.  But you can't really use them, right?  I think in Masterchef, there was speculation that cheftestants could reference recipes etc.  Always wondered how these chefs know instantly how to make stuff, the exact measurements for baking, etc.

I’m sure they’re not allowed to bring any reference resources with them to consult*, but that the notebooks are for their musings during the course of the competition, so they wouldn’t gain any advantage by looking at them during a challenge. For all we know, they might do it regularly, but the show's been edited such that we never see it.

As for knowing what ingredient amounts to use in baked goods and so on, this far in, anyone coming on TC would be foolish not to have memorized a few basic recipes, since they know they’ll be tasked with making dessert sometime in the competition.

*In a similar vein, in one of the earlier seasons of Project Runway, a contestant was kicked out of the competition when it was discovered that he’d secretly brought design reference books with him and was consulting them.

[Miss chi chi]

On May 22, 2020 at 4:57 PM, Totale said:

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

Totale for the win!!!

[ProudMary]

Just now, greyhorse said:

Why hasn't LCK been recording lately for me even though I have it set?  Last two weeks now it's been missing and can't be found via streaming.  Bravo website wasn't working for me but I'll have to try again.

Bravo has all of the Last Chance Kitchen episodes up on You Tube, and over in the LCK thread, our fellow forum member @RealityCheck has posted YT links for easy access to each individual episode.  Here is the direct link to that post:
https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/107631-season-17-last-chance-kitchen-and-what-would-tom-do/?do=findComment&comment=6144868

 

[biakbiak]

7 hours ago, caitmcg said:

I’m sure they’re not allowed to bring any reference resources with them to consult*, but that the notebooks are for their musings during the course of the competition, so they wouldn’t gain any advantage by looking at them during a challenge. For all we know, they might do it regularly, but the show's been edited such that we never see it.

They give them notebooks and a lot of the chefs plan out recipes that come to them during the competition, so it’s possible he had imagined/wrote down a dish that came to him and was looking for it. 

They showed the notebooks a lot on the first AllStars because Blais would always be using it and making drawings of various plating thoughts and Isabella used one of his ideas and won a QF.

[Impalace]

Oystergate! When Mike Isabella stole Richard's idea from his notebook.

[greyhorse]

On 5/23/2020 at 4:40 PM, JD5166 said:

I would NEVER eat this and not just because I am not a duck fan. Horrible looking! 

I know one thing about this challenge, I would have walked away starving and picked up a pizza on the way home. Not a fan, not a foodie either so I don’t really get it. I enjoy the reality part of the show, and honestly everyone left ex pet Malarkey, who I no longer hate after restaurant wars, but I can do without him....he’s still annoying and he totally thought (pretty much like every week) that he was going to win the whole thing. 

I love Stephanie and loved seeing her so happy. This is a great crew. It makes me sad to think I won’t get to watch this show again for awhile. 😢

LOL.  n/naka is probably one of the top restaurants in LA, but I agree, I might still leave hungry.  I know Ali Wong and Randall Park were Quickfire judges earlier this year, and their movie "Always be my maybe" took inspiration from n/naka for the Keanu Reeves dinner scene.  And it's totally right, they dropped $6500 at dinner and Park's character wanted a burrito as he was leaving.

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

They give them notebooks and a lot of the chefs plan out recipes that come to them during the competition, so it’s possible he had imagined/wrote down a dish that came to him and was looking for it. 

They showed the notebooks a lot on the first AllStars because Blais would always be using it and making drawings of various plating thoughts and Isabella used one of his ideas and won a QF.

 

5 minutes ago, Impalace said:

Oystergate! When Mike Isabella stole Richard's idea from his notebook.

Yes, I know they have notebooks that we often see them writing in, creating menus, ideas, etc.  And yes, I do recall Blais having drawings as to how he wanted to plate.  But I've never seen any of the chefs flip through them while actually cooking.  So just was odd.

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

But I've never seen any of the chefs flip through them while actually cooking.  So just was odd.

I am doing a rewatch and it’s not that uncommon. Particularly when they are in the background of shots.

[MartyQui]

22 hours ago, greyhorse said:

Karen was just a hot mess.  She doesn't have the sophistication that any of the remaining chefs do.  A little surprised to see her power lifting all that weight, especially because she doesn't look the healthiest.  

Karen’s a James Beard award winner, and her new restaurant in South Boston, Fox & the Knife, is very sophisticated food.  Just because she’s not great in a competition setting doesn’t mean she’s not a fantastic chef.

[SweetSable]

1 hour ago, MartyQui said:

Karen’s a James Beard award winner, and her new restaurant in South Boston, Fox & the Knife, is very sophisticated food.  Just because she’s not great in a competition setting doesn’t mean she’s not a fantastic chef.

I agree.  Being a great chef and being a great game show contestant are two different things.

[backgroundnoise]

On 5/22/2020 at 12:49 AM, mlp said:

It was interesting to watch the chefs adapt to the challenge but I'll bet most of them weren't thrilled about it.

I was chuckling at all the, "I cook with bold flavors!  Lots of flavor! This is the opposite."  They made they food sound bland before anyone began.

Frankly, that meal did not appeal to me visually or how I imagine it would taste.  But then, I tend to think that about most of Brian V.'s stuff.  Guess I'm a food-hick.  

[VintageJ]

2 hours ago, backgroundnoise said:

I was chuckling at all the, "I cook with bold flavors!  Lots of flavor! This is the opposite."  They made they food sound bland before anyone began.

Frankly, that meal did not appeal to me visually or how I imagine it would taste.  But then, I tend to think that about most of Brian V.'s stuff.  Guess I'm a food-hick.  

I’m guessing the food is not flavor forward. 

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

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 think Kaiseki is beautiful in that you consider every aspect of food--presentation, connection to nature, taste, subtlety.  It's often compared to traditional Japanese theater. The beauty of it is that Japanese actually enjoy their food--unlike so many Americans who just want to shovel in bags of greasy food they get by hollering through a microphone at the drive-thru.

 

[greyhorse]

11 hours ago, MartyQui said:

Karen’s a James Beard award winner, and her new restaurant in South Boston, Fox & the Knife, is very sophisticated food.  Just because she’s not great in a competition setting doesn’t mean she’s not a fantastic chef.

Fair enough, but I don't live in South Boston, and all I can judge them on is what I see on tv during this cooking competition.  It's sort of like the professional ballplayer who kills it in practice, but when the lights come on and the fans are in the stands, he just crumbles.  Karen is/was easily the weakest of the ones left.  She should have been sent home just from the cut on the duck alone.  

[biakbiak]

44 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

It's sort of like the professional ballplayer who kills it in practice, but when the lights come on and the fans are in the stands, he just crumbles.

Except it’s not because his job is to perform in the game, Karen’s job is to perform in the restaurant not on a reality show where the rules are changed for each challenge. Every season weaker real world chefs outlast stronger real world chefs because of luck or ability to play the game.

[Bastet]

On 5/23/2020 at 4:40 PM, JD5166 said:

I know one thing about this challenge, I would have walked away starving and picked up a pizza on the way home.

Ha - reminds me of laments after a meal at some nouvelle cuisine restaurants in 1980s Los Angeles.  Indeed, I voiced some of those complaints; I frequently bemoan the typical portion size at most restaurants in the U.S., but I can seriously put away some food, so while I prioritize the happy medium, I can abide occasionally being part of the problem and leaving a restaurant table stuffed or, especially, with a doggy bag, but I can't with spending good money and making a bowl of popcorn when I come home hungry and empty-handed.

Looking at an example of the Kaiseki offering from n/naka, though, I cannot imagine between the amount of protein and number of courses I would walk away hungry - they're numerous, and each small but substantive.  This challenge, with far fewer courses, created a different impression of the typical meal.  (But, really, I think I've have been just fine even with only the six courses as presented.)

The n/naka food sounds quite good, too; it's clearly about flavor, not just a study of presentation -- I really don't think it's all hat and no horse.  But I am never going to spend $400 a head to find out ($275 without the wine/sake pairing, but I'm not interested in a nice night out in which water is the drink to complement my food), just in case.  A table - back when one could eat in restaurants here in Los Angeles - was not an easy reservation, so there are clearly plenty of people who were.  I rarely miss, working in the non-profit world, my time working in the entertainment industry, but if n/naka had existed back when I had that kind of expense account (or even my old salary, if I was really inspired to take a chance), I'd have indeed given it a whirl.

[BlackberryJam]

I enjoy a tasting menu because you get so so many different dishes, but dropping $400 on a dinner is not something I'm willing to do for a cuisine I don't enjoy. And I haven't eaten a greasy bag of anything from a drive thru since...college and let's not count the decades since that happened.

I have a group of friends and we pretend we are foodies. We (used to) travel together and when we'd dine out we'd do the tasting menu and end up going, "Yeah, this rabbit isn't for me, I'll trade you for the rest of your cream and chive asparagus." I miss those times SO much.

 

[estellasmum]

This wasn't my favorite episode. I didn't know anything about Kaiseki, and honestly, I'll totally agree with the people that say they'd probably leave hungry. I also thought that Niki pretty much wanted all of them to go jump off a cliff for not executing perfectly. I just found a series on Netflix called Chef's Table, and Niki - n/naka was featured on one of the episodes. I have to say, I liked her MUCH better on there, and am glad I watched it. But I still think that out of all the chefs and restaurants featured on there, hers is about the last one I'd want to go to, because it just doesn't seem to be my type of cuisine. Which probably isn't saying much, because if you gave me a free meal at Noma, I'd probably decline.

[Fukui San]

I read a Japanese food manga (graphic novel series) called Oishinbo. The plot is that there's a food rivalry between a journalist and his food overbearing scholar father involving two rival newspapers competing in a series of cooking battles that spans years. (This ties into the episode. Bear with me.)

The battles would be who can cook the better salmon dish, the better rice dish, etc. The outcome would usually hinge on some minute detail about the consideration and care put into the dish. For example, one battle involved the father character saying that his old non-foodie friend once cooked a simple clams with rice dish that is better than anything his foodie son would be able to cook, which turned into a challenge. The son spared no expense to get the best clams and rice and such and made a great dish, but then the father's humble friend made a dish that was better from cheaper ingredients. The secret being that the friend painstakingly sorted through each clam and grain of rice to remove any that were imperfect to radically improve the end result.

The documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi about the first sushi place to get a Michelin star shows the same mindset in a nonfiction setting. It's not that the chef is inventing new cuisines and techniques or that he's lavishly throwing delicacies at his patrons (this is a hole in the wall literally in a subway station), he's showing ultimate care and consideration matching food to his patrons. At one point he explains that he cuts a slice of fish a few millimeters thicker for the person with the bigger appetite, and the notices when a patron is left handed and places the dish to that person's left hand side. It's observation, knowledge, judgement, effort, and skill more than inspiration and innovation.

I think the challenge actually did an excellent job in presenting this foreign mindset and that the chefs were game to the challenge. Every course conceptually fit within the parameters well enough, to my knowledge. I compare that again to the ill-fated All Stars dim sum challenge in which I would straightaway eliminate 1/3 of the dishes conceptually as inappropriate.

I think the actual cooking facilities turned out to be a bigger obstacle than the Kaiseki parameters. Having to McGyver a grill sunk Karen (who couldn't choose not to grill), and having to rely on an unfamiliar steamer adversely affected Melissa. I think that's my only complaint about the challenge setup, that they weren't provided the specific equipment to do their required techniques.

[sATL]

On 5/21/2020 at 11:23 PM, avecsans said:

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..
 

Sad and surprised... I thought Diana Taurasi and Kerri Walsh Jennings had retired from Olympic play - announcing prior to team selections for 2020 Tokyo.. When Diana & Kerrir announced how many medals they had - it just dawned on me how long they have been playing and how fast time flies

Edited May 28, 2020 by sATL

[sATL]

On 5/22/2020 at 5:57 PM, Totale said:

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

I saw a tool on late night tv for chopping veggies the same size - which may be the best I will ever get....trying to remember the name... it was orange, one squeezes the handle to "press" the veggie,  several switch-out blades and of course, dishwasher safe and fits in a drawer...

[Miss chi chi]

On May 27, 2020 at 10:24 AM, estellasmum said:

This wasn't my favorite episode. I didn't know anything about Kaiseki, and honestly, I'll totally agree with the people that say they'd probably leave hungry. I also thought that Niki pretty much wanted all of them to go jump off a cliff for not executing perfectly. I just found a series on Netflix called Chef's Table, and Niki - n/naka was featured on one of the episodes. I have to say, I liked her MUCH better on there, and am glad I watched it. But I still think that out of all the chefs and restaurants featured on there, hers is about the last one I'd want to go to, because it just doesn't seem to be my type of cuisine. Which probably isn't saying much, because if you gave me a free meal at Noma, I'd probably decline.

I love Chef's Table. I'm from Chicago and my favorite episode is..wait for it..Grant Achatz. I ate at Alinea and it was amazing. I was stuffed, it was delicious and a it was an incredible experience. Twist, a friend treated us, so I'm not sure if I would have loved it as much if I had dropped $400+.

[Deskisamess]

Very happy to not have to see Kerri Walsh Jenning's bare midsection. Something about her has always rubbed me the wrong way. Very unclear why we only got to see Nastia Liukin in profile. Strange editing this epi.

Happy for Stephanie, I'd love to taste her lemon dessert.

Powerlifting? Seriously? Does she take her weights with her everywhere she goes? That clip seemed so out of place.

Fussy pretty food, but that duck looked terrible, like she sliced it with a butter knife.