S18.E13: Shellfishly Delicious

[Ellee]

Lol at the risk of repeating .... I love the reactions of the three when they found out all three were going. 
 

So it looks like Shota has Byron, Gabe has Maria and Dawn has Jamie. 
 

Another week and we will get to read all kinds of stories. 

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, Josiemae said:

Ummm ... pretty sure the producers let the judges know that she screwed up. Again.

It actually doesn’t matter if they thought her dish eat well without it. In fact the only thing we heard was Nina suggesting a biscuit would have been amazing.  They all devoured her dish to the point that they literally didn’t give a shit about their clothes. I mean yes, they we’re probably TC clothes but they still kept digging into her dish. But there is a wide shot of them devouring the crab and Brooke has it all of her hands, Nina is dabbing it off Padma’s face and everyone suggests there is still is some on Tom’s nose before Gail takes out her napkin and they are suggesting it’s amazing. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Small thing but Dawn having almost no exposure to even eating clams much is a bizarre culinary blind spot for a well rounded chef like her. I know she’s Houston based but still. Go to New England and have some fried clams, girl!

All the chefs have mentioned basic blind spots. Shota was born and raised in America should he have taken a tour of the cheese belt?

It should be noted that the commentary lasts much longer than we see and both critical and praise comments are left in the edit room to make it more “interesting”. It isn’t a lie it’s just an edit, 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[sharifa70]

I’m actually happy to see all three chefs in the finale but agree that Dawn is her own worst enemy when it comes to being consistent. She would do well to really take a moment to let Gregory’s advice about editing sink in.

Also: as a Dungeness crab snob I was a bit horrified by the heavy sauces that Gabe and Dawn presented. It is such a beautiful ingredient that it really doesn’t need all that stuff. Yes, I’ve eaten it in omelettes and crab cakes but it’s always the star (and too expensive to hide it behind other strong flavors). My favorite way to eat it is just plain. Boiled, dipped in maybe just a little butter. I’m sure their dishes were delicious but I wonder if that was less about the Dungeness and more about the sauces.

I would have liked to try Shota’s dishes, though: from the judges’ comments it sounded like his dishes were the cleanest. It does make sense: first, his cooking style is so spare compared to the others’, but he also grew up here in the PNW so I think he had an advantage with the Dungeness. 

[biakbiak]

19 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

Also: as a Dungeness crab snob I was a bit horrified by the heavy sauces that Gabe and Dawn presented. It is such a beautiful ingredient that it really doesn’t need all that stuff.

I am not a Dungeness crab snob because I have eaten it all the time and  love when it’s changed up. All the  judges suggested that the crab sang in all their dishes. I loved Tom’s critique of Dawn’s he said this tastes like a chowder but it’s non-dairy, highlight that fact! And his saying that even though Gabe’s cold/hot dish might be an issue it tasted like Oregon in the fall with lobster mushrooms. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[Chicago Redshirt]

Again, it seems there are some basic assumptions about Top Chef judging that may or may not be true.

The judges may or may not judge people on their overall performance on the season. They may just do it based on their last dish. Or for all we know, they throw in previous performance as a tiebreaker when things are close.

Unless there are producers lurking here, no one can really say how they can or even how the actual judges should judge things. And particularly when we don't even have the information filtered to us yet about what dishes are made in the finale and what seemed to be their pros and cons.

So the notion that Dawn (or anyone) absolutely does not deserve to win because she's screwed up time management in past challenges is a pretty garbage take.

I am personally rooting for Shota because he seems like a cool dude and based on his performance to this point, he has done the best.. By contrast, Dawn has her time-management issues and someone needs to tell Gabe it's Top Chef, not Top Mole (plus there apparently are side issues with Gabe's professionalism in the real world that seem concerning). However, all that doesn't rule out the possibility that either Gabe or Dawn really steps up their game, or Shota has an uncharacteristic screwup. 

This is a season where IMO there are three chefs who all have the potential of winning, which makes it exciting and interesting. According to Wiki, Shota has 4 Elimination Challenge Wins and 1 Quickfire win; (And he probably would have had another EC win if the Tournament of Tofu was designed like a typical TC episode rather than just having the winners declared safe). Gabe has three EC wins and 1 QF win. Dawn has 1 EC win and 3 QF wins. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[sharifa70]

Just now, biakbiak said:

But all the judges suggested that the crab sang in all their dishes. I loved Tom’s critique of Dawn’s he said this tastes like a chowder but it’s non-dairy, highlight that fact!

Oh, I’m not implying they tasted terrible at all; I just hated to see all that crab hiding under sauces. Snow or King? Also yummy but sure, sauce it up! Context: I was very sad that Joe’s Crab Shack closed permanently during the lockdowns because in spite of it being the tackiest place ever, it was also the only local place I knew of where I could just get a big ol’ pot o’ steamed Dungeness Crab legs and unleash my inner Darryl Hannah.

I know they wouldn’t have been able to get away with serving A Big Ol’ Pot O’ Steamed Dungeness Crab Legs to the judges, and their dishes were successful. Of the three I just would have preferred Shota’s because of its simplicity.

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

I was very sad that Joe’s Crab Shack closed permanently during the lockdowns because in spite of it being the tackiest place ever, it was also the only local place I knew of where I could just get a big ol’ pot o’ steamed Dungeness Crab legs and unleash my inner Darryl Hannah.

The chain? Of course that’s a thing though the only time I have been there they overcooked it and basically was a conduit for butter but that’s not a dish anyone is going to serve on Top Chef because they need to do something with more interest and all of them did. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[sharifa70]

24 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The chain? Of course that’s a thing though the only time I have been there they overcooked it and basically was a conduit for butter but that’s not a dish anyone is going to serve on Top Chef because they need to do something with more interest and all of them did. 

Well, that’s criminal! I never had poorly cooked crab but they couldn’t boil a potato to save their lives. 

I did get a kick out of the judges going after Dawn’s crab dish and dabbing each others’ faces with napkins. No dainty eaters on that one! 

[dubstepford wife]

1 hour ago, sharifa70 said:

Also: as a Dungeness crab snob I was a bit horrified by the heavy sauces that Gabe and Dawn presented. It is such a beautiful ingredient that it really doesn’t need all that stuff. Yes, I’ve eaten it in omelettes and crab cakes but it’s always the star (and too expensive to hide it behind other strong flavors). My favorite way to eat it is just plain. Boiled, dipped in maybe just a little butter. I’m sure their dishes were delicious but I wonder if that was less about the Dungeness and more about the sauces.

I've never had Dungeness crab, only blue crabs from the Chesapeake, but I know with blue crabs they can be both upscale and blue collar, depending on how you serve them.  Jumbo lump crab cakes at a fine dining restaurant can cost the same as a prime cut of steak, but you can also get a bushel of crabs steamed, covered in Old Bay, and served alongside hushpuppies, corn on the cob, and giant pitchers of cheap beer.  So watching all the judges covered in crab juice, crunching away, licking their fingers and joking with each other about it, was something straight out of a little hole-in-the-wall crab shack along the bay and I loved it.  I can see how it would gross some people out -- my brother in law is from upstate NY and he was horrified the first time we took him for crabs -- but I probably would have loved Dawn's dish if I had been there.

I think lobster is the same way too.  A fancy lobster tail is mega expensive, but you can also get lobster rolls in tiny fishing towns in Massachusetts or Maine for just a few bucks.  I guess the point I'm making is, ingredients don't have to be fancy or not fancy, it's all in how you prepare them, and both ways are equally valid and delicious.

[watchingtvaddict]

 

53 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

Well, that’s criminal! I never had poorly cooked crab but they couldn’t boil a potato to save their lives. 

I did get a kick out of the judges going after Dawn’s crab dish and dabbing each others’ faces with napkins. No dainty eaters on that one! 

The judges were hilarious eating Dawn's second dish! It looked like it was really tasty and no one was holding back even though it was super messy. 

My husband this episode kept on saying ... this isn't the final? Isn't it usually a final three? I kept on stating it's never a final three we usually have a final two. So, he felt fairly chuffed when he was proved right and we ended up with a final three. 

I think this season can go to anyone. Maybe the sous chefs are going to make or break the final... but it also seems like there's going to be a twist. Maybe cooking in their hotel or having to swop ingredients or ??? 

After a few seasons of not being invested in the winner, I've decided I don't mind who wins or loses. I'm here for the storylines, and the food. As Shota mentioned others have told him "being in the finale really changes your life". So, I think all three of these chefs are going to get a big boost to their careers.

Spoiler

Gabe already has a new restaurant in the works for next year, I believe.

 And we've also seen chefs who've placed further down do some great things. Kwame is a great example of not making it to the final but parlaying his time on Top Chef into amazing success. I'm excited for a final 3. I think it'll be more interesting than a final two.

Edited June 25, 2021 by watchingtvaddict

[dleighg]

45 minutes ago, dubstepford wife said:

but you can also get lobster rolls in tiny fishing towns in Massachusetts or Maine for just a few bucks.

In my experience a lobster roll ANYWHERE in those states is at least $15 or $20.

[Mr. Miner]

1 hour ago, watchingtvaddict said:

but it also seems like there's going to be a twist. Maybe cooking in their hotel or having to swop ingredients or ??? 

Maybe a stove with faulty burners or an oven that doesn’t heat properly. That shit drives me crazy!

[dubstepford wife]

13 minutes ago, dleighg said:

In my experience a lobster roll ANYWHERE in those states is at least $15 or $20.

True, I exaggerated a bit.  Though that's still comparatively cheap when measured against surf n' turf restaurants that charge you $50 and up ("market price") for fancier platters and fine dining-esque presentation.

[blixie]

Aw really glad all three are going to the finals, it did feel a bit of a stretch since it seemed like Cold Course was won but Gabe, and Hot course by Shota, but I can see the calculus being different when you are weighing who "won" v. who goes home and the mixture of their very strong dishes with both having minor missteps (Gabe: no tortilla/mixed response to the sunchoke; Dawn useless garnish/missing starch) and yes that they had probably planned for either a double elim or a final three anyway, I'm glad to see. Especially since it was weird they didn't give them any extra prep time to pick crab, my brother went crabbing with my niece a couple of summers ago in Oceanside and it took 3 of us like 2 hours just to pick, but they had scored about 5 lbs of crab.

I respect Shota's food he's next level on technique/subtly but for sure I lean more toward Dawn's strongly flavored hug food. Gabe's lobster mushroom dish was the first one of his I've really wanted to try in a while though, because Lobster mushrooms are fucking delicious, it really was a beautiful representation of the Oregon coast on a plate. Having said that it was really weird to hear him rhapsodize about how much he respected the *ingredients* when it seems he might not respect his employees as much.

As far as the judging goes we don't know how they judge, which I think is the problem, a competition show should make HOW and what was judged more clear especially when what they do argue in the press (non cumulative) is the nature of the judging often seems in conflict with the results. It's one of the reasons I've loved this season in terms of seeing open and frequent disagreement like Dale/Padma/Naomi thinking the sunchoke was over pronounced, and bitter and distracted from the crab, and Nina/Brooke saying it was sweet and complimented the crab well. No big shocker judging is always going to be variable and subjective as hell, but there is no harm in owning and advertising that nuance as part of the show.

 

[Rai]

Wow, I can't believe people find Kwame arrogant. His judging is confident, insightful, and thoughtful. Occasionally, like all the Top Chef alumni, he'll issue a comment that is hilarious based on what he did when he was on the show, but again, that's something they all do. I see him no different than Brook or Melissa in his commentary, and he's definitely not on the cringe level that is Richard Blaise.

It was a nice episode. They all deserve to go to the finale. That's about what I got.

[Rammchick]

13 hours ago, Marianna said:

I just want to say that I would give a lot to taste Shota’s dishes. Or even get the recipes. I looked up his restaurant tonight and it looked a lot like fast food, which seems like a waste. 

Shota had two previous restaurants in Seattle -- Naka, then Adana (both in the same location in Capitol Hill).  Naka was fine dining, then it switched to Adana, which was more casual.  He opened Taku in 2020 and then closed it.  It reopened with a rebooted street food menu this past May.  I haven't had it, but his karaage chicken is supposedly to die for.  So no, it's not exactly fast food.

[carrps]

3 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

Also: as a Dungeness crab snob I was a bit horrified by the heavy sauces that Gabe and Dawn presented. It is such a beautiful ingredient that it really doesn’t need all that stuff. Yes, I’ve eaten it in omelettes and crab cakes but it’s always the star (and too expensive to hide it behind other strong flavors). My favorite way to eat it is just plain. Boiled, dipped in maybe just a little butter. I’m sure their dishes were delicious but I wonder if that was less about the Dungeness and more about the sauces.

I absolutely adored the crab salad at Suzanne's in Ojai (which is sob permanently closed). A big ol' mound of picked crab with tiny bits of celery, sweet pepper and onion and a homemade mayonnaise -- just enough to hold the crab together. The over-all taste was yummy yummy crab.

 

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

In my experience a lobster roll ANYWHERE in those states is at least $15 or $20.

Last time I was in Maine (yeah, it was over 30 yrs ago), I was so psyched that hamburger place in the small town my sister was living in had lobster rolls -- hamburgers, weird East Coast hot dogs, and lobster rolls! At the time, they cost about the same as the other items. About two dollars.

[meep.meep]

3 hours ago, watchingtvaddict said:

 

My husband this episode kept on saying ... this isn't the final? Isn't it usually a final three? I kept on stating it's never a final three we usually have a final two. So, he felt fairly chuffed when he was proved right and we ended up with a final three. 

........

After a few seasons of not being invested in the winner, I've decided I don't mind who wins or loses. I'm here for the storylines, and the food. As Shota mentioned others have told him "being in the finale really changes your life". So, I think all three of these chefs are going to get a big boost to their careers.

Not to give your husband any more credit than he deserves, but it's frequently a final three.  The All Stars season that preceded this one had a final three (Melissa, Stephanie, and Bryan V.) as did Season 6, widely regarded as the season with the best cooking (Michael V., Bryan V., and Kevin).

I'm with you on not minding who wins - they've all made stellar dishes and deserve to be in the finale.

[dleighg]

I totally predicted (even here "in print" LOL) that there would be an episode where no one went home, because of the lack of a LCK winner. I guess if someone REALLY blew it in this episode they might have not been able to do that, but I imagine they had really planned a three-person final from the beginning.

Shota seemed like a clear winner on this episode, impossible to hide. But I have to say, despite her time and focus issues, the food Dawn makes certainly seems to make the judges very happy. 

[roctavia]

I enjoyed this episode, though as someone who doesn't eat seafood, the food itself was hard for me to imagine.... but it seems like all 3 chefs did good work and I was a little stressed over who would go home, so I'm glad they didn't send anyone. 

Overall I like Kwame, but his one comment about Shota's lack of two ways (I think that was the comment) did have me sort of confused, since he just seemed really harsh with that one comment... it struck me as off for how the discussions usually go...  But I had forgot about it by the end of the episode until seeing others mention it here. 

I do wish Shota had thought to put a 2nd bite on the plate, even if it wasn't truly a sushi bite, but I understand not wanting to put out food that he knew wasn't right. I don't think that's the same as forgetting an item... and if the menu hadn't said 2 ways, the judges wouldn't have cared at all.   Though I feel the same in this case about Dawn's potatoes, they weren't a necessary part of the dish or the challenge and she didn't get any on the dish... it's more like omitting an extra, potentially unneeded component. Like others have said, and Gregory told Dawn- she is making dishes with too many components, she needs to simplify if she can't get everything done. 

I also though that Gabe should have cut one of his tortillas, or cut them all into 3rds or something and give everybody 2 pieces... Granted that would take more time, but it means everybody gets the dish, even if it's not exactly what Gabe had imagined. 

I think each chef had little issues throughout this challenge, probably mostly due to the short time frame to do it all in... so I'm fine with having a final 3. 

[seacliffsal]

Sigh-it appears to be just me, but I was disappointed that all three are moving on as it seems to lessen the importance of the challenge.  If the plan was that all three would move on, then make it a challenge for a prize (money or otherwise).  It also seems misleading to me as a viewer.  I know most competition shows have instances of "everyone's a winner, nobody is losing..." but it just seems to lessen my interest as a viewer (why was I on the edge of my seat for...nothing?).  It's not that I wanted a specific contestant to go home, it's just that I wanted the best two chefs to move on to the finale (and, no, I don't buy that there was no way to chose between Dawn and Gabe for elimination).  Okay, maybe I'm just being grumpy...

[Ms Blue Jay]

I don't mind everyone moving on, even though I dislike Gabe, but it does render the entire last challenge pointless.

I really thought that Dawn was going to win the challenge with the way the judges were raving about her.  Poor Shota; his win here means nothing.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[BlackberryJam]

33 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I don't mind everyone moving on, even though I dislike Gabe, but it does render the entire last challenge pointless.

I really thought that Dawn was going to win the challenge with the way the judges were raving about her.  Poor Shota; his win here means nothing.

I really wanted them to award Shota something for winning the challenge. I felt the "Sushi two ways" knock on him was manufactured to find a way to criticize him and make things seem less obvious for this particular episode. 

 

[PackYourKnives]

58 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

I really wanted them to award Shota something for winning the challenge. I felt the "Sushi two ways" knock on him was manufactured to find a way to criticize him and make things seem less obvious for this particular episode. 

 

Agreed - Shota's 2 dishes were the ONLY two dishes to receive 0 real criticism. Both Dawn and Gabe were at risk to go home because of their mistakes, and yet production gave them a pass. Was this on purpose bc they didn't want to send someone home (again for the 5th time) for something they could have easily gone home for?  

[blixie]

Quote

Both Dawn and Gabe were at risk to go home because of their mistakes, and yet production gave them a pass.

True, they both should have been eliminated immediately and crowned Shota, King of All Food  - Forever with fireworks and a crown. 

[Rai]

Both Gabe and Shota have talked extensively about their backgrounds and how that a. informs their cooking and b. how meaningful of a win it would be for their communities. As much or than Dawn has, in fact.

Kwame has confidence that he didn't have on his season, which is very typical for TC alumni.

The more insinuation there is that Dawn somehow doesn't deserve her place in the finale, the more I want her to win. I'll be happy with Shota though. I've already covered why I won't be cheering for Gabe.

In fact, I feel like a broken record on these points. But any sort of pattern about constantly criticizing and downplaying the Black chefs is one I find questionable. And gross. Not gonna lie.

All three of them left components off their plates, especially Shota, by the way. So they were all equal in that error and no one could really be dinged on it.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Rai

[Ellee]

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only one that likes these people and the personalities. 
 

Shota just makes me giggle. Same with Jamie. With Dawn you can see the wheels turning as she is working and she seems so genuine.  Scratch that — the final 5 seem so genuine.  And I say final 5 because I can’t remember who was 6. 

[Rai]

8 minutes ago, Ellee said:

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only one that likes these people and the personalities. 
 

Shota just makes me giggle. Same with Jamie. With Dawn you can see the wheels turning as she is working and she seems so genuine.  Scratch that — the final 5 seem so genuine.  And I say final 5 because I can’t remember who was 6. 

I think it's been a great cast this season full of likeable and talented people! It's really soothing after the turmoil that was all of 2020.

[BlackberryJam]

28 minutes ago, Ellee said:

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only one that likes these people and the personalities. 
 

Shota just makes me giggle. Same with Jamie. With Dawn you can see the wheels turning as she is working and she seems so genuine.  Scratch that — the final 5 seem so genuine.  And I say final 5 because I can’t remember who was 6. 

I've really enjoyed this season and I like both Dawn and Shota. I do want Dawn to learn to edit her dishes though. 

[Ellee]

7 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

I've really enjoyed this season and I like both Dawn and Shota. I do want Dawn to learn to edit her dishes though. 

Lol the minute she does the competition will be over and people will want her to make things just like TC. 😊

 

[blixie]

Quote

I do want Dawn to learn to edit her dishes though.

I was little confused about Gregory's advice only in as much as I don't think Dawn per se has a lot of components she had crab and potatoes but she mentioned earlier that she "composes" each part, so she has like three parts to her crab and three parts to her potatoes, so maybe in this case smashed and sauced sweet potatoes were too much, just make damn good biscuit and your good? IDK I just know I did make an amazing fry and frosty take on leek soup in the early halcyon cooking days of quarantine, that had a leek soup, a potato leek mash, crispy leeks/potato garnish, and then an ice cream cannel all composed in one dish and trust and believe after the first three, I was ready to plop a frozen cool whip blob on it to finish. So yeah I'm not sure she needs less overall components so much as needs to make more streamlined preparations of the things she's putting on the plate, and obvs her garnishes have been deemed cutesy/useless so she can feel good leaving them off. Less gilding the lily.

[PackYourKnives]

 

2 minutes ago, blixie said:

I was little confused about Gregory's advice only in as much as I don't think Dawn per se has a lot of components she had crab and potatoes but she mentioned earlier that she "composes" each part, so she has like three parts to her crab and three parts to her potatoes, so maybe in this case smashed and sauced sweet potatoes were too much, just make damn good biscuit and your good? IDK I just know I did make an amazing fry and frosty take on leek soup in the early halcyon cooking days of quarantine, that had a leek soup, a potato leek mash, crispy leeks/potato garnish, and then an ice cream cannel all composed in one dish and trust and believe after the first three, I was ready to plop a frozen cool whip blob on it to finish. So yeah I'm not sure she needs less overall components so much as needs to make more streamlined preparations of the things she's putting on the plate, and obvs her garnishes have been deemed cutesy/useless so she can feel good leaving them off. Less gilding the lily.

I found the editing hilarious watching Gregory go from, "Shota, you've done so amazing this season" to Dawn, "You should probably plate less" . What an interesting transition. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by PackYourKnives

[biakbiak]

28 minutes ago, PackYourKnives said:

I found the editing hilarious watching Gregory go from, "Shota, you've done so amazing this season" to Dawn, "You should probably plate less" . What an interesting transitio

Yes the way they edit out a lot of good and bad that we don’t see is in fact fascinating. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[marybennet]

In my head I’ve been celebrating all day that I live in driving distance of two out of three finalists and their food. Not exactly around the corner in either case, but I can’t wait for Dawn’s planned Houston restaurant to open. 

[mlp]

2 hours ago, Rai said:

All three of them left components off their plates, especially Shota, by the way. So they were all equal in that error and no one could really be dinged on it.

The difference is that Shota leaving something off wasn't an error.  It was a deliberate decision on his part.  He had the smarts to not plate something he knew wouldn't pass muster.  

[biakbiak]

10 minutes ago, mlp said:

The difference is that Shota leaving something off wasn't an error.  It was a deliberate decision on his part.  He had the smarts to not plate something he knew wouldn't pass muster.  

You’re not serving hot rice in sushi, so he had time to rethink. At judges table he acknowledged it never occurred to him to try to flip the dish to meet the criteria that he had set for himself. 

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, Ellee said:

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only one that likes these people and the personalities. 

As presented, this has been a great group of contestants.  I don't ever remember seeing so many tears upon elimination as there has been this years.  I like the camaraderie on display in this ep.  They also have food that looks terrific to eat.

Because of the external factors detailed in the Cheftestants thread, though, I'm firmly rooting for Dawn and Shota who, coincidentally, appear to be the two finalists for Fan Favorite. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Irlandesa

[PackYourKnives]

30 minutes ago, mlp said:

The difference is that Shota leaving something off wasn't an error.  It was a deliberate decision on his part.  He had the smarts to not plate something he knew wouldn't pass muster.  

Exactly - it was a genius move after seeing Tom ask chefs a million times, "Why didn't you just leave it off the final plate then?"

Gabe and Dawn both passively made mess-ups that they didn't realize until the timer ran out. 

[catrice2]

40 minutes ago, mlp said:

The difference is that Shota leaving something off wasn't an error.  It was a deliberate decision on his part.  He had the smarts to not plate something he knew wouldn't pass muster.  

But unfortunately unlike Dawn it was something that he had announced on the menu and they were expecting. I don't think Dawn's item was expected?  Not sure..

I've also seen on this show and others numerous times where a contestant will say they meant to put something on the plate and the judges tell them it was  good thing it didn't make it. 

As someone noted there is a difference between plating and leaving a component off one or more plates that is on the other plates and totally not putting a component on any plate. 

Obviously the judges and producers know the rules, if there are any, that apply to each scenario.  Sometimes a missing component is the difference between good and bad, and  others it is the difference between fantastic and amazing.....which means it really may not change the fact that the dish was awesome that much. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by catrice2

[Thumper]

Is Gregory the one who looks like and wears the Urkel glasses?

[watchingtvaddict]

2 hours ago, PackYourKnives said:

 

I found the editing hilarious watching Gregory go from, "Shota, you've done so amazing this season" to Dawn, "You should probably plate less" . What an interesting transition. 

Gregory actually said "You've all done an amazing job, but you've definitely shown us a lot this season, Shota."

 

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Yes the way they edit out a lot of good and bad that we don’t see is in fact fascinating. 

And then Shota went on to talk about being ashamed to be Japanese. Shota has mostly (only?) made Japanese food this season, so I think this was a great way of highlighting how Shota has been educating the judges with techniques but also how confident Shota has become in his heritage. Then he went on to ask Dawn about "the clock" and she spoke about her plating issues. I really think this was a "struggle" segment talking about the difficulties those two chefs have had in the past. I find it more interesting Gregory didn't have a unique question for Gabe. He was totally left out of the edit. 

 

 

[bravofan27]

Gregory is Eurkle! I think he embraces this. LOL. I realize others will not see the similarities.  Also, only to me, he and Ed Lee have the EXACT same voices and cadence. I have to look at the screen to see who is speaking. I will imagine that others do not find their voices similar.

On this episode, all three chefs made a mistake. Shota didn't have the rice two ways, Dawn didn't get the potatoes on the plate, and Gabe forgot a tortilla (that was strangely inspected by padma for reasons unknown). So it makes sense they brought them all back.

Again, these are my opinions. Share yours, but please don't discount mine. Thanks!

 

 

[Bastet]

36 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

I don't think Dawn's item was expected?  Not sure..

You're right, the diners had no idea the dish had been planned to include potatoes.  When the judges raved about it, but noted they'd have loved to have a biscuit or something to sop up more of that sauce, she told them she'd made potatoes to go with it, but didn't have time to plate them.

So she didn't have to out herself for running out of time again, but telling them about the planned potatoes told them she conceptualized the dish with a starchy element like they were hoping for, so I understand her thought process.  

[PackYourKnives]

52 minutes ago, watchingtvaddict said:

Gregory actually said "You've all done an amazing job, but you've definitely shown us a lot this season, Shota."

 

And then Shota went on to talk about being ashamed to be Japanese. Shota has mostly (only?) made Japanese food this season, so I think this was a great way of highlighting how Shota has been educating the judges with techniques but also how confident Shota has become in his heritage. Then he went on to ask Dawn about "the clock" and she spoke about her plating issues. I really think this was a "struggle" segment talking about the difficulties those two chefs have had in the past. I find it more interesting Gregory didn't have a unique question for Gabe. He was totally left out of the edit. 

 

 

I know, it was a very weird comparison between Shota and Dawn lol. "You've shown us a lot especially Shota" vs. "Dawn and the clock" and nothing about Gabe LOL. 

If we're looking at edit, it reminds me a lot of Melissa talking about embracing her Chinese heritage for All Stars when I think she made mainly French food in S1. Dawn's "struggle" was more Top Chef related, not on a personal/growth level (though the episode before she talked about being a black woman in male dominated kitchens at the campfire) while Shota's was one of his best "winner edit" moments of the season. 

 

[Josiemae]

15 hours ago, biakbiak said:

It actually doesn’t matter if they thought her dish eat well without it. In fact the only thing we heard was Nina suggesting a biscuit would have been amazing.  They all devoured her dish to the point that they literally didn’t give a shit about their clothes. I mean yes, they we’re probably TC clothes but they still kept digging into her dish. But there is a wide shot of them devouring the crab and Brooke has it all of her hands, Nina is dabbing it off Padma’s face and everyone suggests there is still is some on Tom’s nose before Gail takes out her napkin and they are suggesting it’s amazing. 

No, some context is needed, please - I was responding to the poster who lauded Dawn for her honesty about the missing element. Wrong. She didn't "admit" to it. The producers in all likelihood ratted her out and she had no choice but to address the omission.  She's pretty good at it by now. 

[caitmcg]

9 minutes ago, Josiemae said:

No, some context is needed, please - I was responding to the poster who lauded Dawn for her honesty about the missing element. Wrong. She didn't "admit" to it. The producers in all likelihood ratted her out and she had no choice but to address the omission.  She's pretty good at it by now. 

All I said was that she didn’t have to say what she said in response to the judges. We only know for sure what we’re shown. Anything else on the part of the producers, the judges, and the contestants, is just conjecture.

[Fukui San]

On a different note, the Pacific Northwest is supposed to have 110 degree weather tomorrow and they are not set up for it and are not used to it. It could get bad for this place that looks so nice and lush and cool during this season. 

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

When the judges raved about it, but noted they'd have loved to have a biscuit or something to sop up more of that sauce, she told them she'd made potatoes to go with it, but didn't have time to plate them.

The judges noticed, and called out, that her dish was unbalanced. Even though it wasn't an element that was specifically listed like Shōta they could tell something was missing.

[hendersonrocks]

The anti-Blackness is really jumping out in some of these comments about Dawn and Kwame. 

I kept going back and forth in my head about whether it was going to be Gabe or Dawn that was sent packing, and in the end I'm excited to see all three cook their final meals. They have such different styles and approaches, it's going to be fun to watch and I'm just here to enjoy it (and wish I could taste it).