S19.E07: Swallow the Competition

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The chefs expand their horizons in a master class on Nigerian flavors guided by local chef Ope Amosu and all-star Kwame Onwuachi, and need to make a stew that pairs perfectly with traditional Nigerian swallows.

Original air date: April 14, 2022

[Bastet]

It’s always nice to see Kwame, but I didn’t remember Joe at all.

I wanted to taste all the QF dishes, but there were far more "eh" dishes in the EC than there should be at this point in the competition.

“My dinosaur has huge wings, so I’m going to do a chicken wing.  Because I’m so creative.”  Ashleigh cracked me up with her delivery on that one.

I can’t believe Jo put those carrots on the plate.  I never understood what she was trying to do with them to begin with, and figured there was no question - despite Tom's utter hatred of Jae's dish - she was the one going home.

But I thought it was a little off how they decided who the worst team was; they seemed to take the good dish on each team out of the equation, and just decide which combination of the two bad dishes of each team was worse.   But if Jo and Jae’s were worse than Ashleigh and Luke’s, yet Buddha’s was better than Damarr’s, there should have been discussion of which combination of three was worst.  If the red team was still worse overall, despite how much they loved the first dish, fine, but they didn’t get into that.

Nick is lucky Evelyn and Jackson’s dishes were so fantastic, for him to wind up winning a trip for a totally ho-hum dish.

[Straycat80]

This group of chefs are really next level. They’re making dishes I’ve never heard of and using ingredients I’ve never heard of and it’s interesting and fun to watch. I also like how they all get along and are supportive of each other. 
The Dinosaur challenge was fun. Evelyn, Budha and Jackson seem like the ones to beat. I hope Jo does well in LCK, I liked her. 

[bravofan27]

Oh my. This challenge.

I remember the first time I ever saw Chris Pratt was on Top Chef when he and his then fiance Anna Farris were on an episode in 2012. 

I sort of feel like Jo has been ready to go home for awhile now. Jae and Asheligh not far behind.

I liked this idea more than the Texas female one, because highlighting and celebrating a female icon is a lot different than making a dramatic dish inspired by a dinosaur. Like the female icon table said, "Oh, so and so was fiery, and I don't see fiery in this dish. She would have never ordered this!"

Like, who is going to provide voice for a dinosaur?

[CrazyInAlabama]

Was it Jackson that said they were a chef short because of the Velociraptors?   That was funny.   Jae's dish was 50% bad, and Ashleigh's didn't sound good,  but Jo's sounded horrible.      I agree that it seemed as if Jo was ready to go home.   

[MerBearHou]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Was it Jackson that said they were a chef short because of the Velociraptors?   That was funny

It was indeed Jackson.  I loved his fun graphic concept of his dessert and clearly so did the judges — a memorable last dish of the night for the judges.  

Kwame has nicer fingernails than I do!  

Joe Flamm was one of my favorite Top Chef winners so it was great to see him again.  Looks like he has lost a good amount of weight since he was on the show.

As a Houstonian, I felt really proud of how our Museum of Natural Science looked on the show — it is a terrific museum and I’m so glad they got to spotlight it.  

Yep, I’ll be seeing Jurassic World — love ‘em all.  

Edited April 15, 2022 by MerBearHou

[bravofan27]

Yes, Jo's dish had less technique. Whole carrots and a whole cornish hen or whatever it was. Tom bitched that she should have deboned it and everyone said it was dry.

I did think her dish looked pretty cool though.

Jae's dish was also not delicious, but they all said she put a ton of effort into it and tried. I think it's heart AND stanima now. Jo's dish had neighter. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

But I thought it was a little off how they decided who the worst team was; they seemed to take the good dish on each team out of the equation, and just decide which combination of the two bad dishes of each team was worse.   But if Jo and Jae’s were worse than Ashleigh and Luke’s, yet Buddha’s was better than Damarr’s, there should have been discussion of which combination of three was worst.  If the red team was still worse overall, despite how much they loved the first dish, fine, but they didn’t get into that.

Nick is lucky Evelyn and Jackson’s dishes were so fantastic, for him to wind up winning a trip for a totally ho-hum dish.

Just guessing at how they ranked the dishes based on their comments:

1. Jackson: they were wowed by the taste, presentation, and whimsy of the dish. And it probably stood out as the only desert.

2. Evelyn: They were also impressed by the taste. They didn't seem to ding it for the most loose of ties to the dino (it's an air dino and there's air in one of the components of my dish!)

3, Buddha: He had beautiful presentation and took a challenging ingredient.

4. Damarr: fried seems "solid" but not particularly inspiring.

5. Nick: crab croquette was decent, but again not spectacular

6. Luke: OK but he should not have sold it as "Mongolian" because it didn't taste like Mongolian beef.

7. Ashleigh: OK but she promised a particular style of chicken wing and didn't deliver that flavor.

8. Jae: Actively bad with not a single good component but she tried hard

9. Jo: Actively bad with not a single good component and she didn't try hard

Seems to me whether you choose by the average of the chefs' placing or who had the worst overall dish or which three-course meal would you rather eat, it makes sense that they put Buddha/Jae/Jo at the bottom.

I'm curious what would have happened if Jo cooked the same dish but was teamed with Jackson and Buddha. Maybe they would have just been like, Jo, your new nickname is Backpack because your teammates frigging carried you away from elimination. But I suspect they would have found a way to justify PYKAGing her.

 

[buttersister]

Time for Jo to go, but usually when Tom really hates something, that chef’s packing their knives.

[SemiCharmedLife]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

It’s always nice to see Kwame, but I didn’t remember Joe at all.

 

He won his season of Top Chef, coming back in from Last Chance Kitchen.  But, he looks very different now...lost weight and somehow looks younger.  

[ProudMary]

5 hours ago, Bastet said:

It’s always nice to see Kwame, but I didn’t remember Joe at all.

If it helps any, Joe was one of "The Bears" from the Colorado season.

[gingerella]

I just cant with this show anymore. This whole Jurassic Park movie tie in was so stupid even Padma looked pained mentioning it. This was one of two shows, the other being Project Runway, where I felt they were at least serious competitions. But TV has sold out, so I'm out.

[Fukui San]

Boring challenge. I'd rather have seen the Everything, Everywhere, All At Once challenge.

[dleighg]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned that dinner they did with Charlize Theron in the previous Texas season (another tie in with a movie-- Snow White and the Huntsman) where "Paul made a bold albeit rather unrefined statement by making a “bloody” palm print on each plate"

I thought the QF was a bit gross (sorry) with terms like "swallow" and "draw." And why was Padma dressed like a go-go dancer?

Jo putting carrots on the plate because that's what the characters ate in the first Jurassic movie? Seriously?

And ok, I get the reference to "food sliding down the gullet" and "oysters." But FRIED oysters do not "slide down your gullet," so the reference is totally lost as far as I'm concerned.

I thought they did not manage to hide AT ALL that it was between Jae and Jo. They really didn't have terrible things to say about anyone on the Green team.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Top Chef historians, how many cheftestants (if any) won the competition that was done in their hometowns/states? I feel like Evelyn has got to be considered a frontrunner here. She's been getting tons of praise for her food, and it seems like a lot of guest judges are like "It's Evelyn! Hey girl!"

I want to give a shoutout to Top Chef for featuring Nigerian food. It seems like too often the big cooking competition shows forget there's an entire continent of cuisine in African and never require chefs to make that kind of food. 

[bosawks]

I feel like I owe Jackson an apology.  I automatically put him in that Blais box for some reason and he has not been that at all.

So much for first impressions.......

[LotusFlower]

17 minutes ago, bosawks said:

I feel like I owe Jackson an apology.  I automatically put him in that Blais box for some reason and he has not been that at all.

So much for first impressions.......

Same!

[Ms Blue Jay]

This show is so UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!

A promotional tie in with Jurassic World: Dominion?????  What does that have to do with the Houston food scene?  What does that have to do with FOOD?  They pick the one movie coming out that has absolutely nothing to do with food.  Why not Top Gun: Maverick while you're at it?  Make plane food!  I'm being sarcastic.  It was so stupid!

So, so, so utterly ridiculous.  

The whole presentation of turning off the lights before they announced the movie.  I was laughing HYSTERICALLY.  I definitely think they told the chefs to act "scared".  So, so funny.  Just how over top ridiculous it all was.

I'm happy for Buddha.  What a great episode for him.  

12 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

Yes, Jo's dish had less technique. Whole carrots and a whole cornish hen or whatever it was. Tom bitched that she should have deboned it and everyone said it was dry.

I did think her dish looked pretty cool though.

Jae's dish was also not delicious, but they all said she put a ton of effort into it and tried. I think it's heart AND stanima now. Jo's dish had neighter. 

I'm a big fan of Jo's, but I think it's always a bad idea to make your whole dish look one colour.

7 hours ago, gingerella said:

I just cant with this show anymore. This whole Jurassic Park movie tie in was so stupid even Padma looked pained mentioning it. This was one of two shows, the other being Project Runway, where I felt they were at least serious competitions. But TV has sold out, so I'm out.

Thank you. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.  The show should be called out for how cynical, hollow, and stupid this was.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[MartyQui]

8 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Why not Top Gun: Maverick while you're at it?  Make plane food!  I'm being sarcastic.  It was so stupid!

I don't mind the promotional bits, it's how they pay for the show.  And I might be mis-remembering, but wasn't there a challenge once upon a time where they actually did have to make plane food?  A meal that could be served on a plane and had to meet certain requirements for size, taste and ability to be reheated?

[Ms Blue Jay]

So the BMW product placement is not enough, they have to get this movie in too?  Why not a movie that has a 1% connection to food?  It's so insulting to the chefs.  "This wasn't dinosaur enough."  Okay.  Really inspiring.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[dleighg]

18 minutes ago, MartyQui said:

I don't mind the promotional bits, it's how they pay for the show. 

exactly. It didn't bother me at all, and it's fun to see how the chefs approach the challenge. Reminded me of the infamous no meat/no veg All Stars challenge at the Museum of Natural History where Jen had her melt down.

[AriAu]

The top of the class is really distinguishing themselver-Buddha, Evelyn, Demarr and Jackson in some order are really separating themselves....which means one of them will get screwed over by Restaurant Wars next week, unless they bring back Josie or something.

Love that Buddha had immunity and went for it....and it worked, when often it doesn't.

Product placement doesn't offend me any more on this show, although it feels like it has gotten worse this season and the placements were less connected and more heavy handed, although it was hard to top the Smurf thing from last season, but at least that one was only a quickfire.

Quote

And why was Padma dressed like a go-go dancer?

Good question, but I cant believe that it has been 14 hours and no one has commented on Gail's...ahem... outfit. I love Gail and I am a boob guy (TMI i know), but it was actually distracting since I felt like the Elves were trying to edit them out, as if that was possible!

[Leeds]

On 4/15/2022 at 7:08 AM, MartyQui said:

I don't mind the promotional bits, it's how they pay for the show.  And I might be mis-remembering, but wasn't there a challenge once upon a time where they actually did have to make plane food?  A meal that could be served on a plane and had to meet certain requirements for size, taste and ability to be reheated?

You're right.  I remember it because the dish that won somehow did so despite being outside the requirement for size (it was way too tall to fit on an airline plate), a fact that was never addressed.

I need a life.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Leeds

[NaughtyKitty]

That was a pretty big alligator to just use a little bit of it in that small soup.  But WOW, Buddha is so creative and inventive. I would have loved to try that one

[The Solution]

12 minutes ago, AriAu said:

Good question, but I cant believe that it has been 14 hours and no one has commented on Gail's...ahem... outfit. I love Gail and I am a boob guy (TMI i know), but it was actually distracting since I felt like the Elves were trying to edit them out, as if that was possible!

I felt that Gail's breastesses were one of the best parts of the show and I would have loved to eat all of the dishes other than Jo's. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought the Elves were trying to edit them out.

The challenge may have been stupid as hell, but that was some amazing-looking food. Other than Jo's.

[carrps]

53 minutes ago, MartyQui said:

I don't mind the promotional bits, it's how they pay for the show.  And I might be mis-remembering, but wasn't there a challenge once upon a time where they actually did have to make plane food?  A meal that could be served on a plane and had to meet certain requirements for size, taste and ability to be reheated?

Every time I think of that episode I remember CJ's sad, sad broccolini.

[Colorado David]

I don't mind the movie tie in, as was said previously the sponsors are paying for the show.  They did pick a hard movie to tie into, as most of us don't know much at all re dinosaurs except what the movies tell us.  A bummer we didn't get Pratt as a judge - he was very funny in the episode with him and his then wife.  I too wish Gail would go a bit more demure - just a bit too distracting.

Jo felt off in this episode, almost like defeated off the bat. I wonder if she had an issue finding inspiration with the dinosaur theme. 

Buddha killing it on that presentation, that was really beautiful plating.

[Leeds]

45 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

 I too wish Gail would go a bit more demure - just a bit too distracting.

 

I agree, but I wonder whether she's feeling pressure about appearing with Padma, one of the most beautiful women in the world?

[tessabq]

I'm always happy to see Kwame!!!  I agree about his nails being lovely. He has gone where no Top Chef judge has gone before-he has his own line of nail polishes!

[Rammchick]

I was expecting a tie-in to dinosaur fossil finds in the Big Bend area, which are pretty famous.  Although it was mentioned as an aside, that something (can't remember which dinosaur now) was found in Texas, I thought they would make more of this.  That would have really cemented the Texas tie-in much more than, "Hey, we're promoting a Jurassic Park movie and here we are at a natural history museum." (which, admittedly, looked very cool, but I'm a geek for that, having practically grown up at the Museum of Natural History in NYC).

So perhaps it bears repeating -- Gail, please pack your breasts and go.  Clearly she didn't hear me the first time 😉

[Ms Blue Jay]

I was able to focus on the episode this time so now I want to go back and see how the breasts have been edited out.

[Colorado David]

Next week - Tom wears a tank top to show off his guns 😝

[MerBearHou]

57 minutes ago, tessabq said:

I'm always happy to see Kwame!!!  I agree about his nails being lovely. He has gone where no Top Chef judge has gone before-he has his own line of nail polishes!

He really does??  I had no idea!

[dleighg]

5 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

He really does??  I had no idea!

https://orlybeauty.com/collections/kwame-breathable

I'm not a nail polish person (I wash my hands too often, and it always chips) but I bought the silver and purple and I have  to say, they last reasonably well.

[carrps]

44 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I was able to focus on the episode this time so now I want to go back and see how the breasts have been edited out.

I noticed a couple of shots where they were tightly focused on her face. It was also a little weird because, at least on my TV, both of those shots seemed ever the tiniest bit less sharp than other close-ups. I was wondering if they actually edited the shot.

But, eh. I have DD's and it's really hard to show just a little bit of cleavage, so I feel for Gail. Either keep it all buttoned up and be Marian the Librarian, or go for something with a little spice and looking like you're 90% breasteses.

[rhofmovalley]

I love you both for saying "breastesses". I use the word "bewbs" but mine are only average sized.

Jo said she was a Jurassic Park/World geek, so I wonder why this challenge was so difficult. Maybe Jo just got tired, although she seems cheerful and has a great attitude. I bet she'd make a finalist a great sous chef.

[Bastet]

13 hours ago, gingerella said:

This whole Jurassic Park movie tie in was so stupid even Padma looked pained mentioning it.

There was something about this challenge that felt different - more forced, and more stupid - than most of the other this challenge is one big promotion for X things they've done, but I can't pinpoint why I felt that way.  It's not just lack of interest in the subject (I saw Jurassic Park back in the day and it was fine, but I've never re-watched it or seen any of the other films in the franchise), because a lot of the films and such they've based challenges on are things I haven't seen.  But, for some reason, I was rolling my eyes when I normally just shrug.

[carrps]

3 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

I love you both for saying "breastesses". I use the word "bewbs" but mine are only average sized.

I first heard it on some TV show decades ago. I think it was In Living Color.

[rhofmovalley]

10 minutes ago, carrps said:

I first heard it on some TV show decades ago. I think it was In Living Color.

Yes, it was a sketch where they were in prison and supposed to be game show contestants. One of them kept saying "a woman with big breastesses" as the answer for every question.

And I have no idea why I remember that.

[carrps]

3 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

And I have no idea why I remember that.

Well, I remember it, too!

[Rai]

I've already said my piece on Gail's figure, so I don't need to rehash it. She got 'em, deal with it, continues to be my stance.

Anyway, while the set-up was stupid, paying the bills with a dinosaur movie is pretty unobjectionable, and I think the chefs mostly acquitted themselves well. The correct team won. I would've eaten that entire menu, although I probably would've liked to have swapped Nick's dish for Buddha's. What a stunning plate with an unusual protein. I loved that all three starters made their portions bite-size to mimic what looks like the coolest moment in a goofy dinosaur movie.

I will miss Jo. She was one of my favorite personalities on the show, and she really knew her Jurassic franchise history. The carrots to call back to the very first movie? Hilarious. It's too bad the execution was off. (Also, I totally was there opening weekend for the first movie. I was in jr. high, and me and a couple friends arrived super early, believing there would be a line. There wasn't. But somehow we ended up having to sit in the front row in a packed theater anyway.)

I think Jae could've gotten away with the meatballs and pickled napa cabbage and MAYBE the noodles if she had focused the dish more. Sounded like the chop was what nearly got her the chop (hey oh!). I hope she turns it around next episode. It seems like the top chefs are Evelyn, Jackson, Buddha, and Damarr. I'd like Jae and Nick to be in that group too. I think Ashleigh's just not going to make it, and Luke seems trapped in his head. Ultimately, I'm rooting for Evelyn or Damarr, I think. Unless Jae brings herself back up!

I loved the quickfire, although I have to admit, I'd struggle with anything that had a "draw." That's not a texture frontier I'm entirely ready to enter. But the offerings mostly sounded good, and I enjoyed seeing everyone get into it. Also, I totally got the purple and silver nailpolishes from Kwame's line, and the purple held up pretty well! Looking forward to trying out the silver soon.

[margol29]

I think Padma is trying to bring back Go - Go Boots. Makes so much sense as some of these challenges. That being said, I would love to try some of those dishes.

[caitmcg]

9 hours ago, MartyQui said:

I don't mind the promotional bits, it's how they pay for the show. 

Honestly, I’d rather have a dumb movie tie-in challenge where they can mostly get away with cooking what they want and to their strengths than challenges involving canned broth or whatever can be found at a gas station.

[carrps]

16 minutes ago, margol29 said:

I think Padma is trying to bring back Go - Go Boots. 

We called them Courrege boots back in the day, because he was the designer who designed them to go with the Mondrian-inspired mini dresses he also designed. Padma's looked very stylized with a whiff of cowboy about them.

 

[rhofmovalley]

I wore a purple wrap around mini skirt, paisley blouse and black patent leather zip up gogo boots for my kindergarten picture in 1970. I looked fab!

I thought Padma looked like a flight attendant from an old James Bond film. Not necessarily a bad look, but dated.

[sharifa70]

2 hours ago, Rai said:

I've already said my piece on Gail's figure, so I don't need to rehash it. She got 'em, deal with it, continues to be my stance.

Oh my god, me too.

I loved Jackson’s playfulness with his dessert, and felt the red team were the only ones who took the “progressive meal” brief to heart. They also made a point of tying all the dishes together with pecans. It didn’t seem the other teams were as careful to connect their dishes to each other as well as to the theme. 

[HurricaneVal]

So far, not only is Jackson nailing it taste-wise--which goes to show he has really good chef instincts, technique, and memory since he can't taste or smell--but he's also been the only chef there to figure out how to play the game.  If there's a ridiculous theme of the week, you've got to memorably tie your dish into the ridiculous theme.  It doesn't matter if it is tenuous, it has to be memorable.  Like the "heart and guts" from last week, and the bloody footprint this week. 

Obviously this season the judges are thirsting for theatricality.  They want some drama.  It has to be a tough balance for the cheftestants though, because some will struggle with that because there's an invisible line of how much is too much, and there's the dreaded "you sacrificed taste for the sake of presentation" that is the kiss of death on this show.  The cheftestants don't know where that line is, but Tom certainly does!  I saw his teammates looking a little sideways at Jackson when he laid that "bloody" footprint down on the plate and I thought maybe they thought it might be a step too far, but clearly it was exactly the right tone. 

Tom just looked so sour last night.  He was really not a happy camper, it looked like someone pissed in his Wheaties.  I don't know what his deal was, but he whatever it was, he was not having it.  Maybe his LCK gig is taking more out of him than he thought.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Rai said:

I've already said my piece on Gail's figure, so I don't need to rehash it. She got 'em, deal with it, continues to be my stance.

Same here.  Good grief, that's just the shape of her body. 

[Colleenna]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

There was something about this challenge that felt different - more forced, and more stupid - than most of the other this challenge is one big promotion for X things they've done, but I can't pinpoint why I felt that way.  It's not just lack of interest in the subject (I saw Jurassic Park back in the day and it was fine, but I've never re-watched it or seen any of the other films in the franchise), because a lot of the films and such they've based challenges on are things I haven't seen.  But, for some reason, I was rolling my eyes when I normally just shrug.

THANK YOU!!!I felt the exact same way about the  elimination challenge.  Honestly,  if we're going to have more forced gimmicks,  I'll forego  TC for Guy's  Grocery Games on Food Network.  At least  Guy doesn’t pretend to be serious. 

[bravofan27]

21 hours ago, gingerella said:

I just cant with this show anymore. This whole Jurassic Park movie tie in was so stupid even Padma looked pained mentioning it. This was one of two shows, the other being Project Runway, where I felt they were at least serious competitions. But TV has sold out, so I'm out.

I'm not sure about that. Padma is a model, and models sell products. She pushes products on each episode. It's her job. I think she is going to be paying attention hard core to what % of the Top Chef community see the movie. I'm sure they contract with companies that collect data on that.

This was an important money making episode for Top Chef, and pays for the less commerical challenges IMO. 

Although Jae isn't like wowing me with her cooking that much, I do love her quirky, awkward, funky personality. I would love to hang out with her.

Edited April 16, 2022 by bravofan27