Chef Dynasty: House Of Fang - General Discussion

[eelpout]

No topic exists for this new thing on Food Network, so I'll start one. Heaven help me though, the less said about this the better IMO. I couldn't make it more than 2/3 of the way through the first episode before my (uncolored) contacts dried up, staring unblinking at the screen.

A show that seems to have been destined for Bravo, but maybe they passed(???). Is it a cooking show? Simple candid reality? An unintended critique for why social media is the devil? Even they aren't sure. 😁

(And there are 5 more episodes of this??? Maybe there are guest appearances of the real estate agents from that failed SF Million Dollar Listing show? 😉)

[Salacious Kitty]

I only saw the second half hour, so I missed the set up. Apparently Kathy will cater special events for important people at her restaurant. Does she even feed the masses? Why is Daddy meddling in her business? He's obviously not working in his restaurant these days, but can't he let her do her thing, even if it means she falls flat on her face?

[Rickster]

On 12/31/2022 at 3:35 PM, eelpout said:

No topic exists for this new thing on Food Network, so I'll start one. Heaven help me though, the less said about this the better IMO. I couldn't make it more than 2/3 of the way through the first episode before my (uncolored) contacts dried up, staring unblinking at the screen.

A show that seems to have been destined for Bravo, but maybe they passed(???). Is it a cooking show? Simple candid reality? An unintended critique for why social media is the devil? Even they aren't sure. 😁

(And there are 5 more episodes of this??? Maybe there are guest appearances of the real estate agents from that failed SF Million Dollar Listing show? 😉)

Watched the first episode with my girlfriend’s sister. I turned to her and said, “Shouldn’t this be on Bravo?”

I enjoyed another new show on the FN, on cake competitions, and gave this a shot. Not coming back for episode 2.

[Guinnessgirl]

What you guys said.  It felt like a Bravo show.  I was hoping for something similar to Bobbie and Sophie with food porn.

 

[eelpout]

Reality Blurred's review.

[Rickster]

48 minutes ago, eelpout said:

Reality Blurred's review.

Bake It Til You Make It was the baking show I liked the first episode of. Second episode not so much. Too much talking to the camera, as the review noted.

[candall]

Double post

Edited January 4, 2023 by candall
New format got me!

[candall]

I remember seeing Kathy Fang on Chopped and thinking that she needed to get over her daddy issues, or at least refrain from broadcasting them.  "My father's a great, great chef and he doesn't respect me or my skills at all and maybe if I win Chopped, he will [love me] see that I really can cook!"

So I guess I was wrong about that.   Someone took those daddy issues and turned them into a whole show!  Yikes.

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When she started introducing the staff, I got definite Vanderpump vibes.  That must be the Bravo TV flavor others noticed.

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Finally, I'm an adventurous eater, but corned beef & cabbage in my Chinese food doesn't sound very appealing.  🥴

Edited January 4, 2023 by candall

[buttersister]

Couldn’t this just be dad’s show?

[ghertigirl]

I kind of liked it.  Well, let me say that I like the "drama" more than, let's say, Southern Hospitality.  I like Kathy and think she's incredibly glamourous but hard working and talented.  Her dad is hilarious.  He is a natural gem.  And the food looks bomb.  So, I will continue to keep watching for now.

[howiveaddict]

The "new" restaurant has been open since 2009.  I missed the first episode.  Was Kathy's mom on?  According to the House of Nanking website, Mrs Fang still works there daily.  I like the dad.  It sounds like he was innovative back in the day.  And yes, this did seem like a Bravo show.

[seacliffsal]

Even though I didn't think that the tag-line of the teasers was very good *"two-time chopped champion" I tuned in for about 5 minutes.  Well, I tried...  

*With the amount of episodes there have been of Chopped, two-time champion just doesn't seem to merit much mention.

[chessiegal]

This happened to be on when I was looking for something to watch. Even though folks had mentioned it seemed like that would be on Bravo, I think I could have gotten there myself. It sure is different from anything I've ever seen FN do. I'm not sure what the point of the show is.

[Bastet]

The only thing I watch on Bravo is Top Chef, so I only see promos for their other shows, and when she started talking about her staff, I immediately flashed on promos for the one about the Beverly Hills restaurant where the servers and bartenders apparently mostly fight and fuck, and somewhere in there serve some food and drinks.

I lost interest not long after.  (A re-run of the first episode came on after something I was watching, and while I've never been to Fang I have been to House of Nanking a few times, so I thought, oh, cool.)  It wasn't anywhere near as bad as that Bravo show looks to be, certainly, it just wasn't anything I'm interested in.  It could have been, with the dynamic between her and her dad as they argue over what direction to take the restaurant in, the whole balance between being 50/50 business partners while still being father and daughter (and Asian father and daughter, no less).  But it indeed feels like Bravo produced a show for FN; they tried to make it fit, but there's just too much of the reality show stench to work here.

[patty1h]

After seeing the ad for this show, I tuned in to the first episode ready to see some dishes prepared and get some tips but this show is a vanity project for the daughter. Between the many cut-ins of Kathy explaining her views, most of the hour was showing her swanning around the customers in designer dresses, showing her staff of young hotties (including ex beauty queen) and their drama.  We see Kathy in the gym practicing martial arts and home with her husband and kids, etc.  Not a lot of cooking and manufactured conflict between father and daughter.  No thanks, FN.

[Salacious Kitty]

Subsequent episodes have shown more menu planning and finished dishes. Her food is interesting. 

[buttersister]

I just caught the Kristi Yamaguchi episode and the kvetch factor was off the charts! Yeah, the kitchen is 1,000 miles away from the guests' table, so maybe adapt your menu accordingly. Or set up something to help in the nearby kitchen. Between the non-stop "I'm being set up to fail" and that poor newbie chef back at Fang Ranch, I wasn't sure how this was going to end. And it ... well, didn't really. Dad's berating newbie for being too slow (and not turning out great food) while Kathy kvetches some more, a server cuts out on the restaurant and shows up at the event to "help" inappropriately prepared, and HORROR, they're a meatball short and it's the guest next to Kristi! Cut. Over and out. WTF? It that supposed to be some sort of cliffhanger? LOL! Oy.

Kathy, hot mess is not a good look.

ETA: Seriously, that museum is likely a site for events on the regular (like most big city museums). Do other caterers serve hot dogs and French fries? No, no they don't.

Edited January 17, 2023 by buttersister

[MyMaui]

I like this show and I really like Kathy and her dad together.  I'm bad at some of the staff's names but her friend that does the media, Lillian?, I sometimes think she causes more stress for Kathy sometimes.  She knows what she is doing but sometimes I get the feel she thinks she has more say than Kathy.  I feel bad for the new chef they hired. That was an incredible amount of pressure to put on her.  Faster, faster, faster.  Hopefully she adjusts and can handle it.  

[CattyK]

On 1/19/2023 at 5:20 PM, MyMaui said:

I like this show and I really like Kathy and her dad together.  I'm bad at some of the staff's names but her friend that does the media, Lillian?, I sometimes think she causes more stress for Kathy sometimes.  She knows what she is doing but sometimes I get the feel she thinks she has more say than Kathy.  I feel bad for the new chef they hired. That was an incredible amount of pressure to put on her.  Faster, faster, faster.  Hopefully she adjusts and can handle it.  

I don’t like Lillian at all.  She does seem to feel like she’s in the driver’s seat.  I think the Yamaguchi event was the episode where Kathy raised an issue and Lillian dismissed her concern and said you just have to trust me, she wouldn’t even discuss it.    Also did Lillian bother to check the kitchen location before committing to the event?  It seemed like she didn’t, since she didn’t inform Kathy.
Later she told the staff they are all replaceable, like she was in a position to hire and fire.

[MyMaui]

10 hours ago, CattyK said:

I don’t like Lillian at all.  She does seem to feel like she’s in the driver’s seat.  I think the Yamaguchi event was the episode where Kathy raised an issue and Lillian dismissed her concern and said you just have to trust me, she wouldn’t even discuss it.    Also did Lillian bother to check the kitchen location before committing to the event?  It seemed like she didn’t, since she didn’t inform Kathy.
Later she told the staff they are all replaceable, like she was in a position to hire and fire.

That's that part that really bothered me with her.  She committed to this event and didn't see the kitchen.  She didn't seem to care at all about Kathy's concerns and they were legitimate concerns too.  

[chabelisaywow]

Born and raised in the City. TBH have never heard of Fang. House of Nanking, for sure - have even eaten here. Granted, it was in 1993 (think when Rachel and Pedro ate there on Real World). I thought it was a greasy spoon - like most Chinese restaurants are. Not that I believe Chinese food can’t be elevated, but I digress. Can’t take Kathy seriously with colored contacts. I can’t take her show or her food seriously either - with model bartender and ex pageant server. Her friend that is a consultant for the Mina Group? They are responsible for International Smoke - Ayesha Curry’s restaurant. Excellent service - you will be treated like royalty, but the food is meh. Actually worse than meh - because you paid through the nose. Have a feeling Fang is the same. BTW the “best” elevated Chinese restaurant in San Francisco is Mr. Jiu - they have the Michelin star Kathy covets. Have you heard Ali Wong describe a “good” Asian restaurant - the not so great service, the bathroom full of cleaning products ? They let the food speak for itself. Lol that’s San Tung for me. I don’t know if it’s still there but the best chow mein in San Francisco was served at coffee shop called Ming’s. 

[Guinnessgirl]

With my hatred of cilantro I finally felt vindicated when Sienna said some people are genetically predisposed that it tastes like soap.

All I got.

[candall]

On 1/25/2023 at 8:11 AM, Guinnessgirl said:

With my hatred of cilantro I finally felt vindicated when Sienna said some people are genetically predisposed that it tastes like soap.

All I got.

Absolutely.  I did a double-take at the cilantro.  I thought every caterer knew not to take the chance that some percentage of the diners will end up with a big mouthful of soap flavor.

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The dishes at the "event" looked nice, but I was reminded of something I read recently--after an elegant catered affair, people are usually still hungry and go looking for something to eat.  🍕

[MyMaui]

Again we have Lillian wanting to take control and fire Long and Kathy goes right along with it.  Lillian, I think, had it in for Long from the start.  She knew how close he was with Kathy and was a great friend of her.  Long could have handled himself better but he knew what Lillian was doing.  She didn't show him anything, we saw her telling him what he was doing wrong.  She wanted him to stay at the door and greet customers and not do anything else.  I just really do not like her at all.  I am so glad her father said he would take Long to his place and train him.  Watch how successful he will be. If I was her father I wouldn't leave anything to Kathy because she is blindly following Lillian.