S20.E12: Goodbye, London!

[Vandy10]

20 hours ago, tljgator said:

I thought Sara made a very smart and calculated choice (without it seeming so at the time...until she said in the Stew Room she was pretty sure she was safe) -- a contestant has rarely been booted for making really tasty food, even if it didn't exactly meet the parameters of the challenge, when the judges have at least some nits to pick with the other dishes. Once they said hers tasted the best, you knew her ouster was off the table. She knew this wasn't in her wheelhouse; she made the best tasting thing she could figure out a way to shoehorn into the challenge guidelines, at least on its face, and went with it -- hoping to stay squarely in the "safe but not outstanding" middle slot. I'm glad of it since I like her, lol.

Yep -- I thought it was a great little moment of joy & silliness. And I'm with you, Pandora, I know I couldn't even come close to managing that, lol!

Did anybody else think the judging panel looked kinda disappointed that they showed up in the fancy place, all dressed up, for the "make it to the final" episode and then got a less than spectacular spread of food?

I agree with your first paragraph. As soon as the judges said it was really tasty at judging, I knew she was safe. And judging by her face, Sara knew too.

This is one of the advantages that Sara, as an American, has based on her experiences with Tom C, Padma, and Gail as judges. She knew tasty food would keep her safe. Just like she knew last week that undercooked protein will almost always get you sent home. I suppose any of the non-Americans could also know this if they’re fans of Top Chef US. But surprisingly few contestants study the show that way, Buddha not withstanding.

As for your last paragraph, I felt the same way, and it’s the judges’ own damn fault. Tom C even said to the guests as they sat down to the meal that this was a hard one. That these kinds of dishes really require trying and testing and refining multiple times to do them well. So I don’t know why they were shocked that many were just ho-hum. This should’ve been a much earlier challenge in the season.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Vandy10

[Yeah No]

13 minutes ago, Vandy10 said:

This is one of the advantages that Sara, as an American, has based on her experiences with Tom C, Padma, and Gail as judges. She knew tasty food would keep her safe. Just like she knew last week that undercooked protein will almost always get you sent home. I suppose any of the non-Americans could also know this if they’re fans of Top Chef US. But surprisingly few contestants study the show that way, Buddha not withstanding.

That's the flip side of a point I made in a previous post and very true.  I said that the judges might have some unconscious bias toward the American contestants because they've judged them before and already prefer their food.  But the flip side is probably even more true, that the American chefs know how to impress these judges because they've already done it successfully before and know what they like.  It's yet another reason why I think the American chefs had an unfair advantage and that they should be judged by people who've never judged them before.

[Norma Desmond]

Bye Tom! Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!

 

I thought Ali's dish was worse than Tom's, but hey, I'm not complaining. I kind of warmed up to Tom these past few eps but am not sad to see him go.

 

Love that Sara came back and loved that she was able to churn out something good even though the challenge was not up her alley.

 

Buddha is really something. Wow. He is at the top of his game. He's like one of those tennis players that win everything in a span of a few years cause there really is no competition on their level.

I know some people think that he wins just because he studied the game, but a lot of the challenges cannot be predicted. He is a mix of technical proficiency and creativity. He really is super creative and has the technique to back it up.

I really love Sara but Buddha is just a force of nature, he cannot be stopped.

(I just hope he is not eliminated come next episode and I end up with my foot in my mouth)

[Norma Desmond]

On 5/26/2023 at 3:32 AM, HappyDancex2 said:

Guest judge Jeremy had the sultriest voice….how does one speak in that hush tone with such authority?  I was riveted by his elegance.

His voice is the vocal equivalent of bedroom eyes

[carrps]

18 hours ago, ProudMary said:

IMO, both the Quickfire and the Elimination Challenges were poor choices at this point of the season where the finalists were being chosen. The judges seemed disappointed overall with the food they were served and the blame is firmly on the producers' shoulders. When the most flavorful item they received was Buddha's beef broth in a wine glass, production has failed. It was a stupid, froufrou challenge. This late in the season, it should be about the flavors, not visual deception.

This, exactly. A challenge like this is best during the first half of the season when there's not as much on the line. And it looks like part one of the finale is the "wall challenge." That's another frivolous, meaningless challenge. Who planned this season???

 

[catrice2]

18 hours ago, ProudMary said:

IMO, both the Quickfire and the Elimination Challenges were poor choices at this point of the season where the finalists were being chosen. The judges seemed disappointed overall with the food they were served and the blame is firmly on the producers' shoulders. When the most flavorful item they received was Buddha's beef broth in a wine glass, production has failed. It was a stupid, froufrou challenge. This late in the season, it should be about the flavors, not visual deception.

I'm glad Tom was PYKAGd. I haven't found him funny or charming from the beginning and watching him make fun of Gabri for nicely making his bed and then messing it up sealed the deal for me. Not funny, hurtful. Bye-bye.

Something of an aside, but based on Tom's final comments on Last Chance Kitchen, Charbel should have been the returning chef, not Sara. I honestly believe that TPTB didn't like the optics of not having a woman in the final four and were determined to bring back the last woman standing.

I re-watched the last LCK episode and will recap here with quotes from Sara, Charbel, Tom C and Gail who assisted Tom with judging the final. The chefs had to make three dishes and each had two sous chefs to assist them. Sara had Nicole and Sylwia; Charbel had Dale and Amar.

Dish 1 was to correct their worst dish of the competition.  Dish 2 was their favorite taste from their time in the UK. Dish 3, quoting Tom, "I want to see where you're going as a chef. Show me how you're going to take this experience and grow."
Sara's third dish was salmon with a green harissa succotash. She said, "I need to bring other influences in."

Charbel's third dish was a fruit based dessert, where he wanted to "focus on natural sugars, not processed sugar."

At judging:
Sara, presenting: "I need to pull from influences that aren't just personal to me."
Tom: "That harissa that you're talking about? It's not there."
Gail: "This dish felt much more like succotash and salmon than it did with that global influence. "

Charbel, presenting: "We have a responsibility to use less processed sugar. I made this dessert only with fruit and a little bit of honey."
Tom: "You don't miss the sugar at all. I love your message here. I like it a lot"

The Verdict.
Tom: "Great dishes, showed a lot about your journey and who you are and where you're going. There was one that I think stood out, that I really think hammered home that message of growth here and everything they saw here and where they're heading in the future."

And then the winner was Sara??? Look, they both cooked well and if Tom wanted Sara to advance, that's fine. But at least have the narrative match what was on the plates! Sara didn't accomplish the incorporation of new influences, which was what she chose to attempt in the challenge. Charbel did exactly what he was trying to show.

Tom needs to be a better liar, because he failed miserably here.

(BTW, I don't believe that Sara actually needs to incorporate global flavors into her cuisine. Her niche is elevating traditional southern dishes. She has that down to a science!)

I have been saying this all season...but to be fair about all reality shows. It has been clear from editing who was going to make it this far.  Gabri with the "surviving underdog," Budda the front runner,  Tom  the annoying clown, Ali the serious, etc.  Several edits have been clearly made to make the show seem more "female friendly," etc.   Therefore, rest assured Tom's words not matching the person who returned and how they answered his question (Charbel's answer was amazing) was intentional.   Also social media has been an indication of who makes it far (active and inactive) and who is trying to leverage that for more success.  All this is about building narratives and it clearly works as the audience reacts to people they "like" and hate based upon a few minutes of editing.  I don't eat meat, so I would not eat a good 92% of what is made on the show, but I like watching the process and I like pretty plated food..that being said I know what I am watching is not "real."  They have been watching demographics, focus groups, social media, etc. and respond accordingly.  That is subconscious bias even if it is not intentional.  Like having more minority judges and more ethnic food.....if not for what I just said they would have been doing that all along. 

Even as someone pointed out how the judges reacted to Sara's elimination dish. This is a perfect example of why judges should be rotated or blind judging and they should not have been the head judges for this competition.  You know the "guest" judge never really has that much of a say, and over time it is highly possible that even they get influenced by each others opinions and biases after working with each other for so long. Having judges that previously judged  American contestants and the American contestants having the advantage of relationship with the judges and of knowing the shopping, etc. that doesn't occur on other version was always a problem. Even Amar has served as a judge, so he knew how that works!  If anything, Amar would have been on Top Chef Masters, where other judges like Marcus, etc. competed against each other.  Even "blind" judging would not have necessarily worked because they have judged her on the exact same dish before!! 

The challenges have been terrible for such a season of pros.  I totally agree with your assessment of Last Chance Kitchen....and my response....see what I wrote above..  edits have been clear all season and I do believe there is an underlying reason for tha, without questioning the talent of the contestants. 

By the way, Gabri and Tom are good friends according to Gabri, so even if they had problems they worked through, or Gabri is not as sensitive as some of us are!   As my dad says, if they like it, I love it!  I think Gabri is one of those people who chooses to be happy, which is not a bad trait. 

 I think Tom (as well as several of the contestants on this season) are people you have to really know to get a good sense of who they are.   This is also an international show.  Americans cannot judge people from other places and cultures from a show like this.  All of the differences along with being forced to be with people you don't know in a competitive situation is bound to have some hiccups and make people act in a way that may be different than they do normally. 

Many of the people who came on the show are very successful and well known in their own countries.  Most just wanted the $$$$ to advance something they already had going on and did not really want or need the "prestige" of being Top Chef International champ.  I doubt Top Chef is as big a deal in most of the countries as it seems to be here. 

 

 

[RoseAllDay]

Just random thoughts:

*Fast forward is my friend when watching Top Chef. The extended commercials are ridiculous. There is no need to extend this show to an hour and eighteen minutes. (Per my DVR.)

*Buddha. Again. First, let me say that I respect his talent. But I wish he’d just stop with the hand-wringing about whether he’ll make it. It’s tiresome and is striking me as a bit phony now. He lost me as a fan several weeks back with his snobbish, petulant diss of family style food because he was pissed at being on the bottom. He could practically serve shit on a shingle now, and it wouldn’t change the outcome. (Sorry to be so petty, but the man’s faux humility gets on my nerves.)

*Buddha will, I predict, be the next Richard Blaise quasi-expert/judge. I can easily see him in that role with Padma, Gail, and Tom.

*I liked the presentation of Ali’s dish, but what do I know. Buddha’s was obviously the best, can’t deny it. So glad that Gabri is moving on, but his dish looked like Astroturf.

*Bye, Tom. Long time coming. So glad that Sara isn’t turning around and going home. I was happy to see her back.

*Talk about trompe d’oleil…the quickfire judge was Rick Astley’s doppelganger.

*Off to Paris, for the anointing of Buddha. 👨‍🍳👑

[HurricaneVal]

I posted this somewhere else, but figured I'd bring it here too.

Wow.  Tom was an annoying roommate as well as an annoying competitor/teammate.  It was definitely his time to go.  He seemed to have kind of an opposite arc than usual in that as the competition went on, he got slightly less creative.  Not by much, and maybe only in comparison to the others who kept improving.   Wasn't Tom the one who created an entire dish from the humble onion that the judges just raved about early on in the season?  I really liked him because of that and thought he had good potential.  Then as the season progressed, I realized his arrogance really wasn't justifiably backed by brilliant talent and that he was basically an asshole.  An occasionally charming asshole, but an asshole nonetheless.

This is an excellent final four.  Whenever I think Gabri might be playing out of his league, he pulls something out like a delicious trompe l'oeil Scotch Brite sponge with an incredible backstory full of pathos and hope which seemed perfectly tailored and calculated for the chef audience.  Except I think Gabri genuinely came up with the inspired idea and enthusiastically pursued it without guile.  He's my sentimental favorite.

Buddha is cooking on another level, though, so this is kind of his to lose.   I do like Buddha, the only thing that rubs me the wrong way is how calculating he is--not necessarily calculating about how to make the best dish, but how to use the parameters of the challenge to create the winning dish to impress the judges.  Like this last episode when he immediately abandoned using the mold for his jelly, knowing it wouldn't set in time, and instead molded his ice cream for the requirement.  And then I remember it is a competition, and winning is the point, so then I admire his focus.

Maybe I'm just having cognitive dissonance from all that competitive intensity coming from such a genial looking guy named Buddha.

[Fukui San]

Mildly disappointed that they didn't go all in and name the episode "Cheerio, London!"

[jpgr]

1 hour ago, HurricaneVal said:

I posted this somewhere else, but figured I'd bring it here too.

Wow.  Tom was an annoying roommate as well as an annoying competitor/teammate.  It was definitely his time to go.  He seemed to have kind of an opposite arc than usual in that as the competition went on, he got slightly less creative.  Not by much, and maybe only in comparison to the others who kept improving.   Wasn't Tom the one who created an entire dish from the humble onion that the judges just raved about early on in the season?  I really liked him because of that and thought he had good potential.  Then as the season progressed, I realized his arrogance really wasn't justifiably backed by brilliant talent and that he was basically an asshole.  An occasionally charming asshole, but an asshole nonetheless.

No, it was Charbel who won the first elimination challenge with the onion dish.

[HurricaneVal]

Then I was liking Tom for the wrong reason!  Ack!

[Drogo]

Tom was the one who used most of a team budget for himself, just to make a shitty cioppino.  

And he’s the one who left an entire basket of his team’s ingredients at the store checkout in another team challenge.  But only other people’s ingredients. 

[violet and green]

22 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Perhaps. As much as I don’t mind Buddha (and can appreciate his talent) and like Sara and Amar, I wish the competition weren’t so heavily weighted toward Americans. Not so global, after all.

Buddha is Australian. He lives and works in America currently, but he is Australian. Not sure if that is a general comment or a name mixup, but Amar is out of the competition, and Ali is from Jordan. There were only three Americans in the competition, Sara, Amar, and Dawn.

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, violet and green said:

Buddha is Australian. He lives and works in America currently, but he is Australian. Not sure if that is a general comment or a name mixup, but Amar is out of the competition, and Ali is from Jordan. There were only three Americans in the competition, Sara, Amar, and Dawn.

Buddha is from Australia, but he both makes his home in the US and was one of four (out of sixteen) who came to the season from the American Top Chef, which is what I was referring to. And no, I did not mix up Amar and Ali, nor was I commenting on the ultimate final four, just the late-season weight of the America-based presence.

As others have speculated, they may have had some inherent advantages thanks to greater familiarity with specifics of the format, language skills, and so on. Still, it has made a novel season less interesting than it could have been, to me.

[blixie]

Quote

Gabri is not as sensitive as some of us are! 

Bingo. Tom struck me as very sweet, and only  let a little arrogance/desperation slip in when he used all the money. He was never malicious, and comforted Begona when she was upset at the judging. I love you more than your brother Tom, no hateration in this dancery.

While I agree that the previous American TC contestants had an advantage for lots of reasons at the end of the day 2 finalists are from that pool and 2 aren't so I'm not that mad at that outcome. The cast is pretty much the only reason I like this season at all, I hated London as a setting and the challenges were largely trash that resulted in som really blah food. I can not imagine having all of Europe to choose from and picking London, I can't even imagine it's about language barriers in production as a lot of Europeans speak pretty good English. 

[bravofan27]

I think Sarah's food was good, and Tom's wasn't that great. If Sarah had made something edible to wrap the matzo ball in to make it look like a tamale, she might have done better. 

I got that Sarah's matzo balls were awesome, and Tom's seaweed caviar was gummy.

I didn't think Gabri's dish looked anything like a sponge, but whatever.

The turtle shaped whatever made me kind of feel bad for Ali. Maybe he thought he was making a kid breakfast.

 

[Leeds]

1 hour ago, blixie said:

While I agree that the previous American TC contestants had an advantage for lots of reasons at the end of the day 2 finalists are from that pool and 2 aren't so I'm not that mad at that outcome. The cast is pretty much the only reason I like this season at all, I hated London as a setting and the challenges were largely trash that resulted in som really blah food. I can not imagine having all of Europe to choose from and picking London, I can't even imagine it's about language barriers in production as a lot of Europeans speak pretty good English. 

What do you have against London?

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, blixie said:

Bingo. Tom struck me as very sweet, and only  let a little arrogance/desperation slip in when he used all the money. He was never malicious, and comforted Begona when she was upset at the judging. I love you more than your brother Tom, no hateration in this dancery.

I'm not going to deny that the optics of some of Tom's behavior have not been good, but in every single case the others have more than supported him and shown genuine affection for him in spite of it.  So I'm thinking that there's probably more going on there than meets the eye.  Like after he used most of the budget for his crappy dish the others stood up for him about it with the judges, which surprised me, but again, that's telling me there's more to the story.  And when he jumped on the bed he's later hugging and being hugged by all.  Stuff like that.  So I agree with you that none of what we've seen him do has ever come off as malicious and the others have certainly not been offended by him or anything he's done, in fact all appearances show it's quite the contrary.

Of course perhaps they could all be as captivated with him as I am (LOL) and are overlooking a lot, but I somehow kind of doubt that.

[Leeds]

On 5/26/2023 at 4:19 PM, buttersister said:

She went to the matzo ball soup well. Buddha made something from his winning season at some point. Plus, there's not much spontaneous about what he's cooking--I understand the desire to be prepared but he's taken it to an absurd level.

Those last challenges? Give me a break--Buddha's wheelhouse is an understatement!

I really don't understand the disdain for Buddha being super prepared for the competition.  He loves his craft and wants to be the best possible.  Do we ding talented athletes for training to be the best in the world?  Do we look down our noses at contestants who study to prepare for Jeopardy?

And he can adapt his technique and knowledge to fulfill different briefs appropriately, unlike Sara, who lazily rehashed a dish (the matzah ball thing) because she knew it tasted good, not because it met the challenge

[Leeds]

16 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

 

Buddha is cooking on another level, though, so this is kind of his to lose.   I do like Buddha, the only thing that rubs me the wrong way is how calculating he is--not necessarily calculating about how to make the best dish, but how to use the parameters of the challenge to create the winning dish to impress the judges.  Like this last episode when he immediately abandoned using the mold for his jelly, knowing it wouldn't set in time, and instead molded his ice cream for the requirement.  And then I remember it is a competition, and winning is the point, so then I admire his focus.

 

Why is this a bad thing?  Would it have been better to serve unset jelly rather than adapt to serve a successful dish?

[nokat]

2 hours ago, Leeds said:

Why is this a bad thing?  Would it have been better to serve unset jelly rather than adapt to serve a successful dish?

What it means is that he is an excellent contestant, which is different than just a good chef. I see nothing wrong with that as it is a competition and he knows how the (to me) sometimes stupid challenges work. 

As has been mentioned, they are all established chefs, and extra money and exposure is good for business.

I think it is difficult for watchers sometimes to not pick favorites via personality and sportsmanship. We after all can't taste the food.

[Norma Desmond]

2 hours ago, Leeds said:

Why is this a bad thing?  Would it have been better to serve unset jelly rather than adapt to serve a successful dish?

 

 

2 hours ago, Leeds said:

I really don't understand the disdain for Buddha being super prepared for the competition.  He loves his craft and wants to be the best possible.  Do we ding talented athletes for training to be the best in the world?  Do we look down our noses at contestants who study to prepare for Jeopardy?

There isn't enough WORD! to your posts

 

Buddha is maligned for studying his craft and being prepared. In a competition!

I think this disdain can may come from his being super talented and not humble enough, to some viewers (his persoality is perfectly fine to me). People like to root for the underdog and he's clearly not one.

 

Oh well.

[Yeah No]

14 minutes ago, Norma Desmond said:

 

 

There isn't enough WORD! to your posts

 

Buddha is maligned for studying his craft and being prepared. In a competition!

I think this disdain can may come from his being super talented and not humble enough, to some viewers (his persoality is perfectly fine to me). People like to root for the underdog and he's clearly not one.

 

Oh well.

I agree.  And studying his craft and being well prepared are also qualities it takes to be a Top Chef in general in one's career, so it's not even just that those are qualities good to have in a competition.  And I don't see him as not humble enough either.  What Buddha embodies is confidence, not arrogance or anything negative about his attitude.  If it were arrogance he'd be getting under the skin of some of the other contestants and showing more signs of it.  If anyone wants to see arrogant, full of themselves Top Chef contestants, there are many in the early seasons that would fit that bill with the usual douchy-ness and drama that went along with it.  I don't know what he's supposed to do, apologize to the others when he wins a challenge?  Not show that he feels the stress of the competition?  Not look unhappy when he loses?  Geez, he's only human!

[Souris]

How does anyone hate turtles?? They’re so BENIGN. I was surprised when Ali revealed that, almost more than learning Tom went to clown school. Did a gang of them eat his garden or something? LOL.

It was funny, though, when he said if he won he would get one and name it Amar.

[rhofmovalley]

53 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

And studying his craft and being well prepared are also qualities it takes to be a Top Chef in general in one's career

Agree 100%.

Former contestant Angelo Sosa opened a restaurant in Vegas when I was living there.  The location was in Summerlin, an expensive neighborhood.  However he didn't "read" his potential clientele.  The menu was full of dishes with obscure and esoteric ingredients that I couldn't make head or tail of.  He may have presumed that since the area was considered wealthy and elite the residents would appreciate his menu, but in reality most of the people who lived there were more upper middle class than wealthy or well-traveled.  We were people who relocated from more expensive states or cities and therefore could afford to live there.  His restaurant didn't even last a full year.  A steak restaurant is now in that same space and thriving because everyone understands steak!

So Buddha understands his audience and caters to them, using his considerable skill to do so.  And Sara is doing the same on an arguably less refined level. 

[Mellowyellow]

I read the comments on here before watching the episode and expected Buddha to break out into a dance after he won, rubbing the other contestants faces in it. Obviously he did no such thing and had what I thought was a very muted response to winning in front of the others. He celebrated in his talking heads but why shouldn't he. I bet if he didn't, people would probably accuse him of humble bragging.

I must admit I'm a bit sensitive to the "Buddha is over prepared and calculating posts." There seems to be disdain for methodical high achievers these days.

Back to the episode, Buddha absolutely deserved that win. His plate looked amazing. Everything else was really amateur and dodgy (Gabri's sponge was ok but I really had to squint to accept that it was a sponge) whereas the stuff on Buddha's plate was so tricky it looked like he went, bought cherries, olive etc and plated them up! 

 

[ProudMary]

23 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Buddha is cooking on another level, though, so this is kind of his to lose.   I do like Buddha, the only thing that rubs me the wrong way is how calculating he is--not necessarily calculating about how to make the best dish, but how to use the parameters of the challenge to create the winning dish to impress the judges.  Like this last episode when he immediately abandoned using the mold for his jelly, knowing it wouldn't set in time, and instead molded his ice cream for the requirement.  And then I remember it is a competition, and winning is the point, so then I admire his focus.

That sure sounds like the smart move to me, especially since Padma specifically told the cheftestants that while they HAD to use a mold in the creation of the dish, they did NOT have to use the mold for the jelly. In fact, Buddha wasn't the only chef to use a mold for a different portion of their dish. 

[Passing Strange]

On 5/26/2023 at 1:47 PM, HappyDancex2 said:

Actually this was my point if I didn’t articulate it correctly.  The editors clearly don’t have to show what they show.  THEY could ease up on her for a variety of reasons, most of which comes down to who cares what she looks like because it’s not relevant.  I don’t think that calling attention to what I see in every episode that I think is unnecessary and unflattering to Sara is demeaning to her is something that needs eased up on….I’m in her corner.

I get what you're saying. The point people want to make is that Sara doesn't need any one to be in her corner. There's no reason to ease up on her because there's nothing wrong with her. Her body is fine, regardless of "pants angle and fitness." 

[violet and green]

Every time someone calls Tom arrogant, I think, He's German! To me, he's a sweet German man (who it turns out went to clown school!).

I feel similarly re Buddha and accusations of arrogance. I think, That's his face. That's his stoic, steeling himself face!

[SemiCharmedLife]

I like Tom's sense of humor in his talking heads, but I would have never guessed he went to clown school!  I wonder what clown school in Germany is like.  Do they teach how to make subtle charming remarks?  SNL should do a parody of a German clown school! 😉

I'm wondering if Buddha has been designing dishes of his own for each competition he has viewed on Top Chef in the past.  I'm imagining him, notebook at the ready, writing down what he would do if he were on the show.  He just comes up with the most lavish, creative menus on the spot.  There has been a challenge similar to this one on the US version, so maybe he already had something in mind.  Or he's just a chef genius.  

[blixie]

My issue with Buddha is not arrogance it's the faux humility and genuflecting. And the few times he's been in the bottom he has been extremely ungracious, that's what proves character knowing how to lose, not win. I really hope Sarah gives him a big taste of losing. 

[Drogo]

23 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

If Sarah had made something edible to wrap the matzo ball in to make it look like a tamale, she might have done better.

I don’t know why she didn’t wrap it in a corn husk (which the judges wouldn’t have eaten anyway.)

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, blixie said:

My issue with Buddha is not arrogance it's the faux humility and genuflecting. And the few times he's been in the bottom he has been extremely ungracious, that's what proves character knowing how to lose, not win. I really hope Sarah gives him a big taste of losing. 

Can you give an example of how you felt Buddha was ungracious when he was in the bottom?  Because I didn't think he acted that way.  Frustrated and a little PO-ed in his expressions, maybe, but not what I would call impolite, discourteous, inconsiderate, rude or unfriendly towards others.  Did I miss something?

[bravofan27]

I wonder if Buddha has had an extra extra advantage this season, having worked in London for Gordan Ramsey (who is famous for his Beef Wellington) and just being familiar with the fine dining scene there. A lot of chefs on this show have bragged about their talent/pedigree/superiority, but they usually don't get close to the final rounds. Buddha can relax trying to show-off and prove himself and make sure everyone understands he is super talented. It's obvious. It makes it seem almost like he looks down on the others like they aren't good enough and he wants to put a special light just on him. I definitely get a stuck-up vibe from  him. And no, I'm not going to provide examples. It's just my opinion.

I wonder if Gabri got in the winner list because he used his dishwasher story and the last episode heavily featured Finish dishwasher detergent. LOL. If he was thinking about that, that was genius. That said, it's not a new idea: Sponge

Edited May 29, 2023 by bravofan27

[violet and green]

2 hours ago, blixie said:

My issue with Buddha is not arrogance it's the faux humility and genuflecting. And the few times he's been in the bottom he has been extremely ungracious, that's what proves character knowing how to lose, not win. I really hope Sarah gives him a big taste of losing. 

But "faux humility" implies arrogance. You really can't have the latter without the former. And as I have never seen Buddha literally "genuflecting" I am guessing you mean showing respect and deference to visiting chefs and their judgement, which is pretty normal for someone who knows what it takes to be a truly great chef. He has been in the presence of what he deems greatness, and acknowledges that in his interviews and in their presence. Or perhaps you mean a small bow? That is cultural, and again a mark of respect.

[gingerella]

On 5/25/2023 at 11:32 PM, HappyDancex2 said:

Guest judge Jeremy had the sultriest voice….how does one speak in that hush tone with such authority?  I was riveted by his elegance.

This was my biggest takeaway from this epi!

[Leeds]

 

On 5/25/2023 at 11:32 PM, HappyDancex2 said:

 

Guest judge Jeremy had the sultriest voice….how does one speak in that hush tone with such authority?  I was riveted by his elegance.

He has the equivalent of bedroom eyes - kitchen voice.  Mind you, he also has bedroom eyes.  What a combination.

[SemiCharmedLife]

15 hours ago, Drogo said:

I don’t know why she didn’t wrap it in a corn husk (which the judges wouldn’t have eaten anyway.)

She had it wrapped in a banana leaf, which is another way tamales are presented.

[Drogo]

1 hour ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

She had it wrapped in a banana leaf, which is another way tamales are presented.

Right but banana leaves are edible, and corn husks aren’t. Since she didn’t want them to eat it, I thought husks would’ve been a better choice for the challenge.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, Drogo said:

Right but banana leaves are edible, and corn husks aren’t. Since she didn’t want them to eat it, I thought husks would’ve been a better choice for the challenge.

Doesn't every element have to be edible? I don't know where I came up with this, so please correct me if I am mistaken. 

[bravofan27]

35 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Doesn't every element have to be edible? I don't know where I came up with this, so please correct me if I am mistaken. 

I feel like old episodes of Top Chef they got on people for garnishes-- like all garnishes should be edible. I will say, I eat the parsley garnish, but digressing.

No one ate the banana leaf that Sarah made, and I feel like she didn't intend for it to be eaten. 

Agree the corn husk could have been a better vessel, but she probably wanted it to look pretty, and the vibrant green might have been a way to make it pop.

Edited May 29, 2023 by bravofan27

[Fukui San]

"Nothing inedible on the plate" is one of those classic Western Fine Dining rules of thumb that we can find violated dozens of times if we put our minds to it. Anything plated on a scallop shell or a clamshell, like Richard Blaise's famous banana scallop. Anything wrapped in inedible leaves. Heck, anything with a bone in it. One can plate a dish inside a cracked open coconut shell sitting on a pile of rock salt, and you're certainly not eating the shell and the salt.

I'm sure we've had food served with skewers or sandwiches held together with toothpicks.

On Iron Chef, you'd see the Japanese chefs plating things decorated by pine needles or inside decorative cherry blossoms not meant to be eaten, since that's certainly not a tenet of Japanese food at all. 

In this particular challenge, would you have disqualified a contestant for serving something that wasn't lobster inside of a cooked lobster shell? Like if they managed to fill the emptied claws with cornbread, the body with meatloaf, and the tail with panna cotta or something and it somehow all tasted good. Would the judges then go "Well, the lobster shell was inedible so they're out."?

[Daisychain]

I listened this week's Pack Your Knives podcast -- it started with a great story by Kevin and Tom of getting invited to Craft LA for a special TC party in which this year's Restaurant Wars team recreated their winning menu.  Apparently Buddha blew them away with the spin on an English breakfast and they also said Ali changed up his lamb dish wonderfully from how it was received on the show.  Fun fact: Ali was an alternate -- he found out he was going about 12 hours before filming started.  They said he's actually missing from the first filmed scene in Episode 1.  Anyway they were just exuberant about the experience.

[potatoradio]

I blame Donatella Arpaia for that time she ate a decorative piece of oak bark or something on Next Iron Chef (?) for the sometimes-enforced rule of "nothing inedible on the plate in case your diners/judges ain't too bright and don't listen to the description of the dish so they know what to put in their mouths and what to leave on the plate." 

Am personally hoping for an Ali/Buddha showdown. Wouldn't mind a Gabri/Buddha showdown. Wouldn't mind a Gabri/Ali showdown, either. Have a feeling it will be a Sara comeback from LCK and will need copious amounts of wine to wash that down. 

 

 

 

 

 

[catrice2]

Is it just me but I swear Tom mentioned clown school earlier in this season

[Drogo]

On 5/28/2023 at 10:22 PM, blixie said:

My issue with Buddha is not arrogance it's the faux humility and genuflecting.

Buddha be like: 

[Drogo]

On 5/25/2023 at 10:33 PM, Souris said:

Most random fact was that Tom went to clown school.

He's definitely funny.

Buddha: "Tom what are you doing right now?" 

Tom: "None of your fucking business." 

And his "climbing over the railing" during the Wellington judging was top tier.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Drogo

[pasdetrois]

On 5/26/2023 at 5:29 AM, Chickabiddy said:

I think Bravo knew who they wanted in the finale and the judges made it happen. That’s cynical me showing up again, but we are dealing with Bravo after all.

It's wired for Buddha.

[Passing Strange]

It's no inedible garnishes on a plate. Some of the reason might be due to safety, but my guess is it's mostly due to diner satisfaction. I'd be very disappointed if a tasty-looking morsel on my plate wasn't meant to be eaten. As noted above, sometimes something not edible is part of a technique or plating and that's fine. 

[Drogo]

4 minutes ago, Passing Strange said:

It's no inedible garnishes on a plate. Some of the reason might be due to safety, but my guess is it's mostly due to diner satisfaction. I'd be very disappointed if a tasty-looking morsel on my plate wasn't meant to be eaten. As noted above, sometimes something not edible is part of a technique or plating and that's fine. 

Like Tom's "caviar tin."  

I feel like I remember in the earlier seasons Tom C being vehemently against "anything we're not supposed to eat" (garnishes/ingredients that add nothing to the dish) as opposed to "things we can't eat."