S20.E14: Fin.

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The final three chefs cook the meal of their lives for Padma, Tom and Gail, along with a table of culinary luminaries in Paris.

Original air date: June 8, 2023

[Bastet]

As I said in the Live Chat thread, everyone was making at least one thing I’d never had, and in some cases things I’d only try if someone of their caliber cooked them for me, so that made things extra interesting for me.

Sara’s first course looked fantastic, but her second one made my heart sink -- under-cooking something you just can’t eat raw. You can’t do that and win at this level.  She’d have to kill it on the next two, and then she did!  But she’d also need someone to fumble that big on one of theirs to have a chance.  So once Buddha didn’t, of course he was going to win.  Good for him, he deserved it, he’s just not someone I can get excited about for some reason.

His second course, though, had my mouth watering.

Sara did a great job with her third, and it was a nice touch calling it a Kentucky cassoulet.  And if nothing else, I wanted that cake which means so much to her to kill it, so for everyone to rave over it as the best of three utterly fantastic desserts was great.  Goddammit, if not for that rare liver!  (As Padma said.)

Padma tearing up at the end of the meal got me emotional.  I wish the announcement she’s leaving had waited until after tonight, as I spent so much of the episode fixated on this being the last time I’m going to see her as host.  I really like her, and greatly enjoy her on this show, but I didn’t realize just how much until last week’s announcement.

[Chickabiddy]

Well, that was…Buddha Boring. He’s an excellent chef and a culinary genius to be sure, but it’s just not exciting to watch the same kid win every time. Sarah ‘s undercooked liver just kills me. I really think she could have won this. And I am so glad that Gabri’s own genius came though in all its messiness…burned beans again - Gabri! Raw liver and burned beans in the finale…..conspiracy minded me is showing up again …was the fix in for Buddha all along?? 🤔 

The talking heads in the end really drove home for me  how one-dimensional Buddha is about winning. Sarah talked about sharing the message thst working mothers and people from small towns can excel and make a name for themselves. Gabri talked about how grateful he was and his passion to share love  though food. Buddha just talked about a dream that foreshadowed his winning. It seems a little empty. He strikes me as a lonely genius. 

And it didn’t escape my attention that Uncle Fester returned for the finale…rocking his smart-boy glasses. In all seriousness, Tom’s stylist needs to be fired….a black turtleneck and a matter brown blazer. 🤮 And I hope Marcus Samuelsson gave Boy George his hat back when filming wrapped. That’s shallow me done with the finale. 😜

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Chickabiddy

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved all three desserts, Gabri's looked amazing, Sara's sounds incredible, and Buddha's was a work of art. 

I guessed that the title was Buddha's to lose, and he didn't screw up a course.   

[pally]

22 minutes ago, Chickabiddy said:

Well, that was…Buddha Boring. He’s an excellent chef and a culinary genius to be sure, but it’s just not exciting to watch the same kid win every time. Sarah ‘s undercooked liver just kills me. I really think she could have won this. And I am so glad that Gabri’s own genius came though in all its messiness…burned beans again - Gabri! Raw liver and burned beans in the finale…..conspiracy minded me is showing up again …was the fix in for Buddha all along?? 🤔 

The talking heads in the end really drove home for me  how one-dimensional Buddha is about winning. Sarah talked about sharing the message thst working mothers and people from small towns can excel and make a name for themselves. Gabri talked about how grateful he was and his passion to share love  though food. Buddha just talked about a dream that foreshadowed his winning. It seems a little empty. He strikes me as a lonely genius. 

And it didn’t escape my attention that Uncle Fester returned for the finale…rocking his smart-boy glasses. In all seriousness, Tom’s stylist needs to be fired….a black turtleneck and a matter brown blazer. 🤮 And I hope Marcus Samuelsson gave Boy George his hat back when filming wrapped. That’s shallow me done with the finale. 😜

 

I wonder if you would feel the same way if he hadn't won back to back seasons.  If he had won like 5 years ago it wouldn't have seem quite like he was winning everything all the time.

Buddha was the most consistent over the entire season

[The Solution]

I liked that both Buddha and Gabri did well tonight and that the judges touched upon the concept that there wasn't a lot of distance amongst the chefs. I would have been happy eating both meals.

Sara just doesn't do much for me, neither in terms of her food nor her personality. My mom used to cook a lot of liver. For the dog.

Edited June 9, 2023 by The Solution

[Tango64]

Loved that coat Tom was wearing on the rooftop. 
Gail’s designer needs to consider how those big shoulder pads look when she’s sitting with her arms on the table. 

[Chickabiddy]

24 minutes ago, pally said:

I wonder if you would feel the same way if he hadn't won back to back seasons.  If he had won like 5 years ago it wouldn't have seem quite like he was winning everything all the time.

Buddha was the most consistent over the entire season

I probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t won back to back…if there had been some time between wins. I mean I love cheese fondue but not every night for a week. It’s a lot more tasty and enjoyable when I have a chance to miss it and enjoy other flavors and textures in between. 😉

Besides that, this is a competitive reality show. It’s just not as much fun when there is no competition, and  you know who the winner is three episodes before the end. I would totally watch a cooking show hosted by Buddha, but a competition with no tension or suspense is boring. But I get it, mileage varies. 😘

Edited June 9, 2023 by Chickabiddy

[susannot]

Boring and bad TV.  

[buttersister]

I've never loved Padma more than when she swore over the rare liver!  Sigh. Amar tried to get Sara to start slicing the liver earlier. Oh well. I expect Sara will get a lot out of this season (minus the 250K of course). Hers is still the food I'd most like to eat. (But I was in Paducah as a kid on the way to Miami and I have no plans to return.) Aw, my mother made liver and onions.

Happy for Gabri. After all the time management failures and wacky energy, he proved to be endearing, had food the judges loved and did what he came to do.

I laughed when Buddha's wife said she was the key to his success 100%. Bet he hears that a lot.

Au revoir, Padma. Bon chance.

 

 

 

[South]

Wellllll, crap.  While it was obvious that B would win, I just couldn’t get excited about it.  His presentation does nothing for me. It just seems soulless, though technically outstanding, and apparently tasty.  For some reason or another, I’ve yammered on all season to Partner South, comparing this season to those of a few other winning chefs (voltaggio, huynh, qui).  They were all supremely confident, a bit aloof, and so passionate about their craft.  I wanted  to stuff everything they presented into my face, and fast.  With Buddha, I just glance at his dish and think “oh, he did exactly what he said he’d do.  Good for him”.  It all seems so studious, with no fire.  I don’t dislike him or find him off-putting, as some folks seem to, his food just hasn’t been of much interest to me.  Now that pea cake?  Count me in.

Oh, and as for Padma?  Whyyyyy?  She was made for that spot.  Happily, she knows there are other paths awaiting.  I’ll surely miss her on that one.

Edited June 9, 2023 by South
Misspelled

[HappyDancex2]

Dammit Sara!!!!!!!!!!

[HappyDancex2]

The most surprising thing for me tonight was the fact that we have to assume Buddha has given a lot of thought to this final menu and his explanation didn’t sell me.  I got the idea of bringing his countries back to himself but his menu didn’t seem cohesive to me.  It also didn’t seem enticing, which was odd because Buddha generally has showy and powerful dishes.  I was afraid he was going to get overtaken and he almost did by Sara.  Liver is harder to cook than sweetbreads lol and maybe the creaminess of sweetbreads would have cut that cookie butter flavor down a bit.

Tom showed a lot of great personality and I love the interaction between he and Gabri.  I finally feel like we got a rounder edit of his personality and whimsy.

Gabris food has looked like too many ingredients to me all season but this menu looked enticing to me.  I’m so happy for him and he’s very easy to watch and root for.

Loved Padmas outfit and Tom’s coat.

[marybennet]

I want Tom’s coat, but I’m probably too short for it.  Sadly, my weather only rarely gets cold enough for it.

I do like Buddha, so I feel good about his winning.  And they all did really well, evidently. I loved how much the French chef was taken with Gabri’s dishes. There’s clearly something so creative about his choices.  And he just seems like a delightful human. 
 

I enjoyed this episode and the little celebration of the show and the staff at the end. 

[Rammchick]

I feel disappointed by the result, and I don't know why.  I don't dislike Buddha and I definitely admire all he achieved in the competition.  I guess it just felt preordained, and there was nothing suspenseful about the win.  To echo Padma, god dammit.  Sara might have taken it, were it not for the raw liver.

[Leeds]

1 hour ago, marybennet said:

 

I enjoyed this episode and the little celebration of the show and the staff at the end. 

I did too, but cynical me wonders whether they "borrowed" the idea from the Great British Bake Off, which brought out the crew from the lock-down season.

[driver18]

This is a cooking show. It's about the food. It's about who makes the best food. And clearly, obviously, that is what Buddha does. He is clearly, obviously, undeniably a brilliant, talented, fantastic chef who makes food that delights the eye, the nose, and the palate. And he does so consistently.

I am thrilled that the chef who made the best meal won on a show called TOP CHEF.

[dubstepford wife]

I just don't feel like Buddha won.  I feel like Sara lost.

But, they had to give it to him.  He had four good dishes, compared with Sara, who had two great dishes, one fantastic, and one absolute disaster.  She definitely would have won if her liver had been cooked properly, she was close to winning even with badly cooked liver.  And it was with Amar; these two got eliminated for undercooking lamb in the wellington challenge.  They just can't seem to get their timing right.

I don't disagree with the decision, but having just seen The Menu, Buddha reminds me so much of the chef in that movie: calculated to the point of taking all the joy out of cooking.  There's nothing spontaneous or eyebrow raising about it.  It's elegant and refined of course, but he's following the Michelin script.  And I think it says something that the judges will pick apart his clam chowder, but come very close to overlooking raw liver, because Sara's other dishes were just that good.

For a second there I actually thought Gabri might take it.  The judges seemed a bit milquetoast on Buddha, and Sara of course had the one disastrous dish.  Meanwhile Gabri was the dark horse with his grasshoppers and dishes where the judges were like, "I have no idea what it is, but it's good!"  Though for heaven's sake Gabri, learn to set a timer when you put beans on the stove.

[violet and green]

21 minutes ago, dubstepford wife said:

And it was with Amar; these two got eliminated for undercooking lamb in the wellington challenge.  They just can't seem to get their timing right.

Actually, if she'd listened to Amar, who suggested she start slicing her liver earlier, instead of dismissing him, she would have seen the problem and been able to put it back on the heat and her liver would not have been completely raw in some serves and inedibly under in others.

There is no way you can come back from serving raw liver and win World All Stars.

[violet and green]

26 minutes ago, dubstepford wife said:

He had four good dishes, compared with Sara, who had two great dishes, one fantastic, and one absolute disaster.  She definitely would have won if her liver had been cooked properly, she was close to winning even with badly cooked liver. 

I don't think she came close to winning. The three entrees were declared "equal" by Tom. Sara's second course liver was inedible, and that course was "won" by Buddha. The third course was declared "equal" ultimately . The three desserts were declared "equal", even though some judges loved individual dessert more than others. Really, the win was between Buddha and Gabri, for his flavours but losing out on technique.

[Domenicholas]

So, I'll preface this by saying that I like Buddha, I've always like Buddha, and he definitely deserved to win this season as the inarguable best chef of the season.

If Top Chef was a fictional show, Buddha would be the cold perfectionist and technician who's been the frontrunner the entire competition only to be beaten by the plucky underdog in the final because, although their skills are not as refined as his, they have bomb flavors and heart.

Since Top Chef is not fictional however, lo and behold, the technician that has been the frontrunner for most of the season wins it all.

[blixie]

This is one of my least favorite seasons since like Texas? For different reasons, because it was over thought and tailor made to deliver Buddha a double, and extra sucky that had Sara not messed up her liver she would have won. But she rally did fuck up that liver (wish she had pivoted when she couldn't find sweet breads). I will never get why they are so enamored of Buddha's 1990's plating. 

I thought it was funny/telling when Gabri said the real win was meeting Sara/Buddha and Buddha said thanks I've been waiting two months for that, and Gabri's side eye was fierce, like I actually didn't mean you but I was tryin to be nice. I hope him making it clear how much he likes Tom ends this whole idea that Tom was mean to him, he was no villain.

 

[blixie]

Quote

I don't think she came close to winning. The three entrees were declared "equal" by Tom. 

The all clearly loved the Pea Cake best of any dish, so no they weren't all "equal". I do think they liked Sara's spectacular burgoo over Buddha's lobster (only Padma liked it better), but yeah Buddha made good food with no errors and Sara made a major one so of course she wasn't really close, but had it been cooked right I have no doubt she would have won.

Quote

I just don't feel like Buddha won.  I feel like Sara lost.

I mean I won't deny him the win, he was the most consistent over the season (a season of challenges tailor made for him to win) and most finals are about who executes the best, like you can't make a mistake, some seasons other people make mistakes too so you have a shot, but Buddha rarely does, the only real critiques he got was of his chowder and how he served two rich creamy dishes back to back without any acid. But he also got no real superlatives, over all I found the food he cooked last year much much better and more interesting. So this is my long way of saying, I agree, LOL.

Edited June 9, 2023 by blixie

[dleighg]

In the end I think it was between Buddha and Gabri; there's no way that Sara could win with raw liver. I think many of the judges were charmed by Gabri's flavors and until the end I thought he might pull it out (and I would have been pleased, despite his seemingly cat-like nine lives). 

When he started talking about grasshoppers my first thought was "where the hell are you going to find those in Paris?" Turns out he brought them from home. Of course. 

I was surprised he couldn't get plantains from that little Mexican market he found. Had he already decided on sweet potatoes?

I was very confused by the whole thing with Sara not finding sweetbreads and going with liver. When she said she'd go with liver, the butcher handed her something that definitely was NOT liver-- looked like kidneys, but NOT rabbit kidneys which were mentioned in her third course- they were big, like veal kidneys. I replayed it and saw there was a sign next to it: Image attached with the sign says it is "lamb kidneys." So where the heck did they end up? I assume in the third course. 

Buddha was using a PAPER map to find the restaurant they ate at? Does anyone do that anymore (other than me when I refuse to pay $10 a day to ATT to get international data-- and I know about e-sim cards; it just wasn't worth it for the particular trip I was on).

[CrazyInAlabama]

One big complaint I have with this season is apparently on the U.S. Top Chef has restaurant wars, and other elimination challenges that other versions of TC don't have.    So, almost all of the All Stars were winners of their own season, or finalists, and only the U.S. competitors had been through the similar contest.   So, the other version winners were really beginners.   

I know the chefs were rushing to buy their ingredients, but you can't tell me that there wasn't a butcher shop in Paris selling sweetbreads.    

Edited June 9, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[catrice2]

Once Charbel and Ali were gone I had no preference, but was so pleased Gabri made it this far.

I have no problem with Budda's win however I always felt like he should not have been invited since he had just won and was already competition ready and fresh in the judges mind

 

Many of these people had not competed in a while and it was just a nice to give somebody else a chance instead of wanting to have the narrative of a back to back winner which was pushed all season.

As I say it's never just about the food. 

Congrats to all participants and I hope for those that needed it, that it helps their careers.

 

Although they may have harped on certain things you must remember that you only see edits of the entire deliberation so likely it was more than just the liver why sarah lost and maybe overall the other two were better?  They have moved people forward before who made a mistake over someone who didnt and justified it. They could have again. Just as they found a way to move her back instead of Charbel who aced the challenge they were presented better.  The game is the game and not just about food.

Who won fan favorite? We know who campaigned for it with Instagram🙄

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by catrice2

[Leeds]

Congratulations, Editors, when Sara was talking about finding liver, you showed the shop assistant taking and wrapping kidneys.

(Sorry @dleighg I didn't realize you'd already posted about this.)

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Leeds

[catrice2]

37 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

One big complaint I have with this season is apparently on the U.S. Top Chef has restaurant wars, and other elimination challenges that other versions of TC don't have.    So, almost all of the All Stars were winners of their own season, or finalists, and only the U.S. competitors had been through the similar contest.   So, the other version winners were really beginners.   

I have said this all season. they had that along with language barriers for some and judges that have judged the American contestants and been at events with them. Judges should have been different

[Leeds]

The person I want to win Top Chef is someone who doesn't settle - Gabri tracks down an authentic Mexican run shop for his ingredients; Buddha holds out for langoustines;  but Sara goes with liver, even though sweetbreads are certainly available in Paris, since the French, like American "southerners", are not afraid of the "icky" bits.

[GiandujaPie]

I'm happy Buddha won as he has consistently been the best and won the most challenges. However, there was a moment that I thought maybe Gabri would pull off an upset. The other chef judges there who had no pre-conceived notions of the cheftestants or knew how they had performed in previous challenges were raving about some of Gabri's dishes. Too bad about Sara's liver dish. She should have cut into one earlier to check for doneness so she could make adjustments if needed. 

I know Padma claims she only recently made the decision to leave Top Chef, but due to her tearing up, I think she already knew that this was going to be her last season. I think Gail is the natural replacement as host unless she doesn't want it. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

Congrats to Buddha on his win.  The season certainly was his to win for some time now.  There were amazing chefs competing this year and I loved their attitudes, having been winners or competing at a high level before gave them more confidence and camaraderie as opposed to being overly competitive.  

I agree that the finale was super close, even if the season seemed to indicate Buddha as the frontrunner.  I have a feeling it would have gone Sarah's way, had the liver been properly cooked.  I'm glad it wasn't Amar's mistake this time- it would have been crushing to both. And Gabri was also extremely close to winning.  I think Buddha had a slightly more favorable critique (and maybe his track record pushed him over the edge.)  I just love Gabri and wish him the best going forward.  He deserves loads of success and all the time to cook his food his way.  

Thanks to all the chef-testants this year for their hard work and bringing their skills!

[nokat]

12 hours ago, The Solution said:

Sara just doesn't do much for me, neither in terms of her food nor her personality. My mom used to cook a lot of liver. For the dog.

Thanks for comparing those who like liver to your family dog. Appreciated.

[Leeds]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

 

Buddha was using a PAPER map to find the restaurant they ate at? Does anyone do that anymore (other than me when I refuse to pay $10 a day to ATT to get international data-- and I know about e-sim cards; it just wasn't worth it for the particular trip I was on).

 

Me, and they're commonly available at hotels in tourist destination cities (I just used one in Nashville).  I find them much easier to use for navigating than a tiny screen, especially since I am the epitome of navigationally challenged.

[MerBearHou]

I would relish every course that both Gabri and Buddha prepared in the finale.  They all sounded so delicious.  On the other hand, if I were looking at a menu of choices, I would not order any of those that Sara chose to cook in her final meal. Liver and onions - never; the pea cake, regardless of Padma's kind comment to Sara, I would never choose it.  

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by MerBearHou

[rlc]

Though I've assumed for weeks that Buddha would win, and he deserved the win, I still felt disappointed. Sara could have won if the liver hadn't been undercooked, but it was, and that was an unforgivable error. 

I have been fortunate enough to dine in many of the top restaurants in NYC, and Buddha's meal left me with the same impression that many of those has- the food is beautiful, technically stellar, and delicious, but something was missing. It needed more heart and soul. I would have been happier eating Gabri's sweet potato empanada or even just those perfect looking beans with the cornbread madeleine from Sara's Burgoo. Buddha's menu had all super-high end ingredients and prefect prep, but lacked balance. It was rich, upon rich, upon rich. Oh well.

[Leeds]

8 hours ago, Rammchick said:

I feel disappointed by the result, and I don't know why.  I don't dislike Buddha and I definitely admire all he achieved in the competition.  I guess it just felt preordained, and there was nothing suspenseful about the win.  To echo Padma, god dammit.  Sara might have taken it, were it not for the raw liver.

It's been reported that in previous seasons the footage has been edited to show the competition was closer than it was.  If they did that this season, then Buddha was clearly and justifiably the winner and there was nothing preordained since he still consistently produced  amongst the best dishes and made it hard to create suspense.

[rhofmovalley]

It seemed the guest judge was leaning hard toward Gabri, but what the judges (Padma? Gail?) said made sense to me. The winner shouldn't be a chef who has the greatest potential, but the one who's already there. And they apparently felt Buddha is there.

I too don't have much interest in Buddha's food. I would look at it, say "that's pretty", take a taste and then wonder when my actual meal was coming out. 

I do understand my food interests do not align with Michelin's 😄

[Leeds]

A big difference for me between Buddha and Sara is that Sara wants to be "a big chef in a small city" (her words), whereas Buddha wants to be a big chef in a big world.  Presumably Sara could have stayed in New York, or moved to another city renowned for its food; instead she chose to return to Paduka (how many "World" viewers and judges asked themselves "Where the hell is that?).  Buddha and Sara have different aspirations, different approaches, different knowledge bases,  different ways of prepping for the competition, and ultimately, if I dare say it, Buddha has a special touch of je ne sais quoi, and maybe even genius.

Obviously, lots of you will disagree, but nicely, since this is Primetimer!

[Yeah No]

Buddha's win was anticlimactic and predictable for sure.  Not great for TV, but I am sure it was deserved.  I think he is one of those chefs whom they downplay in the critiques because his food is that much better than his competition's.  I think that's one reason he doesn't look good in terms of his reactions to that criticism because in his heart of hearts he knows they're being too hard on him for show.   They probably were showing us the best of the criticism of Sara and Gabri's food and the worst of Buddha's to make the competition look closer than it was.  I am happy for him, he does deserve it and I'm sorry that it comes at the expense of his image on the show.

As far as liver and onions go, I realize it's a dish Sara's mother made, but I didn't think it was a particularly Jewish dish.  Having part Jewish ancestry and growing up in a very Jewish area I am not aware of liver and onions specifically as part of Jewish cuisine.  Online sources claim it's closest association is with German food, so perhaps that's the connection because most Ashkenazi Jewish food originated in Germany or Eastern Europe.  My heart sank when she couldn't save the liver and knew it would probably nix her chances of winning.

Gabri's story is very heartwarming and I love him, but I felt that you could even see that his plating was just a little under the others' in terms of technical beauty, although it was certainly beautiful.  I think he needs a few more years to hone his craft and work on his technical diligence.  If he does that he will be in the stratosphere of chefs for sure.

Padma tearing up at the end of the tasting got me in the throat knowing she is leaving.  Too bad they couldn't mention it at the end of the show.  Maybe she didn't want anyone to know at that point.  I get that.  I too am realizing all the more what a loss her departure is for this show and how impossible it will be to replace her.  

It was great seeing my crush Tom again.  I think the comment Gabri made about his sense of humor is a hint that so much of what we might have not understood about him comes from a wry sense of humor and not arrogance.  Context is everything.  And because I am that shallow I will choose to believe that because there is something about him that captivates me.  He showed here that he can definitely laugh about himself and his German-ness.  

Well, it's the end of an era, folks.  It will be a whole new Top Chef world next season.  Let's hope the choice of host is someone we can all celebrate.

[South]

3 hours ago, violet and green said:

Actually, if she'd listened to Amar, who suggested she start slicing her liver earlier, instead of dismissing him, she would have seen the problem and been able to put it back on the heat and her liver would not have been completely raw in some serves and inedibly under in others.

There is no way you can come back from serving raw liver and win World All Stars.

Yuck.  I find myself wondering time and again, why they don’t prepare a tester protein.  An extra Wellington would be cost and time prohibitive, but an extra piece of liver?  

15 minutes ago, Leeds said:

It's been reported that in previous seasons the footage has been edited to show the competition was closer than it was.  If they did that this season, then Buddha was clearly and justifiably the winner and there was nothing preordained since he still consistently produced  amongst the best dishes and made it hard to create suspense.

I was thinking the same thing.  I don’t recall which season Tom was talking about, but years ago he said that they sometimes have to “dumb it down”.  Otherwise, they could sometimes announce the winner much earlier in the season.

[Leeds]

6 minutes ago, South said:

 

I was thinking the same thing.  I don’t recall which season Tom was talking about, but years ago he said that they sometimes have to “dumb it down”.  Otherwise, they could sometimes announce the winner much earlier in the season.

Paul Qui?  (Season 9, 2011.)

[South]

2 hours ago, blixie said:

This is one of my least favorite seasons since like Texas? For different reasons, because it was over thought and tailor made to deliver Buddha a double, and extra sucky that had Sara not messed up her liver she would have won. But she rally did fuck up that liver (wish she had pivoted when she couldn't find sweet breads). I will never get why they are so enamored of Buddha's 1990's plating. 

I thought it was funny/telling when Gabri said the real win was meeting Sara/Buddha and Buddha said thanks I've been waiting two months for that, and Gabri's side eye was fierce, like I actually didn't mean you but I was tryin to be nice. I hope him making it clear how much he likes Tom ends this whole idea that Tom was mean to him, he was no villain.

 

I think Ripert called it 70s plating!

[RoseAllDay]

Shocker. But really, Buddha deserved it. 

I knew Sara was done with the liver…if it wasn’t obvious in the plating, Padma’s comment made it clear.

Gabri and his beans. 🤦‍♀️ What would they have said if they had known they were canned? 

Still in awe over Buddha’s butterfly garnish. Man is amazing with his artistry.

Seeing Padma choke up at the end of the dinner….was somebody cutting onions in MY kitchen? She will be greatly missed.

Scenes of Paris were stunning. This has been one of the best — if not the  best — TC seasons I recall watching.

 

 

[South]

1 minute ago, Leeds said:

Paul Qui?  (Season 9, 2011.)

Could have been.  I was thinking Voltaggio, but Qui would fit the explanation  for sure

[RoseAllDay]

15 minutes ago, Leeds said:

A big difference for me between Buddha and Sara is that Sara wants to be "a big chef in a small city" (her words), whereas Buddha wants to be a big chef in a big world.  Presumably Sara could have stayed in New York, or moved to another city renowned for its food; instead she chose to return to Paduka (how many "World" viewers and judges asked themselves "Where the hell is that?).  Buddha and Sara have different aspirations, different approaches, different knowledge bases,  different ways of prepping for the competition, and ultimately, if I dare say it, Buddha has a special touch of je ne sais quoi, and maybe even genius.

Obviously, lots of you will disagree, but nicely, since this is Primetimer!

 No disagreement here.

[South]

Buddha does seem to have a knack for squeezing the snot out of every usable moment of allotted cooking time.  He seriously gets some stuff done in the kitchen.

[carrps]

13 hours ago, The Solution said:

My mom used to cook a lot of liver. For the dog.

Oh, gawd, my mom, too. I had to leave the house when it was cooking it smelled so bad.

Yeah, ho hum finale for a pretty great season.

On edit: I just wanted to say that I'm not impugning anyone's taste who likes liver. My mom liked liver and ate it, too, besides cooking it for the dog. I just don't like it. My sister and I were talking recently about picky eaters, and I said I couldn't think of any food I hated. And she said "liver." And I said, oh, yeah. I hate liver. LOL.

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by carrps

[SweetSable]

2 hours ago, Leeds said:

The person I want to win Top Chef is someone who doesn't settle - Gabri tracks down an authentic Mexican run shop for his ingredients; Buddha holds out for langoustines;  but Sara goes with liver, even though sweetbreads are certainly available in Paris, since the French, like American "southerners", are not afraid of the "icky" bits.

Were they limited in where they could shop?  If so, sweetbreads may not have been available at their only shopping options.

[Leeds]

I think that some of the antipathy/apathy regarding Buddha is that, just as I and others suffer from RBF*, he has RSF - Resting Serious Face.

 

*Resting Bitch Face".

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, RoseAllDay said:

Still in awe over Buddha’s butterfly garnish. Man is amazing with his artistry

I agree on that one, but his "rose-shaped ice cream" or whatever that mold thing was left me cold (pun not intended). It really looked very old-fashioned to me, and reminded me of those butter roses that "fancy" restaurants sometimes served back in the day (and they were uselessly rock hard to keep their shape!)

Speaking of buddha's dessert, what was he doing with that liquid nitrogen at the end of creating his dessert?

Edited June 9, 2023 by dleighg