S13.E01: Top 18 Compete/S13.E02: Top 17 Compete

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Season 13 begins with Gordon Ramsay dividing the 18 chefs into two teams of men vs. women and challenging them to create their signature dishes. The victors' spoils include a chance to dine with Wolfgang Puck, while the losers have to set up the contestants' living quarters and the kitchen.

During the second half, the challenge entails re-creating Gordon Ramsay's geoduck sashimi, and the team that produces 15 perfect dishes gets to lounge around on a yacht, but the losers are stuck making dinner for everyone.

[parrotlover]

Just wondering if anyone knows how Fox is going to handle the fact that the President is going to address the nation tomorrow night at 9 EST which is at the halfway mark of the 2 hour premiere. So will Fox just not interrupt Hell's Kitchen for the speech? In years past I only seem to remember Fox showing the State of the Union speech in January and not showing other addresses to the nation, but could be remembering that wrong.

[tomorrowgirl]

Just wondering if anyone knows how Fox is going to handle the fact that the President is going to address the nation tomorrow night at 9 EST which is at the halfway mark of the 2 hour premiere. So will Fox just not interrupt Hell's Kitchen for the speech? In years past I only seem to remember Fox showing the State of the Union speech in January and not showing other addresses to the nation, but could be remembering that wrong.

I just checked fox.com.  They say to add 15 minutes to your dvr to ensure you see the whole show.  So the schedule has it listed from 8:00 to 10:15.

[parrotlover]

Thanks. They didn't have that message posted earlier.

[cooksdelight]

Hi, we have a thread called Small Talk for off-topic discussions that have nothing to do with the episodes. Feel free to discuss recipes of dishes on the show, the weather, or what's going on in your life over there. Politics are not to be discussed here in any fashion, per the site owner. Thanks!

I'm leaving the posts regarding the change in time frame so everyone can set their DVRs accordingly.

[susannot]

There are 2 good-looking guys in this season's cast.  Yeah, I'm shallow.  Will edit to give their names as soon as I figure them out.  One is Italian, I think, and tall.

 

Frank (tall Italian--GR just called him"pretty boy") and Santos

Edited September 11, 2014 by susannot

[Brattinella]

Do we have to wait until the end of the second hour to post about the first hour?

[cooksdelight]

No, go ahead and discuss the first hour while we wait for the second to end. :)

[Brattinella]

Thank you!

 

Now, why did JR not get nominated for elimination?  He is the one who "wants to cook and live the good life", not make up the beds, etc.  He was one of the first two kicked out of the kitchen!

[Domenicholas]

Did Hell's Kitchen get a new narrator?  It sounded so weird to hear him talk.

[cooksdelight]

I was crushed that JP is no longer front of house for HK. The new guy can't hold a candle to him.

[Brattinella]

Oh, I forgot.  Where is Jean Philippe??

[susannot]

Sooooo fake.  The failed risotto looked exactly the same as the AMAZING risotto.

 

ETA:  Holy Shit!  The men cannot cook this season.

Edited September 11, 2014 by susannot

[ElleryAnne]

Add me as another one who misses Jean Philippe.  And the guy substituting for him - that's not the same guy that substituted for him a few seasons ago, is it?  I think that guy's name was James.

 

I found this season's contestants marginally less obnoxious than last season's, but we're only one episode into it.  

 

I find it downright troubling how much food get thrown away and tossed around on this show.

Edited September 11, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[Brattinella]

Now we have the typical dick contest.  They always seem to do this, I don't get it.

[Primetimer]

Adam comes to the Hell's Kitchen table twelve seasons late, but that seems to be how long it takes to get served anyway.

Read the story

[leisawoo]

That short haired contestant on the yacht, "Ooohhhh boy come and get some lovin' from meeeee!" Just no. This ain't Jerry Springer's Kitchen Hell. Also, wtFFFF is going on with Sherman?!

[Brattinella]

I have to agree with you, susannot, on "Pretty Boy"!

[leighdear]

Plenty of obnoxiousness from both sides.  Sterling 100 is an ass and JR is a clown.  Flames everywhere!

 

The food looked really crappy. 

[Brooklynista]

I'm going to need Sterling for keep about 75 of his teeth in his damn mouth. He's channeling Giada with all those teeth.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Brooklynista

[BogoGog24]

Too much new for me- new narrator, new maitre d' (where's JP????), new restaurant design…. with all the changes he could have tried to make a new menu or change up the teams besides men vs women but nope. 

[aliya]

Oh gosh, Stirling....   I can't believe this guy is 40.  I'm black and I'm just gonna say outright that he's the kind of person that gives blacks a bad name. I believe my parents would have called his behavior 'shuckin' and jivin'.  Please lose soon. Please.

 

No good feelings for anyone yet, just folks who need to leave fast.

[backformore]

For the first contest, the signature dishes, some cooks did well, some did not. But the reward or punishment has nothing to do with how well you did. It has to do with your gender. Women who did poor jobs get the reward because other women did well. Men who did well get punished because other men sucked.

It's one thing that has always bugged me about the show. Especially for the first episode. Why not reward those who scored a 3 or 4, and punish those who got 1 or 2?

[cooksdelight]

That would be a good twist, send some girls and guys off for a reward and let the bottom chefs do the grunt work. I wish Gordon thought the way we do.

[Brattinella]

Yep, they really need to get over the girls vs the boys thing.  It's old, unfair and it doesn't work.

[Such A Flirt]

Glad we won't have to see JP's dead eyes week after week.

 

But, as for the other JP: I miss Jean-Philippe too!

[Eolivet]

When the red team had the best opening night service ever in the history of Hell's Kitchen, did anyone else think, "...Well, duh, they just renovated the kitchen! The appliances must actually work now!"

[Xantar]

What the...?

Didn't we just finish with this show a few weeks ago? Now it's back again?

Oh hell no. I'm not getting into this season until the numbers are at least reduced to 10. There's no way I'm going to be able to keep track of all the names. So for the time being, I'm just going to watch this forum.

[xcrayon2215x]

Sterling is too much, bet he lasts to at least Episode 7. So far Bryant, Santos and Frank seem to be the only decent ones on the blue team so far. The women seem stronger than last season and the men seem weaker than last season. With Janai gone they are going to be pretty unstoppable.

[Surrealist]

I probably should be embarrassed to say that Janai amused me in some way. However, it was her time to go.

I also enjoyed seeing the stunning sand sculptures.

[mertensia]

Thirteen seasons and still people don't understand that Gordon wants and gets rid of those who deserve to go not good cooks you want gone because they're competition.

Also the one guy was an idiot for making a dessert.

[Donny Ketchum]

I'm from Winter Haven, FL, so I kinda feel like I have to root for La Tasha on principle to rep our city!  Plus, she's one of the family, I think!  Gotta root for one of my own!

 

J.P. needed to go for the men.  For sure.  No way he was going to work out.  Plus, he finished his signature dish way too soon out of cockiness and got a real smackdown for it.  Also, Aaron did own up to his errors.  J.P. did not.  Ramsay hates a lack of humility.

 

Glad Janai is gone for the women, but I get the feeling Denine might be someone who has to go, as well.  The other women don't seem all that weak.

[OlfinBedwere]

JP was just spectacularly inept all-around. No surprise whatsoever that he went. I think Denine was actually worse than Janai in the second episode, but Janai doomed herself when she was supposed to be pleading to stay in the show, but instead acted like her screw-ups were no big deal.

[Mrsboo]

Just started this. The new narrator is very distracting to me. He just doesn't sound right.

[tomorrowgirl]

I forwarded through a lot of this.  I don't want to see guys moving mattresses or other guys complaining about those that aren't moving mattresses, or the excursions that the women went on.  I also forward through a lot of the yelling, both from Ramsey and the contestants yelling at each other.  I want to see what kind of cooking abilities these people have, and it's gotten very tiresome watching the rest of the crap.  I could never watch this show live.

[ari333]

Well, I guess I'm in. I enjoy the threads. The whispery lady bugs. "The letters H, K with a pitchfork and flames between them" said a gazillion times. Just me?

 

"Geh! TOUT!" (get out) hee.

[AZChristian]

The only two people we KNOW will make it to the end of the season are Ramsay and the person in charge of the "BLEEP" button.

[ari333]

I agree about not being able to watch this live. It's a little more fun for me if I know who is who and I'm trying to srot them out in my head. I know some are fodder and will be gone prontito, but I' like to know them a bit. Correct me.. anything that's wrong or add to it or whatever.  I'm hesitant to describe folks by their physical appearance because I'm afraid that'll come across as rude of me, but I'm not sure what else to say to tell them apart unless I can recall the siggy dishes or some other memorable thing. 

 

Aaron, eyebrow piercing, hazelnut siggy dish, "required to go both ways"(pastry and head chef) hee. 1 out of 5 ouch.

Bryant, 29, white dude with glasses, lead line cook from Virginia Beach, 4 out of 5

Fernando,  glasses, 28, "young" "Harry Potter" got a 4 for siggy dish, squab,

Frank, 26 "Italian" "Pretty boy;" Ramsay spit out his bite and bitched about the bone for bone marrow, 1 out of 5 Ouch.

JP,  28, very short dark hair, cried missing his daughter (aww) cooked his dish twice in 45 minutes, "Dry 1970s fish dish" I think I heard him say, "airse co-vairs" for haricot vert., bless his heart. I was thinking then, "he's toast" Ramsay spit out fish, 1 out of 5 score. Ouch.

JR,  private chef, fish taco siggy dish, in looks/reminds me of former winner,Rock. 3 out of 5

Santos, also pretty  (imo) Boston, seared skate (?) 3 out of 5

Sterling, 100% guy, shrimp and grits, many, many white Giada-esque teeth, 3 out of 5

Steve,  Detroit, executive chef, lamb siggy dish, 3 out of 5

 

Ashley, petite-ish, very short blonde hair, lead line cook, chicken and chorizo taco, 3 out of 5

Denine, 23, from Philly, inside out chicken parm siggy dish, dark blonde hair, 3 out of 5

Janai, 24 very excited, from Georgia, "a horror show dish" 1 out of 5

Jennifer, 33, very short brownish hair, overcooked duck, private chef from Philly, 2 out of 5

Kalen, blonde, corn puree and scallops, 4 out of 5

Katie, very long light brown hair, line cook from Dallas, 4 out of 5

Latasha, grilled watermelon, Miami, kitchen supervisor,  1 out of 5, Ouch.

Roe, 33, pageboy dark hair, Kobe beef got a 4 out fo 5

Sade, 25, long braids, blue eye shadow, "sad mush" risotto,  2 out of 5

 

I call BS too on the dudes losing the challenge when the punishment is moving furniture.

Edited September 11, 2014 by ari333

[gonzosgirrl]

If this is truly your first exposure to Hell's Kitchen I have only four words of advice when it comes to the preparation of risotto on this show: get used to it. While I have not seen every episode, I feel pretty secure in stating that there has never been a time when neither team screwed up risotto at least once. Until I tried to make it myself, I legit believed it must be the most difficult task in all of chefdom. (It's not.)

[Uncle Benzene]

The audience "ooh"s like they're at a Saved By The Bell taping.

Well crafted, Mr. Grosswirth. Well crafted.

[Surrealist]

I'm with ElleryAnne. This crop of chefs appears less obnoxious (and revolting) than the chefs from last season. Last season's chefs made me cringe. I don't think I'd be happy if they were cooking in the restaurant I happened to visit.

 

I miss JP and the new narrator's voice is . . . bland. It's weird. At first, I thought something was wrong with the audio feed, but then realize the usual guy had been replaced. I wish they wouldn't bleep out Gordon's comments. He's at his most over-the-top on this show.

 

Oh, and really Gordon? The opening credits are of you watching the cheftestants as gladiators? 

Edited September 11, 2014 by Surrealist

[ari333]

Are you guys getting a female British narrator? The whispery voice chick? In addition to the male narrator.

 

I miss JP as the maître d (sp?)

Edited September 11, 2014 by ari333

[jonesingjay]

Sterling is a plant, right?

Edited September 11, 2014 by jonesingjay

[ari333]

 

Sterling is a plant, right?

 

 

If he's not a plant, then he's very.....erm...  enthusiastic. :)

[aliya]

I miss JP and the new narrator's voice is . . . bland. It's weird.

 

Oh, and really Gordon? The opening credits are of you watching the cheftestants as gladiators? 

I miss JP as well and kept wondering about the narration; the guy sounded similar, but just off enough to make you wonder.

 

It took me a minute, but I guess the gladiators thing is because the prize is a restaurant in Caesar's in Atlantic City. From what I've read recently, the new chef may be the only one left in AC with a job. They are laying off thousands out there.

[leighdear]

The best thing about this episode is it got me contemplating Denine's signature dish, inside-out chicken Parm.   I couldn't make out how it was done, and Googled it, but none of the recipes I found sound very good.  I'll have to come up with my own I think.

 

I definitely prefer the episodes where they come up with their own dishes.  Those are honestly the only thing that keeps me watching. 

[Julia]

The best thing about this episode is it got me contemplating Denine's signature dish, inside-out chicken Parm.   I couldn't make out how it was done, and Googled it, but none of the recipes I found sound very good.  I'll have to come up with my own I think.

 

I definitely prefer the episodes where they come up with their own dishes.  Those are honestly the only thing that keeps me watching.

There's a restaurant near where we are which has a version of this. I kind of enjoyed it. I had one dinner guest who's been searching for it ever since.

[susannot]

Wasn't it just chicken parm with the sauce and cheese on the bottom?  

 

Yuck.

[leighdear]

Julia,

 

I'm brain-toying with stuffing a boneless breast with a filling of sun-dried tomatoes, shreded mozz, mushrooms & onions, coating with breadcrumbs, pan frying til crispy & cooked, then topped with a parmesan cream sauce.  I may have to give it a go this weekend.   

[babs1226]

I'm surprised this is back so soon as well.  They changed the set, I wish they'd change the menu.  13th season of scallops, risotto and beef wellington.  Enough already!  I am also sick of their openings.  They take too long!  Happily, I watch online, so I can ff through them.:)  Overall I like the vibe from the women, and most of the men seem decent also.  I'm also happy that this show isn't severely scripted like Masterchef US.  That's the good and bad of it for now.