S12.E15: Mano a Mano

[Bella]

The finale. Funny, it seemed like 36 episodes, but maybe that's just me.

 

 

[leighdear]

Not just you Bella, but it's been great being with all of you in this season thread, for the last 3 years!

 

Go Gregory! 

[Bastet]

What they chose to show of the judges' comments made the "wow, this is so close" theme sound like a reach, since comments at the dining tables and at JT indicated Greg beat Mei in the first course, she really beat him in the second, she beat him in the third, and then they both had flawless dishes in the fourth.  To me, that makes Mei a pretty easy choice.

 

I'd have loved to eat all their food, other than the sweet fish dish.  This episode made me so hungry!  The food just looked and sounded so delicious.

[cooksdelight]

Even with all of his lists, Gregory probably wishes to never see carrots again. That, and doing things on the fly he's never done before.

Mei stuck to what she knows, but elevated it with intense flavor. A deserving winner.

Those bells!!! Did they not know before filming they'd be ringing?

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Happy to see that Mei won.  IMO, she was definitely deserving.  (Gregory also obviously has a bright future, and that short rib with mole looked delicious).

[susannot]

Even with all of his lists, Gregory probably wishes to never see carrots again. That, and doing things on the fly he's never done before.

Mei stuck to what she knows, but elevated it with intense flavor. A deserving winner.

ITA.  She was a deserving winner, but so was Gregory.  For myself, I think I would have gone for the perfect execution of one of the most iconic Mexican dishes, mole.  I well remember Chef Rick Bayless wining the first season of Top Chef Masters with a 30-ingredient mole recipe that he had spent 30 years perfecting.  Gregory made the same thing, which impressed me more than any dessert, even if it was the best thing Tom had ever eaten.  However, we all know that Tom's palate wins the day so congrats to Mei!  I love another female winner.

Edited February 12, 2015 by susannot

[eleanorofaquitaine]

ITA.  She was a deserving winner, but so was Gregory.  For myself, I think I would have gone for the perfect executionofone of the most iconcic Mexican dishes, mole.  I well remember 

 

They always judge on the entirety of the meal, not just one dish.  So he may have perfectly executed the mole, but he had two courses that were clearly inferior to Mei's and one course (the fourth) where they were essentially tied. So it makes sense that Mei won, perfect mole notwithstanding.

[DHDancer]

Greg sort of broadcast the results in the preview with Watch What Happens, so I wasn't surprised.  But I really wanted Greg to win.  Hometown boy!  I was worried that he did fish for three courses, though (I'm not a fish lover) -- personally would have preferred more diversity.  But then I wouldn't have cared for Mei's kanji or duck...

 

Congratulations to Mei -- it was a fairly won duel.  Haven't been able to say that for a while..

 

And now we've had 3 women winners, and only one black winner..... 

[avecsans]

Well, good for Mei. I would have preferred Gregory, both because I liked him better and also because I think he took more chances with his menu. On the other hand, I think his mistakes were greater than Mei's. She is a worthy winner and that's all I can ask for.

Richard Blais, please stop trying so hard.

And ubiquitous Marie Callendar commercial? By its very definition, something made in a factory is not homemade. Go away.

Edited February 12, 2015 by avecsans

[Bella]

I like them both, so I was going to be happy either way. And I think they're both impressive chefs. Congrats to Mei, and I hope we see Gregory on the next all-star season.

[caci]

I guessed that Mei would win after her "women winning" speech last week.  I am not trying to open up a whole new discussion on it, I just guessed that the powers that be put it in the episode for a reason, so her win was kind of written on the wall.  That being said, good job Mei and Gregory.  I hope to see more of both of them in future shows.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Greg sort of broadcast the results in the preview with Watch What Happens, so I wasn't surprised. 

 

I noticed the same thing in the WWH preview, and also something Gregory said in a talking head early in the episode lead me to believe he would not win.  He was my favorite from the start but it's hard to be unhappy with the outcome when Mei did so well.

[CherryMalotte]

Congrats to Mei!  I have to concur, Gregory's mistakes were his undoing.  Even just the idea of too sweet carrots makes my teeth hurt.  Really though, it was nice to have a finale where either could have won and I was happy for both, and that doesn't seem to happen too often on these shows.

 

Crying out loud, they need to leave Blais on the side of the road for next season.  He didn't add anything, and all I wanted to do was stick a comb thru his hair and get it all down.  Random spikes are not attractive on him.  

 

*sigh* I will miss seeing Doug on my Wednesdays.   

[chiaros]

Mei Lin is Top Chef Season 12.  Well done.

I note she calls Michael Voltaggio with the news.  He and his brother is her family, really, after all.

 

Glad Gregory did not win.

ETA: But I note that George did his part perfectly and turned out very-well executed octopus.  I will be glad to eat at George's place, and Mei's when she (eventually) sets hers up. (Doug's too, especially that "hunting lodge" he dreams about)

Edited February 12, 2015 by chiaros

[cooksdelight]

Blais had his nose in his food again. I hope this was a one-season deal for him.

[chiaros]

Blais had his nose in his food again. I hope this was a one-season deal for him.

 

So did several of the other chef-judges.  (Oh, Eric Ripert also sticks his nose into the dishes all.the.time.)  Blais is nothing unusual in this regard.

[cooksdelight]

I know, it's just a pet peeve of mine when I see one of the host judges doing it.

[escape]

TC has been inconsistent with their choices of winners.  But this time, they got it right.

 

I have no problem with an alum as a judge, but not Blais.  It takes more than just being a good chef.  He just doesn't have the kind of personality needed for this kind of show.

[caci]

I am just going to say it - I never minded Blais as a judge and would have no problem with him coming back.  I am going to be awfully lonely at the table.

[roomtorome]

I am fine with the result though, just as a personality, I liked Gregory somewhat more.

 

I've always thought they should give the second place person something - maybe $50,000, $25,000 - I don't know, they get so far and then, splat.  

 

All the money comes from sponsors anyway and the prize money for the winner is pocket change for these huge corporations that sponsor this show with their products littering the place - Actually, all the money is pocket change.  They provide the cars, kitchen items, travel expenses, living accommodations, etc  -the places they eat all get advertising, so that is all free - the entire show costs nothing to put on out of anyone's (investors, prodders, etc) pockets, so a little something for the second place person would be nice - I know it won't happen but it always makes me a bit wistful for that person.

[MerBearHou]

I am going to be the quieter voice in the crowd but I like Richard Blais very, very much. I like his quirky, smart personality. I think he's cute in his own way and funny. And I was strongly hoping it would be a Gregory win, not sour Mei. I recognize that Mei outcooked Gregory tonight so I'll concede that, but overall, I cannot get excited that she is the Top Chef due her negative personality.

Edited February 12, 2015 by MerBearHou

[pivot]

Thrilled Mei won. Richard was pushing hard for Gregory and doing that condescending thing he does with female chefs. He has quickly become one of my least favorite contestants of all-time and it looked like Gail was equally annoyed with his nonsense at judges's table.

From the conversation at JT, it sounds like Gregory had 1 big miss that probably sealed the deal against him winning.

[elzin]

I preferred Gregory at the start of the season, but was pulling for Mei by the end.  I'm mostly glad this season is over. It was too long and unnecessarily convoluted, but not entirely unwatchable. I'd give it B-. 

[cooksdelight]

From the conversation at JT, it sounds like Gregory had 1 big miss that probably sealed the deal against him winning.

I cannot imagine a fish dish that's as sweet as a dessert. Gregory said that he forgot to put the sugar and vinegar in the carrots at the beginning. That's what you do when you pickle a vegetable....which could have really made a huge difference if it was pickled and not covered in sugar at the end.

[escatefromny]

This was a pretty good season overall - although it did feel interminable.

The low hanging fruit didn't hang on for too long, asshats got their comeuppance, contestants were respectful to each other (no attempted head shaving!) and LCK didn't have a horrible/questionable effect.

Very nice to be able to root for both finalists. Mei had been more consistent throughout the season and, apparently, at the final challenge, congrats to her.

[leighdear]

I'm just REALLY happy to never hear that commercial with chef Stephanie saying about the duck dish "It's bold flavors are super delicate". WTF?  Bold is not delicate!  *LOL*

Edited February 12, 2015 by leighdear

[jackjill89]

Gregory talked about adding sugar to his carrots and also salt, but no mention of vinegar. 

 

I'm thrilled Mei won. They are both excellent chefs, but she was more consistent and Gregory grated when he coasted for so many challenges. 

[pivot]

Yeah, that sounded just awful. That mixed with Mei having no serious misses and one of the desserts Tom ever had, sealed her win IMO.

[caci]

I am fine with the result though, just as a personality, I liked Gregory somewhat more.

 

I've always thought they should give the second place person something - maybe $50,000, $25,000 - I don't know, they get so far and then, splat.  

 

All the money comes from sponsors anyway and the prize money for the winner is pocket change for these huge corporations that sponsor this show with their products littering the place - Actually, all the money is pocket change.  They provide the cars, kitchen items, travel expenses, living accommodations, etc  -the places they eat all get advertising, so that is all free - the entire show costs nothing to put on out of anyone's (investors, prodders, etc) pockets, so a little something for the second place person would be nice - I know it won't happen but it always makes me a bit wistful for that person.

I am old school and would have no problems with giving something to the second place contestant.  It would be nice to spread just a little of that prize around. 

[cooksdelight]

Gregory just said on WWHL, "I was supposed to add sugar and vinegar in the beginning so it would create a viscosity, and I just spaced and forgot it, then added sugar at the end."

He seemed like he really, really didn't want to talk about that. An error that will haunt him, I suspect.

[Mateony]

It's funny that everyone thinks this season has dragged on. In total episodes (15) this is the shortest season since Season 7.

[dbell1]

For me, it dragged out because of the holiday break. Wasn't it off for 2 weeks?

I don't mind a Mei win, she's been pretty consistent all season. And Greg would have gone home for the duck if what's her name hadn't used dirt as a seasoning.

That said, this show is boring me.

[Tess23]

I enjoyed this season more than any other in recent memory. No super gimmicky challenges (looking at you Texas season), no wild personality clashes, just good food and a feeling of camaraderie. Happy for Mei and I want some of her dessert, please. Gregory will excel--his future is bright.

[rlc]

Would have been pleased with either of them winning, but Mei was the most consistent chef throughout the competition. The real question is what the hell was going on with Richard Blaise's hair tonight?

[Lamb18]

I am very happy for Mei. I'm glad she won. I was hoping she would pop a couple of those frozen lime things in her mouth just before she served her dessert so mist would come out of her mouth when she talked to the judges. I was also hoping steam would come out of the judges' mouths, too.

 

When Padma came out in her black and white dress I saw a little bulge and wondered if she was pregnant. Or it could just be a little weight gain she says she gets while filming a season.

 

Regarding Richard Blahs, (I'm leaving in the autocorrect spelling) he just seemed kind of pointless to me. He didn't really add anything to the show. I'd rather see a rotation of five or six super chefs like super chefs like Hubert Keller, Eric Rupert, etc. for the extra judge's spot.

[cooksdelight]

I tried to count how many dishes they each had to put out, but couldn't. There was the main judges' table, the table with Gail and the guest chef judges, and I saw some of the TC cheftestants at one table. It was more than the usual 8-12 they've done in the past.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Seemed to me like it was going to be a Greg versus Mei cook-off from the very first episode.  If only they had cut to the chase and simply not aired the intermediate shows.  Glad Mei won.  

 

I went back on a promise to myself about this show.  After last season's gratuitous Padma in her fringe bikini shots, I decided I'd had enough.  But I had to watch because I live in the Boston area.  And yes, I have about three feet of snow in my yard.

[buttersister]

As noted, I had it at Tom: Best dessert I ever ate on this show. While I would have been good with either one of them winning (because I thought they'd done well all season), I was a little surprised at how happy I was for Mei's win. Of them all, her dishes were the ones I looked forward to seeing. (As well as Doug, who I hope shows up for an all-star appearance.) I'll give it to M. Volt for his mighty fine reaction to her phone call (you're the chef now).

 

Can Blais go away now? Yes, Ripert inhales aromas, but he's Eric Fucking Ripert and Blais is not. in. the. same. league. His comments don't add anything, his hair is distractingly stupid, and his attitude sucks. Plus, he's taking up space that used to go to Ripert or Keller or somebody interesting. Otoh, he doesn't threaten Tom's dominance, does he?

[NowVoyager]

I really enjoyed having a finale where I was rooting for both cheftestants. I didn't need a villain for contest to be compelling. It was also very satisfying to have the two best chefs there at the end.

Based on the judge's comments, Mei straight killed it! Correct me if I'm wrong---the only bad comment I can remember about Mei's food was that in the first course her shrimp were a little overdone & dry. Then, Gail said she didn't mind the chewiness.

Also, for Mei to have such great success with her dessert---that was just outstanding! The best dessert TC has ever eaten in his life?!? Well, damn, Tom! Don't hold back; tell us how you really feel, lol. I'm not a dessert person, but now I'm mad I can't taste it. Mei looked pretty on WWHL. A little makeup & some sleep goes a long way.

Now that I think about it, there was a villain in the finale---Mei's parents. Ending the show with the call to Voltaggio? Wow! That was a pointed statement. I dunno, it just seems like portraying her family in a bad light is only going to hurt their already difficult relationship.

Edited February 12, 2015 by NowVoyager

[NowVoyager]

When Padma came out in her black and white dress I saw a little bulge and wondered if she was pregnant. Or it could just be a little weight gain she says she gets while filming a season.

I doubt she's pregnant again. She suffers from endometriosis & reportedly was told her chances of ever carrying a baby were slim to none. Having her daughter was a miraculous feat. Although they are doing amazing things with fertility treatments these days. Edited February 12, 2015 by NowVoyager

[HappyDancex2]

I'm really glad Mei won although Gregory was fun to watch as well. Mei knows deep in her heart that winning TC won't change her parents view of her. Sure a few more people may tell them what a big deal it is and they will smile about it but in the end when the 'rents decide the worthy professions of valor, that's pretty much their internal dialogue. Mei should just continue doing what she is doing without anyone else's approval because she's obviously very good..... no great at it.

[cooksdelight]

How many chefs have we seen that go on a show like this, or Chopped, and say "I'm doing this to prove to my parents that I made the right choice, and I am worthy"? I don't know what it is about this profession, but it seems to really bring that subject out. Is being a good cook, a good chef, something that so many people look down on?

[AndreaK1041]

Richard Blais, please stop trying so hard.

Tiny triumph: during the episode I tweeted "Richard Blais' hair makes me so angry". He retweeted. Ha.

[LennieBriscoe]

Having shrimp shell get stuck in one's throat also didn't do Gregory any favors.

[DHDancer]

Having shrimp shell get stuck in one's throat also didn't do Gregory any favors.

 

Yeah, I think the soup was the clincher:  they all said it didn't come together, although the concept was laudable.  Add to that Padma whining about feeling like she had a shard of shell still in her throat.... 

 

I also don't think the third course was "sweet" in the dessert sense: I think that was exaggeration (sorry TC) but the point was it was too sweet for a savory course.  That I can buy.  And yeah, it will be something that will bug Greg: straight up execution error when the order of ingredients really mattered.

 

I also don't buy into Mei having created the best dessert EVAH: TC has demonstrated short term memory time and again.  I can buy it was very good on the night and good enough to trump Greg's mole.

 

Anyway, I've enjoyed the season, especially after Aaron and Ms Blonde left.  And congrats again to Mei on the win, and to Greg and Doug making the final 3!

[HappyDancex2]

How many chefs have we seen that go on a show like this, or Chopped, and say "I'm doing this to prove to my parents that I made the right choice, and I am worthy"? I don't know what it is about this profession, but it seems to really bring that subject out. Is being a good cook, a good chef, something that so many people look down on?

I can only speak from the Asian perspective and not chef perspective but generally when you have parents stuck on the doctor/lawyer mantra as the only worthy professions that they tell you as you are practicing violin or piano, when you go off track you are screwed no matter how successful you become. Others get lucky and have parents who are willing to take a look at alternate scripts.

[Richness]

Congrats to Mei, though I really didn't care who won. While I enjoyed this season, and thought it was very good compared to some seasons, I just couldn't muster much enthusiasm for either of them. Maybe it was the constant reminders of Gregory's drug past, or Mei's potty mouth. Or maybe it was just my love for Doug. *shrug*

 

While I was expecting Mei to pick Melissa for a sous chef, I found the split of contestants into a girls team and a boys team interesting. Glad to see another female winner added to the statistics though, and Asian too. Though it would have been just as nice to add a black gay man.

 

Except for the crunchy shrimp shells, I would have loved to try the food. But the smoking aspect of Mei's dessert was scary, both while sitting in the bowl and while taste testing. Wow!

Edited February 12, 2015 by Richness

[Lizzing]

Both finalists were great, so it didn't really matter that much to me who won, though I was favoring Mei a bit because she didn't really have too much of a slump like Gregory did.  Hell, I would have been happy with Doug or Melissa too; their personalities helped a lot.  Yeah, Mei is a bit of a poker face, but not one of them (even the never quite gone from the screen George) seemed like a total asshole and were about the competition, not ad hominem attacks.  Even if the season drug a bit...that holiday break was brutal...once Aaron was gone, it was nice to see reality tv without constant bitching.

 

I do have a question: has anyone had a dish where there are shrimp shells in it?  I've had/seen dishes where there are in tact shrimp heads, but not just bits of shell.  And I know seafood stock is made with shells and all, but my understanding was that the shells and bits are strained out for the final preparation.  Gregory clearly has more culinary training than I do so I could be completely ignorant on this, but I've just never seen that before.

[The Solution]

Although I like both of them, I was glad to see Mei win. It didn't look like Mei had any real missteps in the meal and Gregory clearly did with two of his dishes. That being said, the one thing I would have killed to eat was Greg's short rib mole with the sweet potatoes that looked amazing that no one mentioned.

 

I was really tickled to see how happy George was that Gregory chose him as one of his sous chefs. That seemed completely genuine. Also thought that Mei was really smart to choose a sous chef who appeared to be a dark horse but who Mei knew to have good dessert skills.

 

All in all, a really satisfying season.

[GaT]

I didn't have a preference as to who won, so good for Mei. To me, there was nothing special about this season, I can hardly remember previous episodes.