S14.E04: The Feast Of Seven Trash Fishes

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

The chefs must create dishes using an odd mix of ingredients and tools found inside gift boxes. Later, they prepare a traditional Italian-American seafood-filled dinner, but they're forced to use a notoriously undesirable fish species. Appearing: editor Nilou Motamed and foodie Mike Lata.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, Tara Ariano said:

Quote

Appearing: editor Nilou Motamed .

Yy, no more Dana Cowin!

[le bordel chaud]

Amanda's on drugs!

[snarktini]

BJ had been skimming the bottom all along, it was definitely his time to go.

I'm impressed that Emily remained steadfastly loyal to Brooke and their collaboration. Granted, she wouldn't have looked awesome saying she let Brooke decide and direct everything, but Brooke was truly responsible for the dish. And Brooke didn't say anything about Emily not pulling her weight, either. Together, they maintained a united front and made it harder for the judges to isolate either one of them for elimination. 

Katsuji is a jerk. He can go anytime. Please.

[Wings]

Katauji, John didn't want to work with you either, you pinhead.  I like John this season, he handled Katsuji with grace. 

Damn, we almost lost Casey.  Next week, next week. 

I can deal with Emily, she is a harmless mess who will go soon.  It is the other 2 who annoy me.

I love this show. Go Jim! 

[Court]

I was surprised to see Amberjack as a trash fish. I've seen it on many menus and eaten it many times over the years. It's delicious. 

It also surprised me that Casey messed it up so badly. How do you serve raw fish?

I'm glad BJ went home.

[Dahmerdoll]

This episode's QF was the first time in Bottom 3, to my knowledge.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Dahmerdoll

[Bastet]

The guy who looks like Seth Rogen was a good pick to go, based on this challenge and previous performances (which, I know, they say don't count, but come on), but I was hoping this Brooke/Emily collaboration would be the scene for Brooke's "I wish I'd never come back" scene from the season promos, because I knew she was safe under the circumstances, and now that means her potential elimination is still to come.

[biakbiak]

I remember Amanda from her season but I don't remember her being such a manic freak in the kitchen. 

I remember not liking Katsuji on his season for a variety of reasons (including the fact that he kept saying he was a kosher chef but only a handful of his dishes throughout the entire competition were kosher even when it wasn't required by the challenges so it seemed one more "quirky affectation" to 100 other annoying ones) but this season he is even more of an asshole.

[GaT]

I must have missed it, why is Katsuji always trying to get at Emily?

[spiderpig]

I don't remember ever rewinding so much during an episode.  I couldn't understand what was said, and more important, I had no idea what trash fish they were saddled with.  Very poorly edited, IMHO.

At the end they could have sent anyone home and I wouldn't have cared much except goofy Jim.  Now off to LCK to check out who checks out.

[yourmomiseasy]

3 hours ago, Court said:

How do you serve raw fish?

 

Having had either sushi or poke every day this week, I spend a lot of money being served raw fish :)

[chiaros]

5 hours ago, Court said:

I was surprised to see Amberjack as a trash fish. I've seen it on many menus and eaten it many times over the years. It's delicious. 

It also surprised me that Casey messed it up so badly. How do you serve raw fish?

I'm glad BJ went home.

I, too, was surprised by their designating amberjack as "trash fish". When I saw it on the table of fish selections, I must say my eyebrows went up. Trash fish? Really? Haven't these people eaten kanpachi/kampachi - RAW - in sushi places? Or cooked with it? In fact, in less-scrupulous places when they had "hamachi" they probably were eating North American Pacific/Atlantic amberjack...

ETA: A couple of links (there are many others) relating to amberjack/yellowtail/Japanese yellowtail/etc etc:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sushi/comments/1g0yj3/im_confused_about_yellowtail_and_its_neighbors/

http://www.chowhound.com/post/kampachi-kanpachi-482091

As for The white-glasses-frame guy - he waved his fish in the air and said it was "raw". I wonder if he eats sashimi or sushi at all. Perhaps he does not (I don't know). If so, then it's a flag to the cheftestants that he may not like anything raw, other than (perhaps) salad-type raw vegetables? Just wondering.

Edited December 23, 2016 by chiaros

[chiaros]

Nope, Katsuji Tanabe is NOT behaving better, on reality TV anyway, this season. In fact, he seems even worse and sooner than on his first season. One can say "it's editing" --- but the cheftestants GIVE the editors the material to use. If they didn't do this or say that, it wouldn't be there for the editors to use; and they KNOW they are being filmed and recorded every moment the camera is on them, and even when they are not visibly looking at a camera or a microphone. I agree with the poster above - John Tesar is handling Katsuji with grace; while if even Emily Hahn finds Katsuji insufferable that says a lot about the way Katsuji is behaving.

[hkit]

I have no opinion on BJ, but I disliked Sam, so maybe I'm biased. But the opening sequence in the stew room where the other chefs were openly disparaging BJ and saying he should have gone home over Sam may be one of the clique-y things I've ever seen on this show. Full blown douchey crap. Even if you think that, why say it to BJ, other than to establish the pecking order that he's not considered an equal to others in the room? 

I am so torn after this episode. I dislike Emily. I dislike Katsuji. I liked that Emily called Katsuji out on his crap. Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?

[Ellee]

I'm in the 'I like Sam' side of the room and apparently ( through the editing?) his peers lean that way.   

Katsuji spends more time playing mind games with the others and I'm not partial to that aspect at all.  Yes, it's a game but focus should always be on the chef's ability in my mind and not playing the game and/or screwing the next guy over or mentally undermining the others.  

Amanda would drive me insane in the kitchen.  Is this truly her or is she overplaying her chosen role by TPTB?

I actually felt bad for Emily.  Say what you will about her but she actually is honest.  She didn't have to say that she was fired or that she basically deserved it because of her behavior and as uncomfortable as it was for both Brooke and Emily I personally liked the fact that there was no finger pointing.  

I liked the Sheldon/Shirley team.  :D

[cooksdelight]

Katsuji drank straight out of the tequila bottle, then poured into his cooking pot. No one said a word. And he kept drinking from the bottle. I wonder what the people at Patron think?

Emily doesn't know how to use a pressure cooker? Stop calling yourself the best chef ever. Her expressions kill me, not in a good way. She thinks she's all that and a bag of chips. Bossypants needs to learn (maybe she did this episode) that your past bad hijinks will come back to find you one day.

Someone needs to color-code Sheldon's station items so he won't use Shirley's. Or anyone else unfortunate enough to be next to him.

Totally agree with Jim and others, don't call fish "trash." Any fish can be made to taste good, especially if you're hungry.

Don't mistake the back-and-forth between Katsuji and John as real, they do get along off the show and respect each other. I think. LOL!! They are both opinionated egomaniac chefs, both talented as well. And Katsuji really likes BJ, he posted a nice message to him on Facebook this morning that told me all the comments made in this episode and previously were just for show. As to Emily finding Katsuji insufferable, I think that's because he knows which buttons to push with her. Her presentation with Brooke about their dish was uncomfortable.

I think Amanda may have been drunk or something. The way she sweats, talks freaky, runs around maniacally... definitely looked like something was amiss.

[Primetimer]

You've heard of the seven deadly sins? Meet the seven deadly trash fish. Can the chefs find Jim-dandy ways to serve up the garbage of the sea?

View the full article

[The Solution]

9 hours ago, wings707 said:

 I like John this season, he handled Katsuji with grace.

Yeah! I was watching this episode trying to remember why I didn't like him in the past. This season, he's right up there with Brooke, Shirley and Sheldon for me. I know Tesar is well-respected in the industry; now he seems like a decent person.

However, you can miss me with Katsuji.

I hate when the person with immunity is a total shitshow in the Elimination Challenge. Casey.....

[SFoster21]

John, shave, please.

[racked]

Katsujji is a jerk and annoying but he does seem to be a very good chef. Don't see him leaving anytime soon. But he's almost redeeming John for me, which I didn't think was possible. Has john truly mellowed and grown over the years? 

Emily's habit of pulling her chin into her neck in THs is really unflattering. She is so not ready for reality tv. 

Shirley and Sheldon are adorable! 

[Constantinople]

It's a pity that the Quick Fire "gift" boxes didn't contain a Baby Jesus made of Spam.

[SuzWhat]

1 hour ago, The Solution said:

I hate when the person with immunity is a total shitshow in the Elimination Challenge. Casey.....

I notice that no one suggested Casey give up her immunity so the more deserving chef should go home.   I guess that was a one-time only "suggest someone fall on their own sword" thing that time. 

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

And Katsuji really likes BJ, he posted a nice message to him on Facebook this morning that told me all the comments made in this episode and previously were just for show.

Is it possible Katsuji is being nice now just for show? I don't trust the guy.

I was sewing during the episode, looked up at the TV to see Nilou, and thought she was Gail. I for real looked up Gail Simmons + weight loss to see what she'd done to herself.

We saw Brooke definitely being The Decider with her team dish, so I rolled my eyes a little when she didn't have the guts to say so during judging (that we saw). Waffle, waffle, wishy waffle.

[SuzWhat]

Ew...a lot of the chef's taste their food and put the fork/spoon back in the food.  Emily did it this episode and someone else I think.   I know I saw it last episode too.    Daddy Tom used to call people on it.   

[HunterHunted]

All of these chefs are such control freaks that they consider cooking alone a prize. It's ironic because Casey probably needed a partner to successfully execute her dish.

[biakbiak]

34 minutes ago, SuzWhat said:

I notice that no one suggested Casey give up her immunity so the more deserving chef should go home.   I guess that was a one-time only "suggest someone fall on their own sword" thing that time. 

Not the same situation at all. She wasn't on a team where the other two people made excellent dishes and the only reason the team was up for elimination was because of Nicholas and she had to make a dish by herself in the same amount of time that two chefs made a dish.

[Corgi-ears]

Harumph, when did it become acceptable for a judge, namely Hugh, to comment on how he thought two chefs (in this case, John and Katsuji) would have a clash of egos and thus put out a bad dish? I guess the fact that the chefs in question are "veterans" and already known made it possible. But it's not a path I want Top Chef to go down. "I worked with you years ago, so I know you're an asshole. Color me shocked that your dish works!"

So it's not possible to debone the mullet that Shirley and Sheldon (or, as she called him, Shelton) cooked? How useful that Tom would juts mention it in passing instead of explaining it to viewers.

Worst thing about the episode was Sylva mentioning that he's married. Best thing was seeing Blais enter the dining room trailing behind Padma like a eager lapdog and going, "So it's my first time blahblahblah..." and Padma going, "Oh really?" while absolutely not caring what he actually said. But it's possible my confirmation bias is in effect.

On the next episode, Top Chef will apparently demonstrate that Padma is not needed.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Corgi-ears

[Constantinople]

I don't have any ideological problems with the existence of Last Chance Kitchen, but if they have LCK, they should stop saying things like "One of you will go home" in the main episode.  The Elimination Challenge loser isn't going home but to Last Chance Kitchen.

[spiderpig]

1 hour ago, SuzWhat said:

I notice that no one suggested Casey give up her immunity so the more deserving chef should go home.   I guess that was a one-time only "suggest someone fall on their own sword" thing that time. 

If she had immunity, why did she cook at all?  On Masterchef they send the victor up to the balcony to watch the others toil away.

All the double-dipping, chugging from liquor bottles, and sweating into food is so gross I just have to make myself Not Think about what goes on behind the scene when I'm eating out.

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Is it possible Katsuji is being nice now just for show? I don't trust the guy.

No, I know him and he's really a nice guy in person. I think it's more of a case of him acting the way he is just for camera exposure on the show. But drinking straight out of the bottle grossed me out. 

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, lordonia said:

We saw Brooke definitely being The Decider with her team dish, so I rolled my eyes a little when she didn't have the guts to say so during judging (that we saw). Waffle, waffle, wishy waffle.

In my opinion, Brooke was in something of an awkward position there and took her lead at JT from Emily.  Emily was so completely thrown off her game by having to perform in front of former boss Mike Lata that she basically consigned herself to be Brooke's sous chef for the evening.  This started right off the bat when the team was discussing the makings of their dish.  I never got the impression that Brooke was trying to dominate the decision making.  Emily seemed more than happy to ride on Brooke's coattails into the next round and didn't seem to push back on anything.  When Tom began to question them at the dining table, it's not as if Emily ever even implied that Brooke planned everything; she wanted it to appear to be a team effort even though it seemed nothing of the sort based on what the editors showed us.  People have been sent home in previous seasons for not stepping up to the plate and just coasting.  Knowing that Emily was anxious about cooking for a former boss, I think Brooke was, to a certain extent, protecting Emily from looking like the second banana.  This is the way I read it.  Your opinion is just as valid as mine. :-)

As a local, let me just say that I loved this episode.  Seeing the cheftestants shop in the Whole Foods where I have shopped is somewhat surreal, but in a very good way!  FIG is a fabulous restaurant.  I loved seeing the kitchen and watching the dining service there was very cool.  I was somewhat surprised, however, that a challenge called the Feast of the Seven Trash Fishes was held at FIG instead of at Lata's other Charleston outpost, The Ordinary which is dedicated to seafood.  That would have made more sense but I'm sure there were reasons behind the selection.

If I have a nitpick with the episode it's that it wasn't made obvious which of the "trash" fish each team was working with.  While it was announced and spelled out onscreen during service, I would have appreciated knowing which fish was which during prep.  Only a couple were named.  That being said:  Triggerfish!  It is my favorite fish.  Whenever I walk into a restaurant and see triggerfish on the menu as a special,--it's never on the regular menu as it's not always among the fresh catch--I definitely order it.   I wish I could have tasted Katsuji and John's dish.  That sauce of Katsuji's seemed amazing.  Speaking of John/Katsuji:  It seemed as if something was left out of the final edit.  Why was so much attention paid to the fresh vs. canned tomatoes story-line, even going so far as to have some dishes served with the fresh and some with the canned and then not have the judges say anything about the tomatoes in the dish?  I was waiting for the payoff and it didn't happen.

I'm glad they sent BJ packing.  He had been circling the drain for long enough.

 

[cooksdelight]

I have to wonder if the judges, Tom and Padma mainly, have a hidden camera and can see what goes on in the kitchen during meal and menu prep. Their questions were too "on" target for each team. Especially where Brooke and Emily were concerned.

[HunterHunted]

34 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I have to wonder if the judges, Tom and Padma mainly, have a hidden camera and can see what goes on in the kitchen during meal and menu prep. Their questions were too "on" target for each team. Especially where Brooke and Emily were concerned.

Maybe a producer fed info to Tom or Padma. It could also be that after years of hosting and watching the show, they have a extra sense about what's going on in dishes that turn out badly.

[AriAu]

Quote

Maybe a producer fed info to Tom or Padma. It could also be that after years of hosting and watching the show, they have a extra sense about what's going on in dishes that turn out badly.

Based on interviews I have read, Judges Table and the accompanying beatings go on for a long time-hours. We are seeing a significantly condensed version so they likely got to that point after asking lots of questions and we see only the main thrust, which makes them look smart.

 

Katsuji was really an ass and he has been almost "Spike like" in his desire to mess with people's heads and focus on playing games.

[questionfear]

2 hours ago, Constantinople said:

I don't have any ideological problems with the existence of Last Chance Kitchen, but if they have LCK, they should stop saying things like "One of you will go home" in the main episode.  The Elimination Challenge loser isn't going home but to Last Chance Kitchen.

Eh...technically none of them go home, they're all kept in sequestration until the end of the main competition to avoid tipping off who wins/hits the finals. 

[theatremouse]

2 hours ago, spiderpig said:

If she had immunity, why did she cook at all?  On Masterchef they send the victor up to the balcony to watch the others toil away.

There are often not-necessarily-promoted-on-camera prizes for winning elimination challenges. It's not like on MC where only the bottom are even up for elimination in the first place and they then cook again to not go home. The EC on this show is the "main" challenge. So it'd be weird for her to not cook at all with immunity, and if there were a not necessarily-product-placementey prize, if she didn't cook, she'd also not be eligible to win, which would suck.

[meowmommy]

6 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

There are often not-necessarily-promoted-on-camera prizes for winning elimination challenges. It's not like on MC where only the bottom are even up for elimination in the first place and they then cook again to not go home. The EC on this show is the "main" challenge. So it'd be weird for her to not cook at all with immunity, and if there were a not necessarily-product-placementey prize, if she didn't cook, she'd also not be eligible to win, which would suck.

I've heard there's an unofficial progressive prize pot; i.e., prizes for non-winners, and the further you go in the competition, the higher the prize.  Why they wouldn't want to make it public I don't know.  And if it doesn't exist, it ought to--it would be a fine incentive for good chefs to compete, and I think it would make viewers feel better about good chefs who give it their all but don't quite grasp the brass ring at the end.

I know Katsuji's a shit-stirrer yet I still like him.  I liked him ever since he competed on Chopped.  And I'm a complete sucker for bowties.  That said, I wish they had funneled all the veterans into a season of All-Stars.  Not only would Bravo have another show for people to watch, but not having the veterans would have opened up more slots on the mothership for new competitors.

The two guest judges (I have no idea who was the guy in the white hipster glasses) were nasty assholes, IMNSHO.  And as for the new editor, well, "I grew up in the South of France..." pretentiousness, followed by Tom's exquisite comeback, "I grew up in South Jersey."  Bless him for that.

[buttersister]

4 hours ago, lordonia said:

And Katsuji really likes BJ, he posted a nice message to him on Facebook this morning that told me all the comments made in this episode and previously were just for show.

Nice cover. His performance here says he's chosen to be an ass to get more camera time, break out, whatever. Bad choice. Makes him look like he's compensating for his belief that he's not top chef. How do you say you're right on today? Spot on? On point? No shit.

ETA: That's Graham Elliot (trying to remember if he still has an open restaurant in Chicago---two closed in the past couple of years). And the new editor can go now. Anyone still reading that magazine?

Edited December 23, 2016 by buttersister

[biakbiak]

7 minutes ago, meowmommy said:

The two guest judges (I have no idea who was the guy in the white hipster glasses) were nasty assholes, IMNSHO.  And as for the new editor, well, "I grew up in the South of France..." pretentiousness, followed by Tom's exquisite comeback, "I grew up in South Jersey."  Bless him for that.

The hipster glasses judge is Graham Elliot, who was on two seasons of Top Chef Masters and formerly a judge on MasterChef, is a new regular judge he just isn't ob every episode. 

I didn't find Nilou saying as a child she spent time in the South of France pretentious, she was born in Iran and grww up in Paris (given her age it's likely her parents fled for political reasons), she was talking about how the dish was evoking a classic dish in the south of France from her childhood and the dish missed the mark. People grow up in other places and mentioning it is no different than mentioning you are from South Jersey.

Edited December 23, 2016 by biakbiak

[susannot]

I am also dying to taste Katsuji's sauce.  Whatever happened to Bravo's recipes?  Yes, he talks a lot of smack on the show but I think he's just a guy who has a snarky sense of humor, As a snide asshole myself, I find him hilarious.

Edited December 23, 2016 by susannot
misspelled name

[Randomosity]

7 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Katsuji drank straight out of the tequila bottle, then poured into his cooking pot. No one said a word. And he kept drinking from the bottle. I wonder what the people at Patron think?

They probably think they're glad he likes their products. And that alcohol is an antiseptic, so drinking from the bottle is fine? It's the spoon-licking that plants mouth bacteria directly into food and is nasty. Not a swig from a potent tequila bottle.

[Court]

Sheldon had a shot as well. Just not straight from the bottle.

I was baffled that Emily had no idea how to use a pressure cooker. She's a professional chef and should have used one by now. Or at the very least, learn when you find out you're going on Top Chef. 

[Bastet]

Sylva didn't know how to use a pressure cooker, either, at least according to the pTV story about the episode (I wasn't paying full attention, so there's a lot I missed).

[biakbiak]

29 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Sylva didn't know how to use a pressure cooker, either, at least according to the pTV story about the episode (I wasn't paying full attention, so there's a lot I missed).

Yeah plenty of chefs don't know how to use a pressure cooker because it's a "short cut" many chefs don't employ. Antonia and several other chefs in earlier seasons haven't known how to use one. Even John's point wasn't about chefs in general not knowing how to use one but about not learning before you came on TC because of the time constraints involes in the challenges.

[Lura]

My "take" on this episode was that it was an ill conceived idea in the first place, or so it seemed to me.  Several cheftestants didn't know what "trash fish" meant, and some had no idea how to prepare their fish.  Then, for a judge, they bring in a chef known for his expertise with fish.  His palate had to be trained on fine fish dishes.  Just MHO.

 

Since I don't have to work with Katsuji, I find him amusing.  But that Amanda!  I read that she was fired for her behavior and thought she must be on drugs which make someone sweat and cuse outbursts.  Whatever.  After those beans, her head must be close to the chopping block.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, Lura said:

His palate had to be trained on fine fish dishes. 

He talked about how he liked to use "trash" fish in his menu. He currently has a triggerfish dish in his menu.

[susannot]

Amanda is manic and is not long for this show.

 I loved Jim's opinion that there are no trash fish.  Everyone will have to get used to more sustainable seafood, including many fish that are considered trash but that are delicious when properly prepared.  My boyfriend Sylva's idea to use ras el hanout on tunny, for example, was genius.

[biakbiak]

Just now, susannot said:

My boyfriend Sylva's idea to use ras el hanout on tunny, for example, was genius.

It was actually Jaime's idea.

[meep.meep]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Sylva didn't know how to use a pressure cooker, either, at least according to the pTV story about the episode (I wasn't paying full attention, so there's a lot I missed).

I thought it was Sylvia who didn't know how to use the pressure cooker.  You'd never mistake one for the other, but the names are confusing!

If you'd never worked with something before, why wouldn't you cook a test batch before launching into a big meal?