Top Chef Canada - General Discussion

[shok]

Not saying Brock (I think that was his name) deserved to stay but how in the world did he get cut instead of a guy who served food that the judges were gagging over? I know they felt Brock's dish wasn't particularly future forward food but at least it was edible.

[Bunnyette]

8 hours ago, shok said:

Not saying Brock (I think that was his name) deserved to stay but how in the world did he get cut instead of a guy who served food that the judges were gagging over? I know they felt Brock's dish wasn't particularly future forward food but at least it was edible.

Ageism!  He was 41.

[satrunrose]

23 hours ago, hula-la said:

Like the American version of the show, it’s bittersweet watching, as I wonder how many of these chefs will have restaurants that survive the pandemic. 

I feel the same way. Stephanie (I think)'s restaurant is shut down, but she works for a well-established restaurant group so that probably gives her a bit of a safety net. Renee, from last season,'s restaurant is also closed, but she is re-opening her kitchen to cook for shelters and front line workers in her neighbourhood. 

[oldCJ]

Crickets scream the future. Rabbit I can understand. But veal brains? I guess as long as there’s a dairy industry, there will be veal. Might as well eat their brains. 
When will cheftestants learn preparing something two or three ways is asking for trouble?

[Machiabelly]

3 people from Atlantic Canada. That's like 5 seasons worth.

[LeighLeigh]

It’s back!! I am so happy to have two Top Chefs a week. I hope to have more of Eden’s silly side and less Mijune. On with the show!

[Bunnyette]

As soon as they show the family photo, you know that chef is gone.  It was Sean’s second time at the bottom...so no second chance for him.   

[hula-la]

This episode is a good reminder to chefs going into competitions like this to try and learn about as many foods from as many different cuisines as possible. Yes, one lucked out with her Brazilian dish, but its usually the other way around. 

[staphdude]

There was one reasonable entry out of all those dishes and that was the lamb kabob. Everything else was amateurish and showed that this crop of chef is middling at best.

[hula-la]

Watching Jo attack the mis en place quick fire reminded me of Hung Hunyh in Season 3. I can’t find a video, but he cut up a chicken in about 30 seconds. 

I really enjoyed the chefs rooting for each other, and the general camaraderie that I am seeing this season. 

Edited April 29, 2020 by hula-la
He didn’t debone the chicken

[Pepper the Cat]

I always enjoy the mis en place quick fires. I would get 1 apple pealed by the time the whole challenge was over. 

[Bunnyette]

Good to see Nils be snarky, but I have a feeling one of the judges didn’t like him.  However I would picked the one that had more difficult elements than pickled eggs.   Jmo...but they really want a female winner this year.

[staphdude]

Those pickled eggs really should have sent her home. Not difficult and poorly executed. Then again Nils was a too often at the bottom so it may just have been his time.   

[Bunnyette]

So as a chef, you don’t know that you must clean all your veggies first?  Does this mean Elyce doesn’t clean her veg before cooking & serving them!?  Usually raw chicken sends you home, Adrian should be thanking his lucky stars that there is one thing lower than raw chicken...sand as an ingredient.

[staphdude]

Having seen David Chang casually taste uncooked chicken marinade and scoff at people questioning his choices I feel these shows really play up the raw chicken thing. At worst Adrian’s Ballantine was just off of done. The spanakopita debacle was a clear worst dish and thank god Elycia went home (she should have gone for the horrible eggs).

Edited May 5, 2020 by staphdude

[Bunnyette]

So Imrun who has consistently been in the bottom week after week stays.  Xin who has been pretty good is eliminated along with Dominique.   Very strange choice, I’d have sent the person (Imrun!) who was in the bottom for the 3rd week in a row home.  To bad 2 had to be eliminated.   

[hula-la]

Things I loved about this episode:

I need to figure out how to make Adrian’s halloumi gnocchi with ackee.

The chefs have a level of care and respect for each other that I enjoy watching.

They didn’t have to spend time getting decor and setting up their restaurants.

You’re a good man, Xin. We we can, I will come eat at your restaurant. 

Things I didn’t like:

After watching the US restaurant wars episode, I really like the concept of doing one chef’s restaurant, instead of trying to quickly come up with a concept (or non-concept in the case of Octo).

Adrian, I love you, you’re a fellow Jamaican. As a Jamaican, I know we can chat. That chattiness can be our downfall and was almost yours. 

Though, having said that, they should stop with having a chef as FOH. Judge them on their cooking ability, not on their ability to do a job most have never done. 

[Haute Messe]

The right team won this. Three of them easily could have gone home, and while I do think Imrun's time is up, they chose the right two. Xin probably would have dodged the boot if he wasn't the team captain.

I wish they had given the winning team some feedback on their dishes, especially Francis and Stephanie. His deserved some praise, and hers were a fail, sadly. I felt bad for her.

I find Jo very hard to like. She did do a good job as FOH and they loved her desserts. She has been lucky to be able to do them two weeks in a row, but I kinda think she is a one trick pony and she is abrasive.

I don't mind Eden, but wish she would tone it down a bit. She sounds like she is yelling most of the time. And I wonder where Mark was - did they say?

 

[shok]

Given how this show is edited and has been in past years, I'm calling Lucy as the winner right now. She's getting tons of face shots and interviews and over-the-top reviews of her food. Yuck. I'd take any of the other contestants over her. There's just something about her I really don't like.

[hula-la]

17 hours ago, shok said:

Given how this show is edited and has been in past years, I'm calling Lucy as the winner right now. She's getting tons of face shots and interviews and over-the-top reviews of her food. Yuck. I'd take any of the other contestants over her. There's just something about her I really don't like.

I feel like a woman will win, but I have been impressed with the dishes that Francis makes, and will always pull for a fellow Jamaican, so who knows? Unlike you, Lucy doesn't really bother me, but YMMV (ok, it really does vary!)

[LakeGal]

Imrun skates by again.  How many times can he be in the bottom and not go home?  Jo always kind of annoyed me.  I am not even sure why.  So I won't really miss her.  It seemed obvious once she got all the attention that she was probably going home.  

[Ciarrai]

I still hate Mijune. The show would be so much better without her perpetual bitch face.

[Bunnyette]

1 hour ago, LakeGal said:

Imrun skates by again.  How many times can he be in the bottom and not go home?  Jo always kind of annoyed me.  I am not even sure why.  So I won't really miss her.  It seemed obvious once she got all the attention that she was probably going home.  

Imrun is very lucky that Jo made a salad again...once they forgave her, a second time - PYKG.  Imrun should have gone last week.

[hula-la]

Like many on here, I am not a fan at all of Mijune . But today, I came across her Instagram live, where she was doing blind wine tastings with some Vancouver sommeliers (promoting BC wine). She was great—fun and personable. Still not a fan of her as a judge, but I’d tune into her wine wars again! 

[Mellowyellow]

I find Mijune much improved this season. This week in particular when she was critiquing it sounded constructive and concerned rather than smug which is an emotion I often register with the Canadian judges. Erin seems snottier to me this season. Not a fan.

The Canadian judges (to me) really lack warmth. Even Padma on the original TC (who can be hilariously vicious when she's pissed off) has very warm and human moments.

ETA: I'm hoping for a Stephanie win! When she's on she's really good.

Lucy has the most awful voice and really strange mannerisms but I like her food.

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Mellowyellow

[Pepper the Cat]

OMG! A cook off to see who makes it to the final three. I like this!

Was this planned? Or were they really that close?
 

[hula-la]

I can’t believe the season is over. It flew by! It’s only an hour next week, so I assume the cook off will be quick. 

[Bunnyette]

21 hours ago, hula-la said:

I can’t believe the season is over. It flew by! It’s only an hour next week, so I assume the cook off will be quick. 

I wish food network Canada would pony up the $$ for a 2 hour finale...sigh

[Haute Messe]

I don't know why they seem to favour Lucy. If they were going to a cook off, I would have preferred that the three of them compete.

My favourite is Francis by a long shot and I really hope he can pull out a win.

And because it bears repeating, Eden needs to stop yelling.  She really does lack warmth. I did love seeing Danny Smiles again.

[LakeGal]

I am happy with the winner.  It was my choice too.

[hula-la]

I agree. I would happily eat almost everything Francis made this season. 

[shok]

Glad to see Francis win. He deserved it. All season his creations were a step above anything the other chefs made. Actually, the final meals from all three of them were impressive - I would have liked to be a dinner guest for that!

[Mellowyellow]

Excellent finale! I really liked all three of them and Francis has been consistently great so that was a really satisfying end! 

Honestly with this finale and result I wish TC Canada had aired last out of all the competitive cooking shows I'm watching so I could end on a high note 😂

[Christina]

I watch from the US on Foodnetwork.ca They posted an interview with Francis Blais.

I liked all of the chefs but am happy he won. All three seemed like good people and great chefs.

[TVbitch]

Just binged it. I was going to be so pissed if Francis didn't win cuz he was on another level. Can't believe Lucy and her vocal fry made the finale over Xin or even Nils, who I thought got booted too soon. 

I found Francis delightful the whole competition. Then in the finale he kissed his sous chef on the lips and it was revealed he has an older girlfriend, so, even more cool points! 

[hula-la]

Season 9 premieres April 19. Between this and the mothership, it’s going to be a good month! https://eatnorth.com/dan-clapson/top-chef-canada-season-9-premiere-april-19

[Haute Messe]

Well they sure rolled out the diversity carpet this season, which is great but I really wonder how a 21 year old got through. Maybe there were not a lot to choose from given the current situation.

The two dishes I would have most liked to taste were both done by Erica.

Alex was very luck that there was a dish worse than that ashtray monstrosity he presented. 

I don't really mind Eden so far but  I sure wish she would lower the volume of her voice a few decibels except for when it is necessary to yell "time's up". At least she is smiling, which is more than can be said of Mijune.

Edited April 21, 2021 by lizajane

[hula-la]

I say it every year, and will say it again. I wish they would move around the country, just like OG Top Chef. We have such great culinary traditions all over Canada. I get that McEwan’s grocery store is only in Toronto, but there are high end grocery stores in every major city. How did he scam being a judge and having the cheftestants shop in his store?

[staphdude]

The adjunct judging trio remain some of the most execrable people on my TV.

[LeighLeigh]

3 hours ago, staphdude said:

The adjunct judging trio remain some of the most execrable people on my TV.

I like Chris Nuttel-Smith and Janet Z. Mijune, I can do without. 

[TVbitch]

Oh dear, between this, Top Chef US, and MC Australia, it's going to be hard to keep up!

Not a fan of having a married couple compete. It tends to hog air time from other contestants, because they gotta milk that drama. Plus I don't think it's fair that the couple get to have their main support person with them. That seems like a big advantage in these stressful conditions.

Also not a fan of the wife having worked extensively for Tom McEwan! She's turning out great food, and I don't think he would be purposefully partial to her, but I think that kind of relationship can factor in, if even subconsciously. 

[Ciarrai]

I continue to hate Mijune. Stop trying to make her happen!

[Bunnyette]

On 4/21/2021 at 12:45 AM, hula-la said:

I say it every year, and will say it again. I wish they would move around the country, just like OG Top Chef. We have such great culinary traditions all over Canada. I get that McEwan’s grocery store is only in Toronto, but there are high end grocery stores in every major city. How did he scam being a judge and having the cheftestants shop in his store?

I agree, but this year would have very hard given the pandemic.   Hopefully next year!  I’d love to see Halifax or Montreal.

[HeShallBMySquishy]

On 4/22/2021 at 7:39 AM, TVbitch said:

Not a fan of having a married couple compete. It tends to hog air time from other contestants, because they gotta milk that drama. Plus I don't think it's fair that the couple get to have their main support person with them. That seems like a big advantage in these stressful conditions.

Also not a fan of the wife having worked extensively for Tom McEwan! She's turning out great food, and I don't think he would be purposefully partial to her, but I think that kind of relationship can factor in, if even subconsciously. 

Oh man, some of these people should be arrested for assaulting my eyes with their hideous tattoos. I can't stand seeing a chef's horribly-tattooed hands entering the frame. Tattooed hands always look nasty; I have basically stopped watching The Food Network now, since everyone who appears there now is covered in horrid and hideous hand tattoos, and they always look so dirty I would never want to eat any of the food they prepared.

I hope we don't have to be reminded every goddamn time that Josh and Erica are married. I know it's not their fault, but I wish the producers would quit bringing it up.

I know Andrea! I met her in 2008 when we worked at Urban Fare together. We were supposed to see Sex and the City together with some friends but we were too late for the showing. She and I were not really fans of the show but we were both caught up in the hype of that movie. I hope she does well.

[Bunnyette]

Tartar for a picnic?   A gourmet sandwich would have been much better.   And a good chef would ignore suggestions to add cheese.  Chicken liver pate would have been a much better choice.   Darn I really liked Jae Anthony he had some personality.    

[hula-la]

I want oxtail so badly right now. After the quick fire, I was thinking that Kim was the chef to beat, but they had a bit of a stumble this time. 

[LeighLeigh]

Does Mijune cook? I honestly don’t know. 

Chinese food on Christmas is amazing. The restaurants stay open late. Usually ample parking. Love it. 

[LeighLeigh]

I feel bad for Aicia. A family friend knows her. She is a wonderful cook. The stress of competition is not working for her. 
 

I think that Josh is capable of better. He lost track of time. 
 

So happy for Emily and Andrea. Alex is proving that he can be a contender. 
 

Look at us: a non binary contestant, a Muslim contestant, an young female aboriginal contestant, a Jewish married couple; Top Chef Canada is really inclusive this year. 

[Pepper the Cat]

My favourites right now are Kym and Erica.

[Bunnyette]

French toast from a whole wheat baguette!?  Yep that’ll get you sent home.   Why not a beautiful quiche instead?  Oh Siobhan.