Let the discussion begin!
I thought it was much too early to pull out Restaurant Wars, and the “mystery basket” thing was stolen directly from Chopped. It’ll take me a while to learn everyone’s name (until half the contestants are gone) but the Indian guy waxing on and off about what makes a “Master” was irritating.
StG
I don’t like them going back to the old Top Chef format. The previous Masters seasons were great to me in large part thanks to the different format. The changed format also means a much longer filming period, which may frighten some of the more accomplished chefs from participating. This feels more like a regular Top Chef season with a somewhat higher calibre pool of contestants, and it doesn’t feel as interesting.
I loved the old judging panel and the star system. I thought James Oseland, Gael Greene, and Jay Rayner had wonderful chemistry. I miss Rayner on the judging panel in particular. Of the new judges, I’m still neutral on Ruth Reichel, but Curtis Stone seems like a waste of space to me. He didn’t seem to have a lot to say about anything, and mostly seemed to just be there looking pretty.
I liked the star system because it was a way to see through the editing to how the food was actually like. They could still try to mislead the viewers with out of context comments and misdirection during the show, but you knew you’d find out the truth in the end.
Often they would show negative comments about a dish, and it would end up getting 4½ stars because the critics were actually just nitpicking things in a dish they thought brilliant otherwise. Other times similar comments would end up with the dish getting 2 stars, showing that the dish really was not good. The star ratings gave a context to the comments that is otherwise missing from the Top Chef format.
It might just be me though. Maybe other people like the changes, and that’s fine.
I’m glad uni-eyebrow lost, he seemed like he wasn’t that thrilled to be there.
Nope, I’m totally with you. I liked that Top Chef Masters had its own identity. I liked the generally good-natured, somewhat playful tournament style versus the drama of regular ol’ Top Chef. I liked that the judges, being food critics, gave the sort of succinct comments that befit their position…
Especially with the two seasons basically backed up against each other this year with no break in between, I think having a slightly different format would’ve been a plus… -shrug-
The only thing that doesn’t really bother me is the new host. I didn’t care for the old host, either, so that’s pretty much a wash.
I basically agree that I liked the way the old format was, but I’ll give this a chance.
So far the best part of the season is the young female chef (Sue?) with the hilarious bulging eyes whenever she is experiencing any emotion whatsoever.
Who watched last night’s episode?
Unibrow guy is back (not thrilled about that, the dude seems to have an attitude problem)
I felt sorry for bulgy-eye lady who got eliminated, but I guess if you don’t plate your dish, you are going home.
I thought the guy with the shoe-leather deep-fried hunk-o-meat should have gone instead, but I’m rather glad he didn’t since he’s pretty funny.
I watched about half of last nights episode. Saw pretty quick that this was plain Top Chef with older chefs. In this format even an experienced chef can screw up and look incompetent. It sort of defeats the point of Top Chef Masters. I watched Masters to see great chefs do what they are good at. Not see them fail.
I don’t like new format — which is just the old Top Chef format. When you have a known group of talented people, I think it showed more respect to them to allow them to have a show when they were one in four, and allowed to have the air time, instead of making them one of a huge crowd.
Once again, the Top Chef producers have really screwed the contestants and the contest itself by not providing adequate facilities. Especially since they’ve changed the format so they knew they’d have about a dozen chefs in the kitchen at once, it was just plain horrible production to put them in a tiny celebrity kitchen which had the name-dropping value ("Look at us! We’re in the kitchen at Jar!) but didn’t have adequate equipment and space. Not to take anything away from Mary Sue Milliken and the Oysters Rockefeller guy, since it looked like they produced excellent dishes, I think it’s not a coincidence that the top two dishes came from the people who got into the kitchen first, and had a little bit of time to get going before all the other chefs joined them, and the bottom two came from the two who showed up last and had to use their own (very limited) time helping other people do their stuff just so they could get them out of the way, and improvise a different cooking method because THERE WASN’T A SINGLE BURNER AVAILABLE TO HIM.
I’m OK with the new host. He doesn’t really impress me, but he’s nice eye candy and doesn’t seem to be an ass. I didn’t ever like Kelly Choi, so I’m not missing her at all. I really like Jay Raynor, though, and really miss him.
I thought the quickfire was sort of funny. The singer “chef” apparently wasn’t as big a food expert as she fancied herself. Eating consomme with a fork? Refusing to eat a sandwich as a sandwich, and then complaining that the interior was over-seasoned? (“I believe every component should stand on its own.”) Complaining that she couldn’t taste the dill, because the dill was really fennel?
I don’t watch Mad Men, but the celebrity judge in the second half just seemed like a major food-snobby bitch to me. “Ooooh, I just can’t bear to eat that nasty 60’s food. Please make it palatable for me.” Sorry, but most of those dishes, if well made, are pretty damned good
I don’t like new format — which is just the old Top Chef format. When you have a known group of talented people, I think it showed more respect to them to allow them to have a show when they were one in four, and allowed to have the air time, instead of making them one of a huge crowd.
Once again, the Top Chef producers have really screwed the contestants and the contest itself by not providing adequate facilities. Especially since they’ve changed the format so they knew they’d have about a dozen chefs in the kitchen at once, it was just plain horrible production to put them in a tiny celebrity kitchen which had the name-dropping value ("Look at us! We’re in the kitchen at Jar!) but didn’t have adequate equipment and space. Not to take anything away from Mary Sue Milliken and the Oysters Rockefeller guy, since it looked like they produced excellent dishes, I think it’s not a coincidence that the top two dishes came from the people who got into the kitchen first, and had a little bit of time to get going before all the other chefs joined them, and the bottom two came from the two who showed up last and had to use their own (very limited) time helping other people do their stuff just so they could get them out of the way, and improvise a different cooking method because THERE WASN’T A SINGLE BURNER AVAILABLE TO HIM.
I’m OK with the new host. He doesn’t really impress me, but he’s nice eye candy and doesn’t seem to be an ass. I didn’t ever like Kelly Choi, so I’m not missing her at all. I really like Jay Raynor, though, and really miss him.
I thought the quickfire was sort of funny. The singer “chef” apparently wasn’t as big a food expert as she fancied herself. Eating consomme with a fork? Refusing to eat a sandwich as a sandwich, and then complaining that the interior was over-seasoned? (“I believe every component should stand on its own.”) Complaining that she couldn’t taste the dill, because the dill was really fennel?
I don’t watch Mad Men, but the celebrity judge in the second half just seemed like a major food-snobby bitch to me. “Ooooh, I just can’t bear to eat that nasty 60’s food. Please make it palatable for me.” Sorry, but most of those dishes, if well made, are pretty damned good
I’m new to this show so I don’t really have the old one to compare to. What little bit I do know leads me to only one complaint so far. I don’t know these chefs. Except Mary Sue.
From the little bits I’ve seen on reruns and such of the previous season or seasons, I know who most of the competing chefs were from their own shows or from being guests on ICA or whatever. I had hoped to see people I’m familiar with to give me someone to root for (or not).
But I’ll keep watching. Curtis Stone is kind of boring, but he is purty.
I know Mary Sue and Naomi Pomeroy though I don’t know why I know Naomi Pomeroy. Her attitude kills me though. I can’t decide if her diva 'tude is deserved or not. But I do like her earrings.
He’s very easy to look at, but his accent is apparently hell on the closed captioners because I’ll estimate that 1/4 of what he says is miscaptioned, including the way he pronounces “chefs.” I can’t imagine why. (Captions on Top Chef contestants with strong accents, like Fabio, aren’t nearly so awful.) I can’t imagine watching this season with a true hearing impairment and relying on the interpretation of the CC’er of what Curtis is saying. Especially when the word “chefs” is never captioned accurately.
I’m curious. What do they caption it instead of “chefs”?
I think part of her displeasure at 60’s food was because she was constantly having to go to parties with 60’s themes and food since Mad Men is set in the 1960s. I can see how that could become tiresome (and you should watch Mad Men because it’s all kinds of awesome ;)!)
Multiple things. “Selves,” “chevre,” “chiefs,” “Steff,” but it’s “shelves” most often.
“All right shelves, for your next challenge…”
If it weren’t so sad, it’d be hilarious. Okay, it’s hilarious-sad.
This show kinda sucks.
The risotto curse struck again. 
Over the years I’ve seen quite a few chefs go home for risotto. I don’t what the deal is. You’d think the stuff was impossible to cook or something. It’s a common menu item at any nice, upscale restaurant.
I’m not sure what they are trying to prove with these EC’s. No water, no waiters, and shortened cooking time equals disappointing food. Even a master chef can’t overcome this kind of bullcrap. The winner in this episode was smart to make a simple, yet flavorful soup. Anything complicated was doomed to fail.
I keep waiting for the chefs to eventually say hell no. Cook blindfolded, with one foot in a bucket of water, and a cat turd in your mouth. How silly can the EC be before the chefs say it isn’t worth wasting our time? So many of these EC’s are deliberately setup to ensure it’s impossible to cook great food.
Yeah, Ace. I had the same reaction. I don’t think I’ll watch this any more.
When Curtis Stone announced each of the challenges (or whatever they call them) I cringed. With the last one, I said to myself, “OK, now you’re just being stupid.”
What was so wrong with the original Masters show that warranted all the changes? Amping up the drahhh-mah, just doesn’t add anything to a show that’s already got enough interest and excitement. Why the dumbing down of a once-great show?
I just want to watch them cook.
I miss the old Masters, giving them reasonable challenges, watching them interact with each other in a spirit of comraderie and mutual respect, and letting the best food win.
StG
Yeah me too…this is just nuts! When Curtis Stone would even taste some of the bug dishes WTF!
Good summary of my feelings as well. I may give it one more chance, but I’m doubtful that I’ll manage to finish the season.