Meh. The temp on that soup didn’t seem to be the main problem with it.
Actually I was commenting on how CJ and Yukon Cornelius (Josh) were all over Tesar from the start of the episode. I get that he has a reputation for being difficult but so far he is keeping his shit together and making good food. I was highly amused both CJ and Josh were in the bottom four. And no matter how much blame Tesar may have concerning the temp of the soup, Josh is the one who over salted it. I think that was the greater sin. And it seems to me Josh is the bigger asshole. At least he’s getting the asshole edit so far.
I’m glad Last Chef Kitchen is back. There’s always at least one or two really good chefs that get tripped up in an EC. It doesn’t mean that they suck as a chef. The winner in the first episode of Last Chance Kitchen is a good example of that. Although its unlikely that chef will survive all the rounds.
Well it’s been I’m not boxing the spoilers since it’s been a day since this aired.
I’m sooo glad Carla went home, as she was super annoying and drove the other chefs bananas. Chrissy also went home, and she was very bland and unmemorable, so I didn’t mind.
John was so braggy about how many restaurants he’s opened, but it seems that he’s opened so many because lots of them closed after a short while. And he was pitifully inadequate at running the pass.
During Last Chance Kitchen, I thought it was almost predetermined that Kuniko would win, as she was obviously the most talented chef there.
Kuniko seems really talented. Her English skills put her at a disadvantage on Top Chef. I’ve wondered if she fully understood everything. The chefs talk fast in the kitchen.
It would be tough getting through all the rounds of last chance kitchen. Last season I recall a chef got through 4 or 5? Then got beat in the next to last round. But, theres always a chance Kuniko could go all the way. She’s a protégé of Chef David Myers of the Michelin starred Sona. She must have some serious talent.
Someone asked if a cheftestant had one for a salad and a few seasons ago, one did. The season with Jeff, the one who looked like Chase from House. The older-than-the-rest-of-them woman (but not old by any means) did a beefsteak tomato salad with some greens for a tv challenge. Kathy Lee, I believe. The rest of the chefs were pissed she won with “just” a salad and I remember Tom basically saying “Yeah, but it can still be done poorly and it was a huge risk and it says a lot about YOUR food if a salad can beat it.”
While Chef Mustache might have had a good point about not bagging on Kuniko, that it was still too soon and everyone was taking it poorly, Tesar wasn’t exactly wrong. He just was being socially inept. He should have been able to read the room and maybe privately said to just one close friend, “Can you believe after not plating her QF she didn’t even check her taters?” But Chef Mustache just went for his jugular. It was way out of line. “Dude, too soon and not cool, all right?” would have been sufficient.
So glad Carla is gone. While she too had a point that Stefan was being a pig by always calling her honey, it was very hard to take her seriously when she was running around like an overcooked squab with its head cut off. (And it would have been easier to take Stefan seriously in his complaints about her a few weeks ago if he didn’t come across as a lecherous misogynist every time he’s on the screen).
From AV Club comments: “Of the 6 chefs who cooked an omelette for Wolfgang Puck, 4 have already been eliminated and Tyler is holding on by a fingernail. Wolfgang was way too generous on his omelette chefs, the only one he should have passed is Kumiko.”
Yep. Watching it for the second time right now and I have to call shenanigans on this episode.
[ul]
[li]Cardamom bitters[/li][li]Rose water jelly[/li][li]Salmon candy[/li][li]Truffle popcorn (undoubtedly tasty on its own but how are you going to use it in a dish?)[/li][/ul]
Curried chocolate is borderline stupid too. What can you do with that BUT make a dessert?
The cheese curds and spicy dill pickles were the only ingredients that seem like they had reasonable uses in a dish. I guess that explains why CJ and Tyler got the boot because they didn’t do anything clever with the pickle.
I would pay good money to see Hugh or Tom find a palatable use for the bitters, jelly or salmon candy (wtf?) in a similar setting. I don’t see them doing much better.
This was the first totally bullshit episode I’ve seen of this show in a while.
Odd episode. I’m sure it’s not original, but read Chef Bart’s name and tried to imagine how it is actually pronounced having realized his Belgian accent is like half German, half French. He shall forever now be known as Art Vandelay courtesy of Seinfeld.
After this elimination, Only Eliza (who?) remains from the Wolfgang Puck omelet group. Confirming that they’re the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.
I actually like salmon candy. Have some in the fridge right now. It’s not really any more sweet than a maple-cured bacon. Smoky and a little sweet. Yum!
I thought Tom was a little over the top with the “A burger with a pickle? How original” comments. I think if it had been a GOOD burger, you know, with beef? on a bun?, he might not have been so harsh. It might have been an obvious choice, but if had ended up the best burger any of the judges ever had, then maybe there would have been a prize given out. I think making a BAD burger should definitely get you sent home, but a burger itself shouldn’t have been some mortal sin.
I think the challenge was done poorly. Too little time. It was good tv, but obviously sucky food.