Top Chef: Swallow The Competition
April 16, 2022 9:45 PM - Season 19, Episode 7 - Subscribe
The chefs expand their horizons in a master class on Nigerian flavors guided by local chef Ope Amosu, and all-star Kwame Onwuachi. They’ll have to pay close attention because for this Quickfire challenge they must create a stew that perfectly pairs with traditional Nigerian swallows. Then, “Top Chef Colorado” winner (and part-time paleontologist) Joe Flamm challenges the chefs to dig deep and dominate the competition. They’ll work in teams of three to create a progressive menu of jurassic proportions to serve the judges, as well as a special guest from the upcoming film “Jurassic World Dominion.”
Description from Bravo.
The Nigerian food was paired (based on a knife draw) with ebi (cassava), iyan (yam) or plantain amala swallows. Ope Amosu runs Chopn Block.
The Jurassic World Dominion guest was DeWanda Wise.
Description from Bravo.
The Nigerian food was paired (based on a knife draw) with ebi (cassava), iyan (yam) or plantain amala swallows. Ope Amosu runs Chopn Block.
The Jurassic World Dominion guest was DeWanda Wise.
I wish they swapped the quick fire and challenge, and spent more time on the Nigerian swallows.
posted by inevitability at 5:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by inevitability at 5:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
I am sensing an inevitable Jackson/Buddha finale, and am struggling to like either of them. If you like them, please tell me why, because I really don't have the capacity to hate-watch this season. Or, if you see clear foreshadowing of an Evelyn/Damarr finale, please give me that hope!
I agree that a flip of the quick fire and elimination would have been more interesting. I do appreciate the clear intent in this season to feature more stars/food experts/guest judges who are not pasty white guys who think too much of themselves.
posted by donnagirl at 6:34 AM on April 17, 2022
I agree that a flip of the quick fire and elimination would have been more interesting. I do appreciate the clear intent in this season to feature more stars/food experts/guest judges who are not pasty white guys who think too much of themselves.
posted by donnagirl at 6:34 AM on April 17, 2022
I think Damarr has legs to go the distance. Often the "I'm going to show the world that my rustic food can be yummy, too!" candidate has fair to middling results early on (e.g., Isaac Toups), but he's shown strong throughout. Plus, he got that whole little humming montage that, since it didn't correlate with an elimination, portends well as "character development."
On the whole, I find this batch of contestants fairly forgettable for so far into the season. Maybe there's a little too little drama?
posted by praemunire at 9:03 AM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
On the whole, I find this batch of contestants fairly forgettable for so far into the season. Maybe there's a little too little drama?
posted by praemunire at 9:03 AM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm OK with Jackson. The fact that he can't smell (or taste?) is giving him a weird nervous energy, because he's never sure how good his food is. The fact that he's trying to keep it a secret, just makes him more nervous.
I also see Evelyn making the final 3, so she's someone to root far. (I don't hate Buddha. He's just kinda meh to me.)
posted by Spike Glee at 7:42 AM on April 18, 2022
I also see Evelyn making the final 3, so she's someone to root far. (I don't hate Buddha. He's just kinda meh to me.)
posted by Spike Glee at 7:42 AM on April 18, 2022
I also loved the first challenge -- it was actually informative to me -- and thought the second challenge was really meh. It seemed like only the production and marketing staff gave much of a care about the movie tie-in; Charlize showed up, while Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard literally phoned it in. (I don't know whether Chris Pratt - who appeared in person in the Seattle season - is now too big for Top Chef or if Top Chef is now too good for Chris Pratt.) The chefs didn't really care (except Jackson).
In my household, Jackson has entered eating-crackers status with my wife who can't stand anything he does at all; I'm not at loathing, but he's not great. His weird energy makes him feel like he's trying to get away with something; and it's odd that he can't taste anything but consistently makes food the judges like. Either he's getting soft judging or he can taste more than he says he can, or (most likely?) he's punching the flavour up to cartoonish levels because he can't taste, and it's having an impact on the judges. This season started out with 15 cheftestants, only 2 of which are white guys. We're now at 8 cheftestants... two of which are white guys.
posted by Superilla at 11:17 AM on April 18, 2022
In my household, Jackson has entered eating-crackers status with my wife who can't stand anything he does at all; I'm not at loathing, but he's not great. His weird energy makes him feel like he's trying to get away with something; and it's odd that he can't taste anything but consistently makes food the judges like. Either he's getting soft judging or he can taste more than he says he can, or (most likely?) he's punching the flavour up to cartoonish levels because he can't taste, and it's having an impact on the judges. This season started out with 15 cheftestants, only 2 of which are white guys. We're now at 8 cheftestants... two of which are white guys.
posted by Superilla at 11:17 AM on April 18, 2022
I will say Buddha was someone I thought came alive during the doubles suprise one, where you had to make things look exactly alike. He was pretty awesome there, though yeah at other points been a bit meh.
posted by Carillon at 2:37 PM on April 18, 2022
posted by Carillon at 2:37 PM on April 18, 2022
I thought for sure Jae was going home. They kept showing her, and emphasizing the fact that she did lamb (?) two ways. Almost everytime someone chooses to do something "two ways" or "three
ways", they end up going home.
Jackson annoys me, but he's cooking well. He kinda reminds me of Gabe from the last season, which doesn't help. :/ I think Evelyn is also doing very well. She's a bit of an underdog, and she has my full support.
When I went to bravo's page to confirm Jae's name, the way the contestants are arranged makes it look like Jae, too, has been eliminated. Very strange placement of the ad on the page.
posted by hydra77 at 10:01 AM on April 19, 2022
ways", they end up going home.
Jackson annoys me, but he's cooking well. He kinda reminds me of Gabe from the last season, which doesn't help. :/ I think Evelyn is also doing very well. She's a bit of an underdog, and she has my full support.
When I went to bravo's page to confirm Jae's name, the way the contestants are arranged makes it look like Jae, too, has been eliminated. Very strange placement of the ad on the page.
posted by hydra77 at 10:01 AM on April 19, 2022
If you like them, please tell me why
Jackson just seems so competent, and I kind of like the anxious energy/blushing/etc. as a fellow anxious-energy-haven’t. It’s weird, I am not usually on Team Literally *Any* Dude- I haaaaaated Gabe last season- but 🤷♀️. Would also be excited for an Evelyn win, though, and it has been fun seeing her pick up speed over the course of the season.
Movie/TV tie-ins are the absolute worst and I agree that it would have been one billion times more interesting if the Quickfire and Elimination had been flip flopped.
posted by charmedimsure at 10:03 PM on April 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Jackson just seems so competent, and I kind of like the anxious energy/blushing/etc. as a fellow anxious-energy-haven’t. It’s weird, I am not usually on Team Literally *Any* Dude- I haaaaaated Gabe last season- but 🤷♀️. Would also be excited for an Evelyn win, though, and it has been fun seeing her pick up speed over the course of the season.
Movie/TV tie-ins are the absolute worst and I agree that it would have been one billion times more interesting if the Quickfire and Elimination had been flip flopped.
posted by charmedimsure at 10:03 PM on April 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
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(Super nitpick too: only one was a dinosaur and unclear hour many were actually from the Jurassic! )
posted by Carillon at 11:28 PM on April 16, 2022