Top Chef: London Calling
March 17, 2023 7:00 PM - Season 20, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Top Chef World All Stars time! Hosted as always by the ever-fabulous and brave Padma Lakshmi, and featuring a murderer’s row of Top Chef winners and runners-up from around the world.
I'm excited for this season! They're not joking when they say the intensity and level of the competition starts off high. I was surprised that the mextlapique stayed in, though Gabri seems talented, it looked like a mess.
posted by Carillon at 8:41 AM on March 18, 2023
posted by Carillon at 8:41 AM on March 18, 2023
Super excited for this season as well! Love the concept. I was a little worried because US top chef has evolved from "not here to make friends" to "I'm so glad you're my friends", and I'm not sure how other countries do it, but if the German can talk about just being excited to nerd out about food, then they're on the right track.
The two Canadians did all right overall; I was interested in how they would do versus international competition because TC Canada didn't feel to me like the food was as high a standard as some of the recent US series.
Nicole in particular is (or at least was) from my hometown. She owns a chicken place that was a 20 minute walk from where I used to live. Only went the once, but it was... perfectly good, but didn't feel like anything special. Still cheering for her a bit!
Samuel just seemed a little lost by the way the US top chef works; the speed and the improvised cookspace when they have 90 minutes as a minimum in TC France. And Gabri seems like a total hot mess, but that can settle down.
posted by Superilla at 10:57 PM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
The two Canadians did all right overall; I was interested in how they would do versus international competition because TC Canada didn't feel to me like the food was as high a standard as some of the recent US series.
Nicole in particular is (or at least was) from my hometown. She owns a chicken place that was a 20 minute walk from where I used to live. Only went the once, but it was... perfectly good, but didn't feel like anything special. Still cheering for her a bit!
Samuel just seemed a little lost by the way the US top chef works; the speed and the improvised cookspace when they have 90 minutes as a minimum in TC France. And Gabri seems like a total hot mess, but that can settle down.
posted by Superilla at 10:57 PM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
I laughed so hard at Samuel’s line, “In France, the shortest challenge time is 90 minutes.”
posted by sixswitch at 5:27 AM on March 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by sixswitch at 5:27 AM on March 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
I will confess, I like a good helping of technical failures and just a soupçon of personal "workplace" drama in my Top Chef, so I often find the final couple of episodes in a season a bit dull. The last season was a well-judged necessary change in pace given the world circumstances, but it feels like we're already in the victory lap here, where everybody is pleased with everything, and that's less compelling for me. Fully understand why others would feel just the opposite.
posted by praemunire at 9:53 AM on March 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 9:53 AM on March 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've also found Sarah's brand of poor-mouthed self-promotion grating ever since the Cake Mix Incident, to the point that I know I should be impressed that she's pumping while going through this fast-paced process, yet just feel irritated that I have to be.
posted by praemunire at 9:56 AM on March 19, 2023
posted by praemunire at 9:56 AM on March 19, 2023
I laughed so hard at Samuel’s line, “In France, the shortest challenge time is 90 minutes.”
Big culture difference. In the first Last Chance Kitchen, he says that the prep time for the final meal is 10 hours (it's usually 5 in the US).
posted by Superilla at 7:32 AM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Big culture difference. In the first Last Chance Kitchen, he says that the prep time for the final meal is 10 hours (it's usually 5 in the US).
posted by Superilla at 7:32 AM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by sixswitch at 7:01 PM on March 17, 2023