It’s time for a new season of Top Chef and I am hoping that this will pull me out of my funk. Even though life is collapsing all around me. If you missed what the big scary noise was during the RHONJ recap, click here. Let’s get to the Top Chef recap, from Portland.
The episode starts off on a sad note as most if not all of the chefs have had to close their restaurants due to Covid. But, it’s also a really good time to film the show and not worry about their businesses. Four of the chefs are James Beard nominees! They all have very different culinary areas of expertise. They all seem really amazing. It looks like there are only seven of them. Sadly, that probably means a short season. š I do feel better already. So there is that.
Too Many Chefs In The Kitchen
All of these chefs are executive chefs and mostly owners. The first challenge is a group challenge and there are way to many chefs in each kitchen. They all were asked what their must have ingredient is and all of them have to come together to make a cohesive dish. Ouch this is hard. I haven’t seen Tom Colicchio in this episode yet. So that is probably why the guest judge, Gregory pick the team with three women as the winner. As I am typing that, speak of the devil… Tom walks out. Then out come tons of Top Chef winners who will rotate in and out as guest judges.
Click Here For More Top Chef Recaps
The elimination challenge is a bird challenge with a blind taste testing. They are ordering food from Whole Foods online rather than shopping in person. All of these people are in a bubble. Richard Blais’ pandemic hair is ridiculous. The chefs are all staying in a funky hotel. I am transfixed by all the chef’s game bird recipes. I should thaw out a cornish hen. I haven’t eaten in days. It’s an anxiety thing. One of the female chefs is using so many spices two of the guys can’t even breathe. And one of the guys is Thai who is used to spicy food. I think both duck people are doing a sweet potato side. That should be interesting.
Time To Taste The Dishes!
Gabriel is up first with squab. Everyone loves it. Byron is also up with squab. They didn’t like it as much as Gabriels. Byron could be in trouble. Maria did a squab enchilada which sounds delicious to me. That was the super spicy dish. Perhaps two spicy, but it is definitely Maria on a plate. I think she will be safe.
Next up is the duck people. Roscoe did a duck Adobo with sweet potato dumplings. Tom says duck is the easiest bird. The duck is not cooked properly. Roscoe is definitely in trouble. They really seem to hate it. Shota made a soy braised duck with bonito flakes (yuck!) and pumpkin white miso puree. They liked it. Gabe made a glazed duck with figs and mushrooms and charred onions. They liked it.
Click Here For More Top Chef Recaps
Now it’s time for the quail dishes. Sara did a glazed quail with dates and grilled eggplant. Sounds yummy to me! The judges agree. Sasha did a roasted quail with polenta and a red wine jus. It was a fail. Kiki did Moambe quail with grits and boiled and pickled peanuts. Kiki wins it for me before I even hear what the judges say. They were “meh” about it. Idiots.
It’s Turkey Time! Oh no, one of the girls, Dawn, a former Olympian has plating issues and doesn’t get her peanut sauce on her dish.Ā It was a turkey peanut stew. There are no peanuts though. The judges seem to understand what happened. She’s devastated. Chris sous vided his turkey breast and the judges were mixed about it. Jamie did “lemongrass curry” ??? I don’t think that is a thing. And the judges agree with me.
Oh wait, there is more? Where did all of these people come from? We still have “chucker” to get through. Chucker is apparently what people from Oregon call pheasant. Avishar’s pheasant was a total fail. Brittany did “chucker” with a sweet potato puree. Too much sweet stuff. Chester did a carribean version and everyone LOVES it.
Judges Table
We already have chefs crying. My girl crush, Melissa King is this week’s guest judge. They are picking the four top chefs and a bottom four. Sara’s glazed quail is a top dish and she thought she was on the bottom. Shota’s braised soy braised duck is also on top. His plating was beautiful. But I could not get over the bonito flakes. Gabe is also in the top with his duck, figs and mushrooms. It’s a very pretty dish. The is also a Gabriel who used to work for Tom in the top four with his squab. Sara was the winner AGAIN. She is not very confident, but she won the quickfire and the elimination.
Click Here For More Top Chef Recaps
Sasha, Roscoe, Jaime and Vishar are up for elimination. I feel like Roscoe is going home. Sasha has immunity so she is safe. Also, there are worse dishes. Roscoe and Avishar are both in a lot of trouble. So is Jamie with here weird “lemongrass curry.” Again, not a thing. I’m not surprised Roscoe is the first to leave. But there is always Last Chance Kitchen. But the early cuts never win that. Who is watching with me? Do you have a favorite yet?
Hi TT. Only saw that last 20 minutes so I have to catch up but did Padma get work done on her face? She looks different. I’m going to catch up on Hulu tho. I felt bad for the guy who got sent home but whatever it was he made, looked like a really sad soup.
Omg, I thought it was just me! She looks great, but definitely a noticeable difference.
It hasnāt aired here yet. But, bonito flakes SOUND gross, but they are divine. Think of the lightest, most delicate flakes of salt. With a splash of umami. Thatās bonito flakes. With miso … YUM AF!
my cats LOVE those bonito flakes….. I never tried them. I
I didn’t know it was starting this week so I am thrilled that it’s back. I will be watching. Top Chef and Project Runway are the best shows on Bravo.
Thank you TT. Iām a Southern Girl who has lived in PDX for a while. Iām happy to see the Rose City showcased. I hope they show the love, good, beautiful, bad, scary, weird, and ugly. I cannot wait to see how the chefs showcase the PNW.
I’m very excited to know more about Portland the PNW. I have only ever been to Seattle to hook up with probably the most unavailable person in my life who was possibly making of the facts of his situation. I don’t regret going, but I am now way too old to navigate all the hill climbing! I was much younger then and I was staying at the hotel the Beatles (?) or some group famously fished from. I also had a nephew living there at the time who came to feed me on a night or two. I had a VERY interesting stay. lol. It’s no an experience I regret.
I give Bonita flakes to my cats who go crazy nuts over them. They flip out when I get the container out. Bonita flakes donāt look very appetizing. I cannot imagine eating them.
Werenāt all the James Beard nominees women? Yeah for the ladies. I think Gabe, Sara and Shota will go far. Richardās hair needed its own zip code tonight. I am so glad this show is back!
Way too soon for me to have a favorite. And yes, Richard Blais’s hair was beyond bad!
they mentioned chucker is the local name for partridge. this episode had a lot of foodstuffs i didn’t recognize. looked like there are only 15 cheftestants instead of the usual 16.
Poor Roscoe … āA bowl of fear,ā as Tom described it might be the saddest description of a dish Iāve ever heard.
I wish people didnāt go home on the first night.
Lemongrass and coconut curry is delicious, but that wasnāt what she made.
These chefs all seem really good.
Richard’s hair? Oy Vey! Padma mentioned it.
Apparently Gabe, not to be confused with Gabriel was fired as executive chef only a few months after he was hired. He was let go at the end of December 2020 “due to violation of our policies and for behavior in conflict with our values.” No more information was ever made public.
Now, I need to look this up!
As I said, No more information is out there or it would have been a separate post.
TT, thank you for recapping this! I know you’re in a funk, but chefs and food… I admit to having to force in food at times, but this show gives me inspiration.
iām glad itās back but i didnāt find any contestant to root for yet . Too much whining under their breath about others.
I was worried about Roscoe early on–he definitely was getting the famed”loser’s edit”.
Yeah, he was getting a lot of camera time and not the good kind. š