Thursday, June 11, 2009

Reactions to Top Chef Masters Episode One

So...what did you think? Was it enough like the regular series to satisfy, or did you think it was too different? What did you think of the challenges? the judges? And do you agree with the winning chef?

Please share your opinions with us in the comments.

9 comments:

Debby said...

Chef Hubert is the only one who had any experience with Top Chef. He knew to expect the unexpected and that you have to be creative both culinarily and practically to win the challenges.
BTW, did you notice that HE pronounced Hubert with the "t," yet Kelly pronounced it without?

Kristine said...

I like it. It was different, and I'm not sure I liked the dorm room setting. I know they want to challenge the chefs, but I also want to see them cook at the level we know they can cook. Not sure how to accomplish both, but looking forward to the season. Was excited to see Antonia in the previews. I wondered if they were going to bring in previous contestants. I hope they let her be a judge! And Wilo Benet's one of the chefs!

The Scarlett said...

Totally loved the episode and loved the challenge. You have to do something to shake things up when you have chefs of this caliber so the dorm room, in my opinion, was genius. Love Hubert Keller and I'll never forget the meal I had at Fleur de Lys when I was dating my now husband; that little mouse item that he created was part of a dessert I had back then.

LauraK said...

I loved it - Reality Done Right!

Kit Pollard said...

I think it's fantastic - love the emphasis on the food and loved the chefs themselves. I have soft spots for a) French accents, b) southern drawls and c) really anybody who can cook.

I wonder, though, if regular season contestants had cooked the same food, would the judges have been harder on them? Probably we'll never know...

Sharon Rudd said...

Finally, a show on Bravo again that I really want to watch!

Loved the food, all of the episode’s chefs, and the combination of camaraderie, professionalism and candor when they knew they’d blown it or had to figure their way out of a problem. You get a whole different level of insight into how chefs think and what they strive for when you’re dealing with chefs of this caliber . . . at least when they’ve been this kindly edited and treated (no bunking together, etc.).

It’s also refreshing to see a Bravo blog as interesting, well written (despite his misspelling of Gail’s last name as “Simmonds”), and lacking in defensiveness as Jay Rayner’s. It’s been so long since Tim or Leanne’s blogs have appeared that I’d pretty much stopped bothering to check out the Bravo blogs.

Rayner also offered up some behind-the-scenes tidbits that piqued my interest, including mention that he missed some early shoots due to delays in getting his visa and thanking Gail for filling in for him. So . . . is Bravo airing the early episodes out of the order in which they were filmed? (Unlike Top Chef “Classic,” it wouldn’t be hard to do, since each of the first six(?) epis is with a self-contained group of four contestants.) Did TPTB select this epi as the premier to establish the ground rules and new crew of judges? Or to start us off with a feel-good episode? I’ll be very curious to see whether the love fest among the cheftestants continues. But at least I will continue to “watch what happens.”

P.S. An extra fabulous reason to watch TCM: Amuse-Biatch is back up!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure I like the judges and host. Other then that, it was cool seeing the guys just have a good time.

eric3000 said...

I really enjoyed this episode!

I agree with Kit, however, that it may be more difficult for the judges to criticize these famous chefs.

The Scarlett said...

I think it is more difficult for the judges to criticize the chefs - after all, they are doing this for charity and they don't want something like a bad performance to result in fewer reservations at their very established eateries.

I forgot to say earlier that I LOVE THE GIRL SCOUTS. They were fantastic critics. And if a chef seemed less than amazing in their eyes, at least the chef to blame that on their less sophisticated palates.