After waiting an extra week to see this episode of Top Chef Masters, I can say it was worth the wait. The one-arm-behind-your-back egg cookery Quickfire showed how ambitious these Masters can be - Mark Peel made pasta! A shame he forgot to put olive oil on it before serving. On the other hand, I was somewhat surprised at how un-ambitious John Besh was with his simple - and raw - baked egg dish.The Elimination Challenge was interesting - cook something that can be described by the words "mystery," "surprise," "spectacle," and "illusion." Chef Peel's fish en papillote did have an air of mystery and Chef Lo's scallop/daikon fit "illusion" (anyone think she was going to use bananas when she started talking about scallops? a la Richard Blais? no, me neither.) but Chef Rodriguez' flaming coconuts weren't quite the spectacle he intended and Chef Besh's surprises fell a little flat.
It was nice to see Gail Simmons on the judging panel - did anyone else notice her "take charge" manner during the Critic's Table chat about the meal? And who knew Neil Patrick Harris was a foodie?
So what did you think about the episode? Please tell us in the comments.
