Vietnamese Food!!! Interesting, I couldn't tell if this is a large part of NOLA culture/food, or if they just decided to do an Asian challenge (Vietnamese Food is pretty much everywhere after all). I had never heard of guest judge Eddie Huang, so I did some Wikipedia-ing:
After graduating from law school and being laid off from a New York law firm, Huang worked as a stand-up comic and as a marijuana dealer. Growing up watching his mother cook at home and his father open restaurants, he opened BaoHaus, a Taiwanese bun shop, on the Lower East Side of New York in December 2009. He hosted Cheap Bites on the Cooking Channel at the end of 2011. He is hilarious and I really like him as a judge!
I was annoyed that there was no QF!!! But it was really cool seeing all the places they visited and hearing Eddie and Emeril talk about all the stops, what an experience! That party bus was pretty sick too! Am I the only one that thought that noodle house looked like a nail salon?
The 3 teams consisted of 5 chefs each
Green Team: Sara, Stephanie, Janine, Travis, Bene
Orange Team: Nick, Carlos Louis, Brian, Michael
Red Team: Nina, Shirley, Justin, Carrie, Patty
Based on pure excitement and confidence I thought the Orange team would be in trouble. Carlos was beyond nervous and Nick was kind of an ass (trending!) Michael was also a kiss-ass and I love that Nina was throwing some shade his way after last week! I thought it was kind of a cop-out that Michael didn't make a dish; I feel like it's a sure sign of a weak chef. Most chefs would want to step up and own something they could be proud of- he is getting lower and lower on my list that's for sure!
Travis was SUCH a know-it-all that I was rooting against him the whole time even though I thought initially that they would be on top. After their talks on the bus I had a bad feeling though. Tomato sauce!?!?! I mean damn man. Not only that but almost everyone on the team was questioning his ideas, but he seemed SO confident that I think everyone thought his experience and ideas might work to their advantage.
Shirley was hilarious- I really love her. She was SO excited about this challenge and I was shocked at how open she was talking about their menu on the bus right away. I love a chef that is that passionate!
I can't believe the Green team forgot the Lemon Grass!!! I mean even I know that is a vital ingredient, but I also think that way Travis talked about it with Eddie and Emeril was pretty stupid. Sara was hilarious and had a really good point there! I really like her too, she seems pretty strong and passionate as well. I didn't understand Travis commenting on Eddie's ethnicity! So because he is Chinese he doesn't know Vietnamese food? Dude, you are a White boy, from COLORADO!
Travis sunk the green team- I totally blame their loss on him. When you have chefs who are looking to you for guidance and you steer them totally wrong, you are the bigger issue. I think Janine knows how to cook shrimp, but she was unsure of the flavors and it bit her in the ass with her and Bene's Fresh Gulf Shrimp with Ginger Vietnamese Tomato Sauce
I guess we will see if she can beat the boys and fight back in LCK!
Ep 5: Lea Michele's Halloween Bash:This week, the cheftestants face challenges full of chills and thrills. After tackling a Quickfire Challenge where all of the ingredients and tools are wrapped in aluminum foil, the chefs must cater a Halloween party for singer/actress Lea Michele. Not only does the food have to be vegetarian, but it has to be spook-tacular!
I had a bad feeling about this episode as soon as they mentioned there would be no Quick Fire. I'm not trying to be callous but this is a cooking competition. I can get behind the episode where they profiled the rebuilding of homes due to Katrina. Now they skip a QF to visit the Vietnamese community in NOLA. Unacceptable! More cooking and if you want to show the cultural side tie it into the QF or elimination challenge.
ReplyDeleteLe Chefre caught a HUGE break with the orange team not being the bottom this week. That would have been an additional -9 points, giving Pickely a very daunting lead.
Travis came across as a pretty big douche. Talking shit about the guest judge, proclaiming himself an expert, and then immediately backpedaling when someone mentioned his expertise. I got the sense that he was so concerned with proving his superiority that he chose an obscure element of Vietnamese cuisine (tomato sauce) and it bit him in the ass.
51st State: Your team and your frequency of commenting on this blog are equally weak. Without Justin you might have given Le Chefre a run for lowest score ever - an achievement I thought no one would ever come close to matching.
I thought Shirley came across well during this episode. Personable, efficient, and definitely a fighter. She could go far.
Overall, I was disappointed in the quality of food this episode.
We wish that Travis would have gone home instead of Janine. Janine seems cool. Travis does not. Hopefully she kicks some ass on LCK.
ReplyDeleteThank god we have Justin.
The reason they are giving us a tour of NOLA instead of cooking is because it's in the sponsorship contract between Bravo and the city and state tourism boards. Check out this article - http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/14/top-chef-to-get-375000-from-louisiana-and-nola.php
Bravo makes big bucks from the cities they host in and they have to work in featurettes about the cities/states. Not just a cooking competition show anymore, it's a tourism commercial as well. Oh, and a Toyota commercial.