Top Chef Season 20 (2023)

[Aceon6]

Top Chef is back starting Thursday, March 9th at 9:00 Eastern on Bravo. Still the same production crew, Magical Elves, and still the same core judges, Padma, Tom, and Gail. Set in London, this one will have an international focus with winners and high finishers from the Top Chef worldwide franchises. It looks very promising.

 

[Lemonade20]

Top Chef is back starting Thursday, March 9th at 9:00 Eastern on Bravo. Still the same production crew, Magical Elves, and still the same core judges, Padma, Tom, and Gail. Set in London, this one will have an international focus with winners and high finishers from the Top Chef worldwide franchises. It looks very promising.

Yay!!! Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Winnipeg]

Thanks for the reminder

 

[Aceon6]

Episode #1 was a whirlwind. It’s a good thing I was somewhat familiar with about half the cast. “Devein your prawns“ is going to be the Top Chef version of “toast your nuts” on the Food Network shows! And I was salivating over that onion dish!

 

[Sparks]

I couldn't believe the prawns weren't deveined
I am no cook, but even I know that

 

[Matryeshka]

I remember a reply--not sure what happened to the post!

Not deveining the shrimp hurt my Louisiana heart. I can barely boil water, but even I know that. And yes, it's tedious but it's not hard and not that time consuming either. Not surprised he packed his knives--he was getting the goner edit from the first.

I'm glad Dawn is there and I'm really happy to see Buddha! I hope he goes far this season as well and Dawn is less panicked. I wonder how many American cheftestants turned them down before they arrived on Sarah and Amar. I can't imagine there were that many people clamoring to see either of them again. So far, I really like Sylwia, Luciana, Buddha, and Tom. I can do without Victorie ("al dente" risotto in 15 minutes? Just no.) and Ali I'm 25 (going on 45) and represent ONE BILLION people . Undecided on Gabri and Dale. The rest, I have no idea. That's the advantage of doing group challenges in the beginning--easier to get to know the chefs and the tasting part is less jumbl-y.

 

[Karen-W]

Lol - @Matryeshka - my opinion of Dawn is quite the opposite of yours! I hated the way she skated through TC Portland all the way to the final when she had so many time management issues or missed the mark with the cooking brief during the elimination challenges. I would have been happy to see her go last week, though I completely understood the judges reasoning in eliminating Samuel. Deveining shrimp is a no-brainer, especially at their level of cooking. Having said that, I let out a scream of happiness when Dawn was eliminated tonight for giving the judges a horrible dish. I knew, of the bottom 3, that Sylwia was safe because while the judges didn't like her dish, they didn't have any technical criticism of how she cooked the rice, while the other two did - but the stank eye Luciana had about being in the bottom 3 has shot her up to the top my list of chefs who can go anytime.

 

[Aceon6]

Dawn shouldn’t do competition. She’s a concept-refine-repeat type of chef. A very fine cook who never nails her vision on the first go. OTOH, many of this year’s crop seem quite capable of executing on short notice, the problem is that many never experienced the American format. Many of the international shows use restaurant suppliers as supermarkets don’t tend to carry as extensive array of products. Shopping quickly and accurately will factor in more than a few challenges.

 

[Matryeshka]

@Karen-W , I'm actually on board with you now. I didn't like either Dawn or Luciana's reaction to the criticism and found that I quite liked Ali in this one. I'm really really really liking May. @Aceon6 , I think Dawn went on TC solely to say on national TV that her restaurant would be opening in August. Great publicity, though after seeing her black rice "congee" maybe not as good as publicity as she thought.

Now I want to see Top Chef in other places. They've done challenges inspired by other countries' versions, and I hope that maybe they'll incorporate some of them in this season. The French Black Box challenge that they did on a season of All-Stars I think was diabolical. I think for it to be fair maybe they should have a few challenges where they don't go shopping and have to work with more limited ingredients. I mean, I guess that's what the quick fire is but it's way different to make an amuse bouche and a total meal with just a few supplies.

 

[Deleted member 1204]

Dawn shouldn’t do competition.

Competition sure doesn't bring out the best in her. She doesn't seem very likeable.

 

[sk9tingfan]

As a result of watching season 20, I'm rewatching the prior 19 seasons of Top Chef. There are so many well known chefs who were novices in prior seasons. Some of the notables are Tiffani Faison(season 1), Marcell Vigneron(season 2- I've forgotten how obnoxious he was) & Cliff Crook( season 2) and how could I forget Brian Malarkey? I'm now up to season 3. It's interesting to see those winners who have fallen off the radar in terms of visibility. That being said, the winner of season 1, Ilhan Hall returned to competition for the first time in eighteen years in the Food Network competition, Tournament of Champions.

 

[Matryeshka]

I am over Tom. And his bro-ness. And Tom Colicchio's bro-ness. I have often wondered if every taste was blind, if some winners of challenges would be decidedly different. I hate that the yellow team won but LOVED that they bragged about their speed but were dead last in two/three categories.

And I still hate the Sylwia was eliminated But at least this time Dale was too in Last Chance Kitchen; I like Charbel. Charbel's a lot better than a lot of people still there.

 

[Aceon6]

I’m waiting for Sara or Nicole to give Tom Goetter the smack down he deserves. What a cocky little twit! He reminds me a bit of Marcel Vigneron from Season 2.

 

[Sparks]

Yeah. Tom is the one I dislike the most

 

[Karen-W]

Tom pissed me off so much last episode with the way he made Gabri french that rack of lamb. I can't wait for him to pack his knives and go.

 

[On My Own]

I thought you were all talking about Tom Colicchio lmao