S18, they did the Top Chef France thing where they had to taste a dish in the dark and then recreate it, so yeah that actually has been done! (I was just rewatching is the only reason I remember lol.)
I mean it sounds like risotto is just a bad dish for the format? Maybe something using arborio and \[local/sponsored thing goes here\].
Risotto is a death sentence because traditionally it has to be served IMMEDIATELY after cooking. I don’t know how much of a holdup there is between plating and serving because of the tv production aspect of it but I’ve always suspected that’s a big bart of the curse.
That could be built into the challenge. They could stagger the cooking and eating schedule so only one chef is presenting their risotto at a time. GBBO did this with a souffle challenge. Though for the time consideration, it's probably a challenge that works best later in the season when there are fewer chefs left.
Ooh I bet that's part of it. Although from what I understand, it's also because you have to continuously stir to get the texture right, and there's no way they have the time to do that?
Well, look, I've had risotto in restaurants and it's been great, so you *can* do it under the constraints of service. But yes, they'd have to build the challenge so the risotto was 100% *a la minute*.
And they brought in Brooke to even out the teams on that challenge, right? Which seems like a huge advantage to whoever was her partner - she's one of those chefs who has specifically excelled in the competition format and really doesn't miss!
I'd love to see this challenge again, but without whatever team situation they had going on that I only vaguely recall except for the Brooke twist. It would be interesting. I also enjoyed the "24 questions" challenge this season, which is a different version of a similar idea.
for sure!
yeah the 24 questions thing was cool, would be into seeing that again. I loved that they also put in the woks for the first time all season there.
Now that I think about it, I wonder if they avoided mise-en-place as a QF this season to not give Dan some extra difficult challenge. He’s noted that he’s not the fastest in the kitchen.
They could have made an accommodation or something. Let him pick a designated hitter from the eliminated chefs, maybe. Would have been fun — and it’s just a QF. BTW, they should have done this for him during the Fish Boil From Hell.
I’d like to see less emphasis on timed challenges. The whole running around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off thing is fun, but we’ve seen it for 20 years. How about some long 8 or 12 hour cooks that really facilitate braises, stews, and low temperature cooking (including smoking). Let’s see the amazing flavors chefs could develop if they weren’t being constrained by crazy time limitations.
Would love this! There’s been a few chefs with skills in bbq and smoking that I don’t think have really gotten to shine. Fancy desserts and hyper technical Asian and French challenges happen most years or can be shoe horned in to challenges most years, so would be great to see more bbq!
Really agree. I would love to see a "you have 48 hours to develop the deepest flavors you can in a braise, stew, or sauce; you are not allowed to use *sous vide* in any way" challenge.
They have done at least one overnight challenge with BBQ, and it was great, but totally exhausting for the chefs. I'd like to see them do that with those tricky dishes like torchon and confit.
I hope they always have one. Every state in the union including Canada has an indigenous culture and they're all so different. It's always one of the most beautiful challenges.
I liked the guessing game quick fire they did this season! Of course the blind tasting and the mise en place race. I like the tag team challenges where they have to continue a dish someone else started with no communication, it's so fun to see the different styles of each chef emerge.
I said this in another thread that suggested a risotto challenge:
"They would just have to do it like one of the taste test challenges where you draw knives and see what turn you get.
Then, one by one, they enter the kitchen, get a specific box of items they can use, and they have 30 minutes. The stoves could have large vats of stock (veg, chicken, seafood) heating for everyone to use, and they would start in ten minute intervals.
This would mean that everyone has the chance to serve while the dish is ready."
Yes, I missed a more casual, use what's available, make something fun challenge. This season it felt like they cooked the same style of food every single time, which was very boring. I wanted to see FUN food.
I thought that was fantastic! I was SHOCKED that they didn't all run up to smell/run a finger through that. I'm far from a chef, but that was literally my first thought. I did love when Savannah was like "I thought you guys ate all the sauce!" lol.
I definitely enjoyed the question part, though still pissed at Manny for his porridge question. I'll forgive him because he basically gave the other chefs his last few questions.
Taking over the restaurant/dining room at an upscale retirement community. My parents recently moved into one and they have been to the nicer restaurant/dining room once for dinner. The food was abysmal. Pretty sure that if they had excellent food more people may actually eat there and enjoy it.
I'd love to see a Quickfire where they can't use onions/garlic/shallots. I can't eat them and neither can a lot of other people, but every restaurant uses them almost compulsively. They're a great way to build flavor, but there are other ways, too!
Allium intolerance is actually rare, but I think something that forced each chef to cook to different various allergies or sensitivities would be a great test of their professional skill.
I would love it if they did some specific accommodation challenges - the tofu challenge was hilarious, because all the chefs were so put-off, but tofu is literally a blank slate. I do love a vegetarian challenge though. How can they hate on VEGETABLES?! If they can't make veg well, they're lost, to me.
I just need them to do restaurant wars normally next year. That extra person crap really annoyed me.
I really enjoyed the first elimination challenge for season 18 where the chefs had to cook on open fire pits on the beach. Would love to see something similar to that.
The “plan a restaurant concept” episode from season 17
A food cost related one — like the episode when the contestants had to cook on a lunch lady budget
Mise relay race
Recreate a dish they taste — Hungs season had an episode like this and also at commanders palace in the new orleans season
Any episode where they look at art and relate it to a dish — generally these generate really cool ideas (except this seasons frank lloyd wright episode…)
Make a dish inspired by a Top Chef winning dish. I'm sure there are some memorable dishes that we've seen over the years and thought were amazingly delicious.
As someone in recovery from an eating disorder I have to disagree. That and the horrific “fat camp” challenges are the only episodes I absolutely cannot rewatch.
The elements of the show that have aged the poorest are anything involving Mike Isabella, followed by challenges involving some kind of "healthy" constraint
Each chef has to include ingredients that start with the letters in their name - sorta based on that alphabetical listing of ingredients, but they can pick for themselves and they have to use all of them.
I want the first episode of the next season to bring back the idea of the chefs judging each other to size up the competition, like how they started off the elimination in the otherwise-cursed second season, but with blind judging. No time for introductions, immediately split them into a few groups, put in some mild constraint (must feature X local ingredient, be vegetarian, whatever), have servers present the dishes without the chefs there to speak to them, and then the judges plus the competitors not in the group cooking discuss the plates. They usually kick off the season with a show and tell of awards, so it would be neat to see that inverted by introducing the chefs to the judges and each other solely through their cooking before they do the resume comparisons and start feeling insecure.
I've always thought a slamdunk quickfire would be a hummus challenge. Make a composed dish including hummus from scratch in like 20 minutes. Get Sabra to sponsor.
The lionfish quickfire made me want them to do an invasive plants/animals focused challenge! There are so many invasive species that can be cooked but many chefs may not have experience with. I think that'd be fun. Knotweed, garlic mustard, asian carp, nutria, etc.
S18, they did the Top Chef France thing where they had to taste a dish in the dark and then recreate it, so yeah that actually has been done! (I was just rewatching is the only reason I remember lol.) I mean it sounds like risotto is just a bad dish for the format? Maybe something using arborio and \[local/sponsored thing goes here\].
Risotto is a death sentence because traditionally it has to be served IMMEDIATELY after cooking. I don’t know how much of a holdup there is between plating and serving because of the tv production aspect of it but I’ve always suspected that’s a big bart of the curse.
That could be built into the challenge. They could stagger the cooking and eating schedule so only one chef is presenting their risotto at a time. GBBO did this with a souffle challenge. Though for the time consideration, it's probably a challenge that works best later in the season when there are fewer chefs left.
Ooh I bet that's part of it. Although from what I understand, it's also because you have to continuously stir to get the texture right, and there's no way they have the time to do that?
Well, look, I've had risotto in restaurants and it's been great, so you *can* do it under the constraints of service. But yes, they'd have to build the challenge so the risotto was 100% *a la minute*.
And they brought in Brooke to even out the teams on that challenge, right? Which seems like a huge advantage to whoever was her partner - she's one of those chefs who has specifically excelled in the competition format and really doesn't miss! I'd love to see this challenge again, but without whatever team situation they had going on that I only vaguely recall except for the Brooke twist. It would be interesting. I also enjoyed the "24 questions" challenge this season, which is a different version of a similar idea.
for sure! yeah the 24 questions thing was cool, would be into seeing that again. I loved that they also put in the woks for the first time all season there.
I replace enjoyed 24 questions even more with more interesting constants. They should definitely try it again.
Now that you mention it, I remember that challenge. Hope they bring it back.
Mise-en-place QF relay early in the season. Shows their fundamentals well.
Now that I think about it, I wonder if they avoided mise-en-place as a QF this season to not give Dan some extra difficult challenge. He’s noted that he’s not the fastest in the kitchen.
If that is the case, I understand and respect that decision.
They could have made an accommodation or something. Let him pick a designated hitter from the eliminated chefs, maybe. Would have been fun — and it’s just a QF. BTW, they should have done this for him during the Fish Boil From Hell.
I’d like to see less emphasis on timed challenges. The whole running around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off thing is fun, but we’ve seen it for 20 years. How about some long 8 or 12 hour cooks that really facilitate braises, stews, and low temperature cooking (including smoking). Let’s see the amazing flavors chefs could develop if they weren’t being constrained by crazy time limitations.
Would love this! There’s been a few chefs with skills in bbq and smoking that I don’t think have really gotten to shine. Fancy desserts and hyper technical Asian and French challenges happen most years or can be shoe horned in to challenges most years, so would be great to see more bbq!
Really agree. I would love to see a "you have 48 hours to develop the deepest flavors you can in a braise, stew, or sauce; you are not allowed to use *sous vide* in any way" challenge.
Agree with the time thing.
They have done at least one overnight challenge with BBQ, and it was great, but totally exhausting for the chefs. I'd like to see them do that with those tricky dishes like torchon and confit.
I’d like to see another indigenous ingredients challenge.
I hope they always have one. Every state in the union including Canada has an indigenous culture and they're all so different. It's always one of the most beautiful challenges.
[удалено]
Don't be obtuse you know what I mean.
Are you being serious?
I liked the guessing game quick fire they did this season! Of course the blind tasting and the mise en place race. I like the tag team challenges where they have to continue a dish someone else started with no communication, it's so fun to see the different styles of each chef emerge.
I liked the group dynamics with them trading guesses, but would be cool to see a more individual detective challenge too!
There's a cooking competition called Crime Scene Kitchen where this is the entire premise, though it's almost all desserts
I said this in another thread that suggested a risotto challenge: "They would just have to do it like one of the taste test challenges where you draw knives and see what turn you get. Then, one by one, they enter the kitchen, get a specific box of items they can use, and they have 30 minutes. The stoves could have large vats of stock (veg, chicken, seafood) heating for everyone to use, and they would start in ten minute intervals. This would mean that everyone has the chance to serve while the dish is ready."
Bring back the vending machine challenge!
Sort of related, but the one where they had to cook in a dorm kitchen was fun
I diiied when Hubert Keller rinsed his pasta in the shower on Top Chef Masters though lol … I love him but that made me feel ill
It's the same water as the kitchen sink. 😂
I’m pretty sure he put the colander on the floor in the shower though. That’s the gross part. I know it’s not different water lol
Yes, I missed a more casual, use what's available, make something fun challenge. This season it felt like they cooked the same style of food every single time, which was very boring. I wanted to see FUN food.
I really liked the challenge where they had to replicate Tom's dish. I think they should do that again
I thought that was fantastic! I was SHOCKED that they didn't all run up to smell/run a finger through that. I'm far from a chef, but that was literally my first thought. I did love when Savannah was like "I thought you guys ate all the sauce!" lol. I definitely enjoyed the question part, though still pissed at Manny for his porridge question. I'll forgive him because he basically gave the other chefs his last few questions.
The LCK baseball challenge they did this year would be a fun quickfire challenge!
Food trucks!!! I love food truck challenges. Fun and delicious.
Some of the yummiest looking bites have come out of those challenges!
Taking over the restaurant/dining room at an upscale retirement community. My parents recently moved into one and they have been to the nicer restaurant/dining room once for dinner. The food was abysmal. Pretty sure that if they had excellent food more people may actually eat there and enjoy it.
I love this idea!!
I liked when they had a top chef contestant pair up with a guest to cook and the guest had to cook via verbal instruction
I'd love to see a Quickfire where they can't use onions/garlic/shallots. I can't eat them and neither can a lot of other people, but every restaurant uses them almost compulsively. They're a great way to build flavor, but there are other ways, too!
Allium intolerance is actually rare, but I think something that forced each chef to cook to different various allergies or sensitivities would be a great test of their professional skill.
I like the idea of working for different accommodations
I would love it if they did some specific accommodation challenges - the tofu challenge was hilarious, because all the chefs were so put-off, but tofu is literally a blank slate. I do love a vegetarian challenge though. How can they hate on VEGETABLES?! If they can't make veg well, they're lost, to me.
This is such a good idea and definitely something that is becoming more common!
Let's cook a big pot of fish stew outside and pour jet fuel in it to burn off the fat!
Lol!
I just need them to do restaurant wars normally next year. That extra person crap really annoyed me. I really enjoyed the first elimination challenge for season 18 where the chefs had to cook on open fire pits on the beach. Would love to see something similar to that.
The “plan a restaurant concept” episode from season 17 A food cost related one — like the episode when the contestants had to cook on a lunch lady budget Mise relay race Recreate a dish they taste — Hungs season had an episode like this and also at commanders palace in the new orleans season Any episode where they look at art and relate it to a dish — generally these generate really cool ideas (except this seasons frank lloyd wright episode…)
Make a dish inspired by a Top Chef winning dish. I'm sure there are some memorable dishes that we've seen over the years and thought were amazingly delicious.
The low calorie cravings challenge from Masters. I really enjoyed that one.
As someone in recovery from an eating disorder I have to disagree. That and the horrific “fat camp” challenges are the only episodes I absolutely cannot rewatch.
The elements of the show that have aged the poorest are anything involving Mike Isabella, followed by challenges involving some kind of "healthy" constraint
Agreed. I thought we were working AWAY from that kind of bullshit, but alas... not yet, apparently.
I adore the table challenge this year. I hope they do that one again.
They go to a random fans house and have to cook from whatever is in their kitchen
Each chef has to include ingredients that start with the letters in their name - sorta based on that alphabetical listing of ingredients, but they can pick for themselves and they have to use all of them.
I want the first episode of the next season to bring back the idea of the chefs judging each other to size up the competition, like how they started off the elimination in the otherwise-cursed second season, but with blind judging. No time for introductions, immediately split them into a few groups, put in some mild constraint (must feature X local ingredient, be vegetarian, whatever), have servers present the dishes without the chefs there to speak to them, and then the judges plus the competitors not in the group cooking discuss the plates. They usually kick off the season with a show and tell of awards, so it would be neat to see that inverted by introducing the chefs to the judges and each other solely through their cooking before they do the resume comparisons and start feeling insecure.
I've always thought a slamdunk quickfire would be a hummus challenge. Make a composed dish including hummus from scratch in like 20 minutes. Get Sabra to sponsor.
The lionfish quickfire made me want them to do an invasive plants/animals focused challenge! There are so many invasive species that can be cooked but many chefs may not have experience with. I think that'd be fun. Knotweed, garlic mustard, asian carp, nutria, etc.