I also thought about Grayson's black chicken, with an egg to represent its dead child? Good god, yes. Maybe Shota would have scored more points if he called his dish a zombie's rotting penis.
Really enjoy how loose being quarantined together seems to be making everyone. Tom appears supremely baked. Padma is doing schtick. There’s no respected chefs dropping by to impress.
The inclusion of the top chef all stars has really made this season for me. It just seems like one big family. We can all share the inside jokes and references to seasons past.
Randall! I'm beyond pleased to see that you're continuing to write Top Chef recaps. I've desperately missed reading them on the graveyard that has become the AV Club.
Tonally, this episode was bizarre as hell, making it quite the fun whiskey watch. I loved how entertained Padma was by her own acting on the big screen, practically falling out of her carseat with laughter as Tom tried to politely chuckle along.
Byron's Korean Fried Chicken looked delicious, but I was still disappointed that Maria didn't take the win. The episode's edit convinced me that she was either packing her knives or finally winning a challenge, and when neither happened, I felt bamboozled. Have the elves finally decided to make the edit less predictable?
I was surprised that neither of the horror dishes incorporated beet puree/juice or octopus, but maybe those ingredients are too obvious? That said, Shota's explanation of his cheesy bloody dog and the judges' awkward, disgusted reaction was hilarious. Dawn's popcorn (while, yes Gail, was "just" popcorn) sounded pretty amazing, and I thought it would have fit even better in the action genre. My own interpretation of an "action" dish would have been something with lots of texture or ingredients that burst in the mouth (e.g., pickled cherry tomatoes/grapes, salmon roe, tapioca pearls, etc.).
I was a little worried the specter of the pandemic would hang over the season too much, but this episode was so much FUN. One of the most fun the show’s done, I think. I love this review, Randall! I don’t hate Blais as much as I used to but I love the Blais jokes so so much.
I also thought about Grayson's black chicken, with an egg to represent its dead child? Good god, yes. Maybe Shota would have scored more points if he called his dish a zombie's rotting penis.
I noticed the music, Randall. I noticed.
Really enjoy how loose being quarantined together seems to be making everyone. Tom appears supremely baked. Padma is doing schtick. There’s no respected chefs dropping by to impress.
The inclusion of the top chef all stars has really made this season for me. It just seems like one big family. We can all share the inside jokes and references to seasons past.
Randall! I'm beyond pleased to see that you're continuing to write Top Chef recaps. I've desperately missed reading them on the graveyard that has become the AV Club.
Tonally, this episode was bizarre as hell, making it quite the fun whiskey watch. I loved how entertained Padma was by her own acting on the big screen, practically falling out of her carseat with laughter as Tom tried to politely chuckle along.
Byron's Korean Fried Chicken looked delicious, but I was still disappointed that Maria didn't take the win. The episode's edit convinced me that she was either packing her knives or finally winning a challenge, and when neither happened, I felt bamboozled. Have the elves finally decided to make the edit less predictable?
I was surprised that neither of the horror dishes incorporated beet puree/juice or octopus, but maybe those ingredients are too obvious? That said, Shota's explanation of his cheesy bloody dog and the judges' awkward, disgusted reaction was hilarious. Dawn's popcorn (while, yes Gail, was "just" popcorn) sounded pretty amazing, and I thought it would have fit even better in the action genre. My own interpretation of an "action" dish would have been something with lots of texture or ingredients that burst in the mouth (e.g., pickled cherry tomatoes/grapes, salmon roe, tapioca pearls, etc.).
I think this show needs more cheesy Padma bumpers.
I was a little worried the specter of the pandemic would hang over the season too much, but this episode was so much FUN. One of the most fun the show’s done, I think. I love this review, Randall! I don’t hate Blais as much as I used to but I love the Blais jokes so so much.