David Ross

I agree with your points and I am certainly not naive in not realizing that there is a fair amount of swearing thrown around some restaurant kitchens. Yes, chefs work in an incredibly stressful environment each night and so it's no surprise that a "sh**" may come out now and then. But I would hope that profanity is not accepted as normal kitchen speak. Call me old-fashioned, but I know a number of chefs who don't feel that accepting the "F" word as a part of the normal kitchen language is appropriate--whether the kitchen is open or at the back of the house out of earshot of the customers. Yes, no doubt that the foul language, whether intentional on the part of the Top Chef contestant or not, certainly plays into the drama of the show. The art of building drama on a reality show is the hammer in the producer's toolkit. Whether it's the bleeping of a profane word, a show of anger between contestants, or a 2-second edit showing a gaze of disbelief on the face of a judge on Top Chef, it adds to the sense of anticipation for what is coming that is one of the key factors in building viewership week to week. Do I buy into that? Sure. Is it why I watch Top Chef? Not really. I'm trying to be true to myself and focus on the things that I want to see in a Top Chef-the food and cooking each week and my standards of what a "Top Chef" should be-without all the swearing. One of my favorite food "reality" shows is "The Heat" with Chef Mark McEwan from Toronto. I believe the show was originally run on Food Network Canada. I've been watching it recently on Fine Living Network. The show follows a day in the life of Chef Mark McEwan and his staff members at his Bymark and North 44 restaurants in Toronto. I've seen about 8 shows and I've never once heard a profane word bleeped out or seen any rage displayed by the chefs. Does the show accurately depict the stress of a professional kitchen? Yes, and they do it without the profanity and added-effects I find aggravating on Top Chef. Now maybe Chef McEwan and the producer's sent down a directive to the staff to not swear while they were on-camera but I doubt it. What I have been seeing is what I think is an accurate portrayal of Chef McEwan's kitchen and I admire him and his staff for that. I wonder if Le Cirque endorsed Andrew's swearing in their kitchen before he auditioned for Top Chef? Maybe so and maybe I'm in the minority here, but I can't imagine a top restaurant standing for that.

And just to be clear-Richard is my favorite to win Top Chef and he isn't the one using profanity to make his case-he's doing it with the food and I hope he gets stronger each week. I think he will. My criticism of foul language is directed at Andrew, Dale and Spike. I see no place for it in a professional kitchen.

Perhaps he was hoping to season his dish by "peppering" his language with obscenities (ha ha ha...) Or perhaps he just secretly idolizes Gordon Ramsay. ← Yes, apparently Rocco is another student of the "F'ing Gordon Ramsay Top Chef Contestant School of Vocalization." ''F this, F that, F, F, F," is a phrase I've heard used liberally on Rocco's former disaster of a show "The Restaurant." I've been watching reruns of "The restaurant" on this new channel offering-"Fox Reality." Isn't that a clue to you as to how wonderful these reruns will be? Oh wait, isn't that the same network, Fox, that runs Gordon's abominable show "Hell's Kitchen" where "F'you" is the soup d'jour? Gordon-Rocco, Rocco-Gordon, F, F, F. It got me thinking that maybe the liberal use of said word is what propelled Rocco to become a judge on Top Chef. Likewise, the popularity of the word in Gordon's vocabulary apparently encouraged him to name his new show "Ramsay's "F" word." Oh--forgot. Gordon wanted me to tell you that "F" means Food. Thank you Gordon. And Rocco.

After having watched the second show for the third time last night, without the influence of wine, I have a few more thoughts. I was surprised that Spike spent so much time listening to the guitar player at the market and not more time making sure that he was buying was what he thought it was-beef tenderloin. And by the way Spike, "beef tips," whether they are tenderloin or not, is just an old excuse for using scraps of meat. Beef tips can be delicious-if they are used properly. That mess Spike put forth in the Quickfire challenge looked, and according to the judges, tasted awful. Hmm. A farmer's market full of fresh produce and meats. As Judge Wylie remarked, "I thought about a steak sandwich." Good idea and one maybe Spike should have considered. Five wonderful ingredients from the farmer's market-beef, artisanal bread, wonderful fresh cheese, greens and maybe some specialty mayonnaise or mustard from one of the vendors? I think that would have been delicious and much better than what Spike put on the plate. I don't think the future looks good for Dale. Seems to me that one measure of a "Top Chef" is the ability to be the leader of a team and to have the respect and trust of those you lead. Dale certainly isn't showing that dignity to others or demonstrating he even has the will to do so with his comments of "I'm a control freak," and "Working on a team is a problem, I want to do my OWN thing." Yeah Dale, and while you said that Nikki's mushrooms were crappy and shouldn't have been served, you Dale were a part of that mess. You said that putting the cheese on the black mess of mushroom was like "putting perfume on a pig." Whose the pig here? Yes, Valerie deserved to go this week, but other's are walking the plank and will fall into deep waters very soon. As some of you have said, Valerie deserved the boot for simply saying "Bellini" repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly. But I'd like to ding Bravo as one of the co-loser's this week. Did you see them show a clip of a hawk just before they previewed the dishes of the "Vulture" team? Wrong bird Bravo.

I must have been in the kitchen getting more wine at the time-but did Richard do some sort of beef carpaccio? I'd be interested in a description of his dish. Although I castigated him last week over his use of plastic wrap to uncover some smoke on his crab, I still think he's one of the front runners. He's focusing on the cooking and letting that speak for itself-rather than some of the other guys who seem to think a liberal use of the "F" word somehow enhances their cooking.

The fish was not cooked. It was raw. The huckleberries were used in a cold thin sauce. It didn't overpower the fish (which to me is the miracle of the dish). So you got a kind of mellow fishiness accented with what you perfectly describe as the tart sweet flavor of the sauce. It's like the fish cuts the tartness of the huckleberries, while the huckleberries cut the sort of mushiness of the fish. BTW -- That dish wasn't at Ko, but at Ssam Bar. ← Thanks for the description. I agree with you the miracle of that dish is that the huckleberries didn't overpower the delicate flavors of the fish-especially raw fish. It is the concept of pairing those two ingredients that I found so intriguing. Thanks again. I'm going to have to experiment with this one. Thank the chefs for me next time you go in. Let them know a guy who picks wild huckleberries appreciates the manner in which they used them.

God I wish I had a Bloody Mary right now this morning as I write about episode #2. As we've seen in past years, the early episodes bring us two extremes-some amazingly creative dishes and some disgusting mishmash. It seems like we have to weed out the weaker chefs early on before we see the cooking level off on a consistently high level. But it sure is fun seeing the weaklings fall off early on isn't it? I actually thought that Nikki was the one who would be let go. As the judges said, that poor, little, clump of black gunk looked like bear poop-not bear food. Was Nikki just trying to play with the bear theme and trick us into thinking what looked like bear crap was going to taste delicious? Mushrooms stuffed with blueberries is not a flavor combination that I think would work. I live not far from the forests where grizzly bears dwell and I know for a fact that they like huckleberries-somewhat of a cousin of the blueberry. And our forests are thick in the Spring with Morels and later in the year, delicious Chanterelle mushrooms. Maybe real bears like berries with their mushrooms but I don't think their human counterparts do. And pecorino cheese? Nope. I just don't think the meaty flavor of mushrooms should be paired with the sweet yet tart flavor of blueberries and the tangy flavor of pecorino cheese. The team admitted the cheese was just an after-thought, added only to add some white specks of color to the black bear poop. I checked out the site for Nikki's restaurant in New York, 24Prince. The menu is not overly adventurous, but it does appear to be written by a chef who should have a decent grasp of flavor combinations. It seems odd to me that Nikki would not have taken a bit more time to think about the flavor combinations in the stuffed mushrooms before moving forward with this dish. It looked awful to me and tasted awful to the judges. And it was cold. Yuck. Chef Collichio's blog this week is spot on. He speaks about how he finds it amazing that some of the contestants don't follow the basic fundamentals of cooking. I agree with Tom. If some of the contestants would just take care of business on Top Chef like they should do in their restaurant kitchens every night, they might be more successful at the judges table-1) taking a few moments to think about the flavor combinations in a dish before racing off to steal a saute pan, 2) avoiding the urge to create a dish that they have never cooked before, 3) serving dishes cold and 4) not tasting the dish before it goes to the dining room. Terrible.

Over in the other topic on Ko where we have been debating the reservations system, Sneakeater mentioned a new dish he had at Ko the other night of Striped Bass with Huckleberry and Fried Lotus. Sounds delicious to me and Sneakeater gave the dish a thumbs up. Hats off to Chang for having the creative vision to dream up an intriguing combination of flavors-the tartness of the wild huckleberry paired with sea bass. How was the striped bass cooked and how were the huckleberries used in the dish? Were the huckleberries used in a sauce or served as whole berries? How did you feel the tart, yet sweet flavor of the huckleberries accented the flavor of the fish? Did the huckleberries overpower the fish? I live in the land where huckleberries grow wild. We tend to use the huckleberry in traditional recipes in sweet dishes like pancakes, breads and jams and then in savory dishes like sauces for wild game. I'm always interested in how chefs outside of the Pacific Northwest use the huckleberry in new ways that we haven't thought of. Thanks for your thoughts on this dish.

Last night I made Chicken Picatta served with these little Smoked Chicken Pasta Dumplings that I found at the market. I cheated and used a store-bought Alfredo sauce that I dressed up with some fresh spinach.

Sensi would be a good bet. Since you are at Bellagio I would just stay there for dinner and then you have just a short walk through the hotel to get to the show. Martin Heirling is the chef at Sensi and his cuisine is described as a mix of Mediterranean, Asian and American. I would actually say it is more akin to what some call California cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean accents. The chefs work at glass-enclosed stations centered in the dining rooms. Your fiancee would like the seafood that they keep in live tanks while you would find a number of other non-seafood dishes. The desserts are very good and they will give you a fancy bag of cookies at the end of the meal to take with you. While it's not my crowd, or age group, you might want to try Fix. It caters to the club crowd and has a more see and be seen, hip vibe. The food is what I would probably call upscale, chi-chi American fare. There is less of an accent on seafood at Fix like there is over at Sensi. The noise level gets pretty high at Fix-partly because it opens next to a main walking area through the casino and partly because of the lively crowd. Depending on the time Elton John concert ends, you might want to walk straight across to Bradley Ogden or Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. Personally I would prefer Bradley Ogden-upscale "farm-fresh" American cuisine and the chefs son, Bryan Ogden runs the kitchen. It is a bit more formal than you want, but I know you wouldn't be disappointed in the food. I'm not sure if you would want the full-meal-formal setting at a late hour though. Flay's Mesa Grill is close to the entrance to the Elton John show and it would be more akin to your preference in contemporary informal dining. The reviews I have read have in general been average to good, not great. You may want to try the newly opened Payard Patisserie and Bistro within Caesar's. They show that they are open to 11:30. Probably the best payoff to dining here is that you have the chance to buy one of their pastries to take back to the room.

Well first off, as you know, you've made a wonderful choice of hotel. Give me some time to think about answering your questions and I'll get back to you. I can tell you now though that Sensi, while expensive, has a casual feel in the vein of Olives and the food is very good. Sensi is often over-looked since Bellagio has so many other big-name restaurants.

I think you would still enjoy Nobu even if you are not a seafood lover. While the cuisine is focused on fresh seafood, as you noted, there are other options on the menu and I think you'd find the quality of the beef and other non-seafood dishes to be just as high as the seafood. At most of the top seafood houses in Las Vegas you'll find the steak item on the menu uses prime grade beef. Are you staying at the Hard Rock hotel where Nobu is located? If you are, there are a couple of other restaurant options there that aren't as heavily focused on seafood as Nobu. If you are staying somewhere else, let us know and we can give you a quick recap of the restaurants at the other hotels, and keep going through some of the pages on eGullet that are devoted to Las Vegas dining. There are detailed reviews and lots of wonderful photos to give you a good base for making a decision on where to dine.

There's at least one more way in which the comparison is totally irrelevant.When a regular calls a restaurant at the last minute for a table, the restaurant is only too happy to accommodate them (if they possibly can). Indeed, many restaurants deliberately set seats aside for just that reason. When a regular calls an airline at the last minute for a seat, they are "rewarded" by paying a higher price than they would have paid for a seat reserved long in advance. When a regular calls a restaurant to change their reservation time, the restaurant is only too happy to accommodate them (if they possibly can). When a regular calls an airline, they are "rewarded" by paying a change fee, ranging from $25-100. ← I am not sure if you are a member of a frequent flier program and which airline it may be. So if you are a frequent customer and have had the experiences described above, if it were me I would be on the phone to that airlines frequent flier customer service people to voice my displeasure. I can only speak about my company's program of loyalty for our best customers and the examples you mention above are not always the standard that we follow. We do have many flights where we set aside seats on a daily basis for our MVP Customers. We are happy to accomodate them if we can with a seat. Just like the restaurant. It is not just a given that we will gouge them for the cost of a "walk-up" ticket at the last minute. We recognize that they are good customers and want to provide them exceptional service by selling that last minute seat at a reasonable price. Yes, that is a bit of a different pricing structure than you would find at a restaurant, but it isn't necessarily the exceptional high price you suggest. While airlines have a "Change Fee" for passengers who make last minute changes to their reservations system, we rarely follow that procedure when it comes to our frequent fliers wanting to change to another flight. So like a good restaurant, we recognize the loyalty of the frequent customer and accomodate their last minute change of plans. Back to my daily commute example. We fly every hour between Seattle and Spokane and we regularly have frequent customers walk up to the boarding podiums wanting to fly earlier. We accomodate them without taking a change fee because it is the right thing to do. The Ticket Agent doesn't have the time nor is it expected of them to collect a $25 change fee from the customer. This customer has paid far more in tickets over the long run and they deserve the courtesy. They might have bought a ticket on a later flight for a cheaper price but they want to fly at a peak business time, which would be priced higher, without the hassle of paying a change fee. We accomodate them because it's the right thing to do for our best passengers. Again, I think a similar comparison to Steven's earlier points on Ko, or any restaurant, rewarding it's best customers.

Yes, that is the case if you are speaking in general terms. But our business is more complex than that when it comes to setting aside "seats." We look at this issue in terms of the number of seats on the aircraft, the day of the week and the route flown. So for example, we know that flights to Mexico tend to be largely made up of pleasure travel and we don't need to set aside as many seats for our frequent fliers. On the other hand, in the market I fly daily, Seattle-Spokane, we know it is heavily made up of business travellers, many of whom fly almost as much as I do. We know the 7am flight is more preferable to our frequent fliers than the 930am flight and we adjust our ability to serve their needs accordingly-more preferable seats. If a restaurant knows that most of their loyal diners want tables on a Saturday night at 7pm, can they not make adjustments in their reservations system to accomodate those requests, yet still meet their financial targets? In my earlier example, I used a 37 seat, small, turboprop aircraft. If we set aside 3 seats at row one with extra leg room and 4 seats at the exit row at row 4, that is 18% of the total seats. Could Ko set aside 18% of its seats for loyal customers every night? Probably not. But using your example, could Ko's financial planner find a way to insure that setting aside 10% of their seats nightly would still allow the restaurant to be profitable AND reward their loyal customers. It could happen.

I think there are U.S. airlines that do provide good customer service and some of my examples speak to that. And although I am obviously in the minority here, I do think some of the customer service examples I provided cross-over to a discussion of customer service in a restaurant. Earlier on this topic, Steven posed the question of regular customers vs. frequent customers as a part of the discussion of the new reservation system at KO. A subsequent discussion grew from that point and spoke about customer service and whether or not the loyal customer of a restaurant deserved extra recognition not given to the average restaurant customer. I used the frequent flyer customer as an example of how our airline rewards our most loyal customers. I wasn't speaking so much to the issue of frequent fliers not having a choice of carriers, but more to the issue of how our business honors the loyalty of our best customers. I still think it is fair to look at an airline frequent flier program in comparison to how a restaurant treats its regular customers. At least it is the foundation for starting that discussion. You can't lump all frequent fliers into one category and say that they don't care about the price of a ticket because they're not the one paying for it. Any number of frequent fliers are small business owners and they are in fact the passenger paying for the ticket. They have to watch the bottom line like anyone else. If we don't provide them good value at a fair price, we lose that customer. Is that not a fair comparison to the frequent customer of a restaurant? If you feel that the restaurant isn't rewarding your loyalty and giving you the quality you expect for the price you are paying, wouldn't you go elsewhere?

I think the acid test, if there is any, comes long past day one.Early on, there's a heavy crush of people eager to try The Next Big Thing. It doesn't matter if there are some potential customers who are offended by the sloppy service, because the restaurant has more guests than it can accommodate anyway. The challenge doesn't come until after the initial furore has died down, which can take days or years, depending on the restaurants. There's much in your analogy that is relevant. But one huge distinction is the large number of airline routes that are monopolies, or near-monopolies. There are a lot of times when you're stuck with one airline—even one you hate. That just doesn't happen with restaurants. ← In all due respect, I have to disagree with a couple of your points. I think the acid test does come on day one. If you choose to run with the thoroughbreds, (other chefs and restaurants in your class), you better come out of the gate quick or you'll be left behind. Of course any new restaurant will go through a number of opening challenges, but that should simply be a matter of adapting to growing pains. To be blunt-your reservations system better work on day one. It better give me the chance to book a table and if I'm one of your regular customers, I should have the opportunity to book tables that are held back for loyal customers. That is the issue that got this topic going. I agree with you that there is going to be an inherent sense of shock and awe in the minds of some customers who will want to try the "Next Bext Thing" as you describe it. That's a given. What isn't a given in my book, (but trust me, I realize it is the reality), and what I find disappointing, is that any top tier chef or restaurant who would just shrug off the fact that "It doesn't matter if there are some potential customers who are offended by the sloppy service, because the restaurant has more guests than it can accommodate anyway..." You see, that speaks exactly to my earlier points that we are settling for something less that what we should expect and that is #1) a reservations system that works from day one, #2) everyone should expect a higher level of customer service. That means no potential customer is offended just because there are 350 people standing in line behind them. That attitude only waters down a commitment to good customer service. #3) A regular customer deserves to be given rewards for their patronage.

Actually, our frequent fliers are easygoing-up to a point. They expect a high level of service as they well should and if we don't deliver they don't hesitate to let us know. I have attended many lunches that we host for our frequent customers and they consistently tell us they are fiercely loyal, but with that loyalty comes a right to give us constructive criticism. I see the same analogy applying to the customer of a restaurant, Steven for example, who has every right to expect that the restaurant that he frequently dines at will provide him with a measure of reward in return for his loyalty. I've been in customer service long enough to realize that those of us who are professionals in customer service-whether it's at a hotel, a restaurant, an airline or a department store-all share this common, old-fashioned ethic of service and that's why I think we've endured.

True, the customer has more choices of restaurants in a certain city than they have choices over the number of airlines that fly into that city. And yes, we do have some routes in our network where we have little or no competition. But we do not lower our customer service standards regardless of the competition on a specifc route. We realize there are some markets where people are stuck with only one choice of carrier, but we look at that as a challenge to keep our standards consistently higher than the other guy. You see, we are trying to create an overall "brand" image that distinguishes us on every flight, regardless of whether there is direct competition in the market or not. If people consistently see us deliver on that promise, we'll be successful. Restaurants can learn from this example. One should never set the bar at just o.k., especially at the level, (and expense), of the restaurants that we discuss here at eGullet. I don't think that we (eGullet members), are necessarily the dining demographic with lower standards, but I do think there is a general malaise among the public when it comes to customer service standards and that is sad. What I try to do with my employees and our customers is to lead through my examples of superior serve and to teach people that they don't have to settle for second-best. While I have gotten a bit off this direct topic, I am glad that the turn of the discussion has focused on this important issue of customer service expectations and rewarding customer loyalty. It's an important discussion that needs to continue.

If the question is "huh?" to my entire post above, I failed miserably in getting my points across. If the question "huh?" is regarding the last words I wrote about eating crow, I'll let that sit for a bit before answering.

I've been following this intense discussion and I wanted to wait and give it some thought before I responded. I will tell you off the bat that I support Steven's arguments in terms of what we, the customers, should expect when making a reservation at a restaurant. Furthermore, I support his declaration that as a regular customer of a restaurant he has every right to expect preferential treatment. And yes, that can all be achieved at a restaurant with a limited number of seats like Momofuku Ko. I don't need to defend Steven's arguments, he clearly outlined the defense of his case. But what I can do is share my opinions as a professional in the customer service business to give you a bit of a different perspective from what has already been shared on these pages. First, I'll start with my thoughts on the reservation system. I am often surprised that talented chefs and their staffs don't apply the same amount of dedication to the reservations system that they do to the efforts in the kitchen. As a customer, I expect that the reservation system that is put in place functions properly on day one. I expect the staff to have chosen the right system for their restaurant-whether that's at Open Table, their own internal site, or an old-fashioned system where you call and speak to a real person. And that system should have been tested and the bugs worked out before opening day. Of course the system is then continually fine-tuned and updated as the restaurant settles in. If the system is too burdensome and it prevents the customer from quickly making a reservation, I think they will go elsewhere. "I don't want to be handicapped by a system that doesn't give me the ability to quickly book a table, I'll go elsewhere," is the thought that comes to mind. Another simple example of the negative effect on the customer when the right system isn't in place would be when I go into a bakery at 11am and expect them to still have fresh onion bagels. I don't expect them to tell me that "we're all out." If they are watching the front of the store as much as the ovens in the back, then they'll accomodate for the fact that they sell onion bagels all day. I expect them to meet that demand-whether I come in for a bagel at 7am or at 3pm. Likewise, I expect the restaurant has designed a reservations system that meets the needs of all of their customers and I expect the bakery case to be open, (my ability to book a table), whenever I visit the restaurant website. That is basic fundamental customer service. Now speaking to this issue of customer loyalty is a subject that is quite near and dear to my heart. I have worked in customer service for 29 years, the past 20 in the Airline Industry so I speak with a bit of experience. I have a respect for the traditions and history of good customer service, yet sadly, I find the overall expectations of today's consumer to be falling. As Steven mentioned, we should all demand better from the people we are paying for services. Whether it's the checker at the grocery store who gossips over your head with the checker at the next podium instead of focusing on you, or the waiter who brings your appetizer at the same time the entrees are served, we too often shrug it off as poor customer service without expecting better. The businesses that still adhere to that old-fashioned customer service ethic are the businesses that survive in the long run. That leads to my next point about this issue of the "regular" customer. I am a firm believer that a frequent customer has every right to expect that their loyalty will be recognized with rewards that are not offered to the one-time only customer. As Steven pointed out earlier, a restaurant rewarding a regular customer is no different than an airline frequent flyer program that gives a number of rewards, or perks as they are more commonly known, to their best customers. Since the airline business is my business, I'll give a few examples of how we reward our frequent flyers. And while you may argue that I am comparing apples to oranges, I don't think I am. Comparing customer loyalty in the restaurant business to customer loyalty in the airline industry is really no different-it's like comparing a Golden Delicious Apple to Granny Smith-both apples, both fall from an apple tree. Our frequent flyers, we call them MVP's and MVP Golds, are incredibly valuable to our business. While they make up less than 20% of our overall passengers, they are responsible for contributing to over 75% of our revenue. Those are just basic figures, but you can see how a small portion of our frequent customers contribute such a large portion of our revenue. The figures for Chang's empire are probably different, but my guess is that the basic premise is the same for a restaurant-a small percentage of your regular customers are responsible for contributing the largest percentage of your revenue. Secondly, those regular customers tend to stick with your business over the long run. These two examples demonstrate why it is critical that we reward our regular customers-it simply has to happen-whether it's in my business or in the restaurant business. It can happen at a 12-seat sushi bar or a 100 seat grand hotel dining room. Here's a practical example of how we reward our frequent customers. (You are probably already bored, but stay with me as my examples speak to supporting this issue of a restaurant rewarding a frequent customer). I fly twice a day, five days a week, to commute to my job in Seattle. While I would like to think of myself as having the upper status of our most frequent flyers, because I am employed by the airline I don't have the satisfaction of being called an MVP Gold. Yet I am in this lonely category of being one of the few people in this country who is both an airline employee and a frequent flyer. I see both sides. Last week on a short flight an MVP Gold was sitting behind me in the far most reaches of the aft coach cabin. He hadn't been able to upgrade to first class. When the flight attendant approached him she called him by name and offered him a complimentary beer, apologizing that his upgrade didn't go through, but thanking him for being a "regular" customer. She didn't offer me a beer or any of the other "less-frequent" customers a beer. This gentleman clearly deserved the compliments he was being given and the rest of us had no problem with the flight attendant obliging this passenger. The passenger was quite pleased and profusely thanked the flight attendant for recognizing his status as an MVP Gold. I was proud as an employee to hear the conversation between a fellow employee and one of our customers. That's an example of the payback we see in rewarding customer loyalty and why restaurants should follow our example. Many great restaurants have established the same sense of customer loyalty that we exhibit at our company. My advice is for the new kids on the block to follow suit. If you are a loyal customer of Chang's restaurants, that loyalty should be rewarded at any new restaurant Chef Chang opens. And yes, it can be done at a restaurant with just 12 seats at a counter or a grand hotel dining room seating 100. In this case, size does not matter. You can instill a system that serves all your customers, including rewards and special touches that are only given to your best customers. You just have to find the right balance between rewarding the best customers, serving your new customers, and keeping a mind on the bottom line. It can and should work. The smallest aircraft our company flies is a 37 passenger prop airplane. We set aside specific seats at row 1 and the exit rows for our best customers, our loyal MVP Gold passengers. They are given a number of other "perks" like priority on our standy list for earlier flights and preferential treatment on a later flight if their flight is cancelled. Yet, ALL our customers are "served" the same inflight service, including complimentary wine and micro-brews even on flights as short as 35 minutes. Yes, we serve everyone a superior product, but our loyal customers are given additional rewards for their frequent business. In the case of Momofuku Ko, only time will give us some answers to these questions. By the way Fat Guy, I believe that succulent dish of crow is still roasting in the oven. It should be delicious once it is ready. This particular crow fed on a natural diet of carrion so I think the meat will taste of what the bird has been eating. It may take time before the crow is ready, but I can't wait to serve our guests. Should I carve or do you want the pleasure?

Dr. J your food and photos get better and better. Do you buy the razor clams live at an Asian market? We get wonderful razor clams up here in the Pacific Northwest, but sadly they are never sold live in the shells.

How right you are. As we all know, there is no comparison between store-bought mayonnaise and the real deal. How complicated can it be to make mayonnaise? Of course the kitchen had eggs, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and fresh herbs. And if you were tired and didn't want to employ the classic technique of whisking your mayonnaise by hand, no doubt any number of blenders and food processors were donated to the Top Chef kitchens that would have aided to the cause. The chef was lazy. Let's hope we won't see that sort of foible in the coming weeks.

Tonight I made Chicken Breast with a Sweet and Sour Sauce, served with Preserved Cucumber, Pickled Shallots, Steamed Turnips and Steamed Rice:

Ok, just indulge me one more minute on the smoke debate. I am currently watching a perfect example of how I think smoke can excite the senses if it is used properly by a chef. What I am watching is Kylie Kwong's show "Simply Magic: Cooking From the Heart." Chef Kwong opened the show by heating some Szechuan peppercorns in a hot wok until they were smoking. She didn't add the smoke to any dish. No, five minutes before the restaurant was to open, she wanted that spicy, exotic Szechuan smoke to permeate the dining room so that was the first sense her diners felt. As the show is progressing, she is cooking Crispy Skin Duck with Fresh Blood Plum Sauce and Lime. The duck was marinated with a mixture including Szechuan Peppercorns. While I thought Richard could have gone without the smoke element in his crab dish, it might have been successful from a taste standpoint. I still think it looked hokey when he fumbled with that gizmo and ripped the plastic off the bowl. Yes, there is obviously a place for smoke in the kitchen-or in the dining room-or both, as the above example points out. The chef just has to apply the smoke in the appropriate manner.

I guess I get the be the voice of dissent ... I disagree. I definitely did not catch any attitude from him about it being super-novel: after all, he was using a gadget produced for this express purpose and sold to chefs throughout the world. We've even seen it in Iron Chef America, so I doubt he thought he was being really unique. He was just cranking it up a notch over the other competitors. Yes, it would have been great if he could have served it under glass domes like you generally see done, but if they weren't available, I think plastic wrap is an OK compromise, allowing you to see the smoke in the bowl before releasing it---I wouldn't like it in a restaurant, but I think under the circumstances it was OK. Also, I think that a little smoke gives everything a "meatier" flavor, so I didn't object to that comment, either. ← I see your perspective and I agree that a little smoke can give food a "meatier" flavor. But I should explain my earlier point further. I think that a whiff of smoke in certain dishes can bring out the sense that the protein will taste "meatier." I see smoke as a sort of sense trigger. In other words, when a plate of smoked baby back ribs is placed before me, that scent of hickory triggers the sense that I am in store for some good old barbecued meat. I find that same sense is triggered when I am tasting some delicious smoked salmon. So I do think smoke used with seafood can certainly work in the right context. I just think in Richard's dish he used the smoke as a gimmick. My taste for crab cakes is simple-I want the sweet, buttery taste of the crab to be the star and I don't want the flavor of the meat to be hidden behind a "smoke screen." That's just my personal taste in general when we are discussing crab cakes. Had I been at the judges table and tasted Richard's dish, I might have given him a thumbs up. Thanks for pointing out another side of this issue. One of the things I love about the Top Chef topic is that we all see the same show but come away with very different opinions.