Bravo's Top Chef Season 2

[ghost]

OK.  Here's a scoop. 

Someone I know is a make-up artist for the show, and she said that they are heading off to Hawaii in November for filming.  They'll be based at the Hilton Waikoloa.

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So the season isn't completely filmed yet? I would have imagined that everything excep maybe the last episode was in the can.

[Vadouvan]

Otto is solely at fault not because he intentionally took the lychee but he realised the error outside the store.

He should not have opened himself up to that kind of questioning of his intergrity in the competition.

He had a second opportunity to take charge and inform Colicchio himself.

At least that would have communicated intrinsic honesty and the fact that it was a mistake.

OF COURSE....you know someone is going to rat you out.

Certainly the girl who ratted him out could have given him that opportunity but he put himself in that position, he should know better.

[MissAmy]

Why can't they have a mentor figure instead of someone who comes in just to treat them like idiots?I can't stand that guy. He makes me want to slap the TV. 

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Do you mean Tom Colicchio? I LOVE him. He's the best part of the show.

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REALLY?! I wish he were more of a mentor figure, a'la Tim Gunn. Also, I find his smile to be that of a hyena. Smiling only because he can't wait to stab you in the back. His attitude toward the contestants really turns me off. Honestly, I think he's only there to create more drama. As if this show needed any more drama.

[Tess]

OK.  Here's a scoop. 

Someone I know is a make-up artist for the show, and she said that they are heading off to Hawaii in November for filming.  They'll be based at the Hilton Waikoloa.

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So the season isn't completely filmed yet? I would have imagined that everything excep maybe the last episode was in the can.

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There is quite time lag between filming the other episodes and filming the finale. I think they said it was 4 months last time.

I agree with whoever said it's hard to get into the show with so many people on it; you can hardly keep track. I think several of the competitors are quite likeable though. Betty is adorable even though she looks like Suzanne Somers. She was so gracious accepting her prize, and she has so much energy. I would honestly go to her restaurant if it were nearby, just to see it.

[Jensen]

REALLY?! I wish he were more of a mentor figure, a'la Tim Gunn. Also, I find his smile to be that of a hyena. Smiling only because he can't wait to stab you in the back. His attitude toward the contestants really turns me off. Honestly, I think he's only there to create more drama. As if this show needed any more drama.

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You should check out the first installment of his blog of this season: The Tim Gunn Effect

He makes a couple of very good points as to why it wouldn't work if he were a Tim Gunn-ite sort:

1. the ability to change directions mid-project doesn't lend itself well to cooking, and

2. he is a judge. Tim Gunn isn't a judge.

That being said, it would be nice if they had someone like Tim Gunn, especially for the team challenges.

I'm never a huge fan of these shows in their early days. The early challenges seem more geared at pinpointing weaknesses, rather than highlighting strengths. But, without the early shows, there wouldn't be the drama and excitement of the later ones.

As for this year's contestants, so far I quite like Betty, Elia, and Mia. None of the guys have shown themselves to have much in the way of personality yet, undoubtedly due to editing.

[Swicks]

Regarding the lychees and Otto not fessing up until later...

I believe Tony Bourdain calls that System D....

[SheenaGreena]

I thought otto had some balls to accept the blame and take himself out of the competition (despite lying then fessing up) until at the end of the show when he said it was his "job" to end world hunger. What a load of crap! I liked how when he said that one liner he was wearing the most cheesiest pin stripe suit.

I'm also surprised that Ming Tsai didn't bring up the fact that the Korean team's dessert isn't Korean at all. He made sure to ask them if it was authentic when he was tasting it, but he didn't make a point wether it was or not. I'm sorry but Koreans do not use taro, tapioca balls, or lychee in their food. They may use it now due to recent trends in food, but it is not used in traditional korean cooking. Also I am glad they didn't do a barbeque dish. Its nice to know that when people think of Korean food they don't always think of bbq.

I thought lychee was pronounced: lee chee not lie chee?

If I got a free box of food I would've kept my mouth shut, but that's just me...

Edited October 27, 2006 by SheenaGreena (log)

[johnder]

Does anyone else notice they are giving Sam very little camera time? They didn't show his sushi dish in this episode and only briefly showed his dish in the first. I wonder what is up with that. I doesn't look like he is a big gabber but more of a do-er, which could be the reason.

[SheenaGreena]

Does anyone else notice they are giving Sam very little camera time? They didn't show his sushi dish in this episode and only briefly showed his dish in the first. I wonder what is up with that. I doesn't look like he is a big gabber but more of a do-er, which could be the reason.

I noticed that...they cut out a few people in the first competition. I noticed that around 4-5 people didn't show their food!

[BryanZ]

In the same vein, I wanted to see Marcel's take on sushi/sashimi.

[repoman]

I heard an interview with Tom Colicchio on the Restaurant Guys radio show podcast and he was explaining why he doesn't mentor the contestants. He said its in the contract and the rules of the show. He said its really hard to not give them advice, but he just cannot do it. Though I think it would be really cool if they had some kind of quick fire challenge where the winner gets to use Tom or one of the guest chefs (Ming Tsai, Bourdain, etc) to help with the final challenge.

I don't think that he wants to rip the contestants at all so I disagree with some of the posters that make him out to be the American Gordon Ramsay. You can tell by some of his comments to the chefs that he is trying to let them know if they are on the right track or the wrong track, but I have never seen him be disrespectful or mean.

[Philanthrophobe]

I thought otto had some balls to accept the blame and take himself out of the competition (despite lying then fessing up) until at the end of the show when he said it was his "job" to end world hunger.  What a load of crap!  I liked how when he said that one liner he was wearing the most cheesiest pin stripe suit.

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"Cheesiest pin stripe suit" aside, the man does seem pretty dedicated to fighting hunger. If I owned a "cheesiest pin stripe hat," I'd doff it to him.

[Brioche57]

I thought otto had some balls to accept the blame and take himself out of the competition (despite lying then fessing up) until at the end of the show when he said it was his "job" to end world hunger. What a load of crap!

Chef Borsich organized a food rescue program in which the Red Cross distributed donated food to those in need throughout Nassau Island. He also orchestrated a large scale cultural event feeding underprivileged children on World Food Day at the Government House (Bahamian White House), and as an active member in the American Culinary Federation, he is the impetus behind Childhood Hunger Day, a three day symposium on Capitol Hill attended by Chefs, Senators and Congressional Representatives to discuss hunger and poverty legislation.

Wow!

[Brioche57]

This was in the San Francisco Chronicle a few weeks ago regarding our "favorite" contestant Marissa!

In today's Inside Scoop in the SF Chronicle there is a brief dig at Marisa.

In August, I wrote that pastry chef Marisa Churchill had taken off to compete in the reality show "Top Chef."

They finally replaced her internally with Kinko Ogami, who has been with the restaurant since the beginning.

"She brings a little more finesse," says owner Lissa Doumani.

"She's more trained in traditional French pastry, so the technique will be traditional, but the combination of flavors will be anything but traditional."

[Fay Jai]

Regarding the flambe challenge....

It appeared that they were doing this in non stick pans. Is that safe?

(stupid question, I know...)

[Claudia Greco]

Regarding the lychees and Otto not fessing up until later...

I believe Tony Bourdain calls that System D....

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Hahahaha! Not quite! System D is when your RoboCoupes have all fritzed out and you manage to acquire a replacement part from another restaurant - but I believe a good "debroulliard" would return it after service, or he/she would not get that assist later. Otto took what was an oversight and MADE a theft and a cheat by not saying, "let me go back in and pay for it." And if Marisa was so concerned about integrity and honesty, she would have called him on the spot right then and said, "Wait - let's check the receipt." So they are both weasels. But, yeah, Otto COULD have the makings of a good debroulliard, otherwise . . .

[Claudia Greco]

I thought lychee was pronounced:  lee chee not lie chee?

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Well, I was raised in Hong Kong, and it was pronounced lie-CHEE over there. I only heard "lee chee" and even "lit-chee" when I came back to the States. Maybe it's different in Chinese dialects other than Cantonese.

[lapasterie]

I thought lychee was pronounced:  lee chee not lie chee?

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Well, I was raised in Hong Kong, and it was pronounced lie-CHEE over there. I only heard "lee chee" and even "lit-chee" when I came back to the States. Maybe it's different in Chinese dialects other than Cantonese.

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I heard a Chinese chef pronounce it LIE-ch. I had never heard it said that way and had a hard time with that .

[oneidaone]

Here in HI everyone pronounces is LYECHEE. Even at the farmer's markets and all the

yard people say it that way too.

[SheenaGreena]

QUOTE

I thought otto had some balls to accept the blame and take himself out of the competition (despite lying then fessing up) until at the end of the show when he said it was his "job" to end world hunger. What a load of crap!

QUOTE

Chef Borsich organized a food rescue program in which the Red Cross distributed donated food to those in need throughout Nassau Island. He also orchestrated a large scale cultural event feeding underprivileged children on World Food Day at the Government House (Bahamian White House), and as an active member in the American Culinary Federation, he is the impetus behind Childhood Hunger Day, a three day symposium on Capitol Hill attended by Chefs, Senators and Congressional Representatives to discuss hunger and poverty legislation.

Wow!

okay, I take it back my earlier comment (:

I heard that lychee was pronounced differently in mandarin and cantonese. One is pronounces it lie chee and the other pronounches it lee chee

[Claudia Greco]

[Claudia Greco]

Regarding the flambe challenge....

It appeared that they were doing this in non stick pans. Is that safe?

(stupid question, I know...)

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Sure. The flambe-ing basically cooks flavor into the meat - it works in every pan, from el cheapo tinnies to Calphalon Professional Non-Stick. Just keep your face out of your saute pan when you do it, and make sure you aren't directly under your inbuilt microwave, etc. - home kitchens don't come with the high open space of the Iron Chef studios - or any other professional kitchen (!)

[Fay Jai]

Regarding the flambe challenge....

It appeared that they were doing this in non stick pans. Is that safe?

(stupid question, I know...)

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Sure. The flambe-ing basically cooks flavor into the meat - it works in every pan, from el cheapo tinnies to Calphalon Professional Non-Stick. Just keep your face out of your saute pan when you do it, and make sure you aren't directly under your inbuilt microwave, etc. - home kitchens don't come with the high open space of the Iron Chef studios - or any other professional kitchen (!)

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Gotcha. I'm worried, however, about the effect of the flames on the Teflon. I've heard so much on the news about how dangerous Teflon gets when it is overheated.

Am I being overly paranoid here?

Thanks!

[Philanthrophobe]

Regarding the flambe challenge....

It appeared that they were doing this in non stick pans. Is that safe?

(stupid question, I know...)

←

Sure. The flambe-ing basically cooks flavor into the meat - it works in every pan, from el cheapo tinnies to Calphalon Professional Non-Stick. Just keep your face out of your saute pan when you do it, and make sure you aren't directly under your inbuilt microwave, etc. - home kitchens don't come with the high open space of the Iron Chef studios - or any other professional kitchen (!)

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Gotcha. I'm worried, however, about the effect of the flames on the Teflon. I've heard so much on the news about how dangerous Teflon gets when it is overheated.

Am I being overly paranoid here?

Thanks!

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It's bad for parrots when an empty Teflon-coated pan is heated to high temps (the fumes can kill them), but didn't someone do a recent study demonstrating that, if used correctly, Teflon was safe for humans?

[BryanZ]

For your viewing displeasure.

Marisa, (somewhat) exposed.

There's classy, then there's this girl.