Top Chef – Recap & Review – Mentors

photo: bravo

Top Chef
Mentors

Original Air Date: Feb 8, 2012

Ryan O – Two Cents Senior Reviewer
ryano@thetwocentscorp.com

After a bit of a gimmicky Quickfire (with annoying results), the Elimination challenge sees the cheftestants cooking to impress their mentors, who are there to taste the results.

No, I’m not going to spoil anyone by putting the winner of Last Chance Kitchen up here. You’re going to have to keep reading for that.

Padma and Tom are waiting for the cheftestants in the kitchen. Padma says it’s time to see who won Last Chance Kitchen. And Beverly enters, much to Sarah’s dismay. She looks like, well, she looks like she realizes she’s going home is the only way I can put it. She looks like she knows she’s toast. Seriously, Sarah just looks devastated.

Quickfire

They have 30 minutes to cook but they have to wear a blindfold when they go to the pantry. They have to use every ingredient they grab and put into their basket. So, they have to be careful about what they put into their basket.

The winner gets a choice: either a Prius or a guaranteed spot in the final. Tough choice unless you have no confidence in your ability compared to the other chefs. Also, it seems like a really cheap way into the finals.

Here’s what they made.

Beverly: Striped bass with avocado (which she didn’t mean to grab), lime, and jalapeno
Paul: Sauteed prawn with Thai-style tomato salad
Edward: “Udon” with ribbons of zucchini, mushrooms, and scallions
Sarah: Corn soup with onion, red chili, roasted mushrooms, and peaches
Lindsay: Fish with bulgur wheat, mascarpone, and broccoli rabe

Tom thought that Ed did a great job by using the pork casings (which is to say what you’d use to make sausage) to make the broth for his soup. His prawn was very nicely cooked.

Tom liked the sweet/salty balance of Paul’s dish but he thought the prawn was a bit undercooked.

Beverly’s fish was a bit undercooked but her avocado side was really good.

Lindsay’s fish was perfectly cooked. The bulgur wheat went with the tomato.

Tom thought that Sarah was forcing the peach into the dish but that it mostly worked.

Sarah wins the Quickfire. She decides to take the guaranteed spot in the final. Wussy. But, also, realistic. She’s been in the bottom four of the last five eliminations (the only one she was in the top was Restaurant Wars) and only one of those four was a team challenge (BBQ Pit). She might be the chef with the worst track record who made it into the final. How’s this for comparison: Sarah finished in the bottom five times total. The other three chefs? Seven times total.

Elimination Challenge

For the Elimination Challenge, the chetestants mentors are brought in.

Sarah’s mentor – Tony Mantuano
Lindsay – Michelle Bernstein
Beverly – Sarah Stegner
Paul – Tyson Cole
Ed – Frank Crispo

The challenge is to make a dish that will impress their mentors.

Here’s what they made:

Beverly: Gulf shrimp and BBQ pork Singapore noodles

Tom says that cooking in a wok for that many people shows that Beverly pushed herself and “that overall Beverly did a nice job.” Wow, that’s damning with faint praise.

Lindsay: Seafood “stew” over toasted couscous and broth with emulsified cream

No one is sure why Lindsay added the cream to the broth. One of the other mentors says there’s a lot of raw thyme flavor coming through. Hugh says it’s a very good dish.

Paul: Chilled sunchoke and dashi soup with summer vegetables

The soup is salty but is balanced by the unsalted vegetables. They all like it.

Edward: Braised pork belly and smoked oyster crema with pickled vegetables (Phew! That was close! We almost had a show without pickling!)

Gail says that Ed packed the plate with a ton of flavor. Tom is not a fan of the oyster sauce. Lots of people love the pickled vegetables.

After that, I’d say that Beverly is out.

Judges Table

Tom was really impressed with Paul and the restraint he showed with his soup. He knew when to realize that it was right and to stop adding things to it. Gail called it well-prepared and thoughtful.

Tom is still impressed that Beverly was able to cook in a wok for eight people. Gail thought the flavors were clear and the noodles were cooked properly.

Padma announces that Beverly and Paul served their favorite dishes of the evening. They’re moving on to the final. Paul wins and gets the Prius.

Gail said the aroma from Lindsay’s dish was intoxicating. She asks Lindsay about adding the cream. Lindsay says she thought it needed a little bit of fat to bring it together. Hugh says the dried herb overtones just cut though everything. Tom calls the dried herbs a mistake.

Gail says the pickled veggies were amazing. There was something off with the oyster sauce. Hugh knew they were canned. Hugh also says it a busy dish.

Ed and Lindsay are sent away and the judges talk.

Ed and Lindsay come back.

Ed is told to pack his knives. Just as an aside, Ed was riding a streak that was as cold as Sarah’s: four times in the bottom in the last five challenges.

So, the final four is Paul, Beverly, Lindsay, and Sarah. Paul certainly seems to the overwhelming favorite. He’s won as many elimination challenges as the other three combined.

Just two more episodes! We’re gonna make it!

What did you find to be tasty in this episode? Did you think anything was overdone? Give us your Two Cents below!