'Top Chef: Las Vegas': What is umami?
Justine and Liz back for another week of Top Chef after what seemed like a long week hiatus for the show. Bravo left us in suspense for a whole week about the drama between Jerkface Mike and Robin. But the tension didn't disappoint.
Enough with the manufactured drama. On to the cooking!
(Photo of Padma and guest judge Tyler Florence from BravoTV.com)
Ash starts off the episode saying he hasn't been to culinary school and knows he was close to going home. (How nice of you to figure out what the audience at home has known for weeks, Ash.) Also, he says Jerkface Mike doesn't seem like the culinary school type because he's "savage" in the kitchen.
A touching moment from Michael Voltaggio -- he brings his family into the mix and says he misses his daughters, ages 9 and 5. Insert a collective sigh from the women folk.
Jen is feeling under the weather. Maybe she has swine flu! Don't cook in my restaurant if you're sick. Tom and Padma, get out your swine flu masks.
Quickfire
Food Network personality Tyler Florence is the guest chef! Bearded Kevin is excited because Florence has been on TV! (Psst, Kevin: You're on TV right now.)
(May we interrupt with a Padma fashion moment: She has on lime-green shiny disco pants! Liz misses the leopard ensemble from a few weeks ago.)
The cheftestants' mission: Create a dish incorporating three key words. Lest we forget this season is set in Las Vegas, they use a slot machine to get their three words -- mood, flavor, cuisine. It's a shameless plug for recipe Web site cookstr.com (When we opened the site right after the episode aired, Padma was the "author of the day"...coincidence? We think not)
Among the choices on the "flavor" wheel of the slot machine was umami. JFM described umami as...well, umami. Bravo producers are trying to introduce the concept to the general public. Did you Google it, too?
Florence is giving good reviews to everyone, even JFM! What's with that, dude? (Except Eli! No! Jen also gets no comments. She's too sick for criticism. Justine says she may be sick, but we're sick of her.) Chefs on the bottom: Robin, Eli, Jennifer. It's her first time on the bottom. Whiny. Go blow your nose or drink some orange juice.
The best quickfire chefs: JFM, Bearded Kevin, Michael V. No shocker to us -- Kevin wins. He was thrown a wild card by getting Asian cuisine, something he says he never cooks, on his slot machine spin. The dude can win without even cooking cuisine he's used to. In this high stakes quickfire, he gets a choice between immunity and $15,000. He picks the money! ("Dude, he can friggin' win the whole thing. He doesn't need immunity," Liz said.) That's Kevin's first sign of cockiness. He's always been the nice guy.
Elimination
The cheftestants are cooking at their place. Jen whines about being exhausted from the competition. Padma waxes poetic on the economy and how more people are cooking at home in these tough times. Cheftestants must throw a dinner party for some semi-famous chefs and the judges. Insert shameless plug for Macy's here. This is the Macy's Come Together Challenge. Blah.
Here's what we've been waiting for. As the cheftestants draw knives to choose which chef's ingredients they will be cooking with, JFM has to work with Robin. Haha. What's that expression, just deserts? Jerkface decides to make the best out of working with Robin and says he's going to take control like he "always does." Sure, he does, just like when he works with the Maryland brothers. Also, haha, "I know she knows I'm a better cook than her." What arrogance. The funny part is she seems to know Asian cuisine better than he does.
Jen feels better. None of the audience watching at Liz's apartment (including her dog) is relieved.
Michael V. is taking the lead and Ash is just his yes-man. He says Ash is a good No. 2 – we guess that means he can't win. You're lucky we have faith in you, Michael V.
JFM gave Robin things to do that "wouldn't affect the final product" and he's throwing her stuff out. Jerky smile.
Bad joke alert! Michael V. is cooking in electric woks and he says "We'll wok it out to you." Wocka-wocka. But alas, they blow a circuit, which means they have to start and stop cooking their fish. They're worried, and frankly we are too. (Liz shouted "Team Michael" to encourage them, even though she realizes it's been taped for months. They didn't hear her.) This is the first time Michael feels he's messed up. Is he actually human and not some food deconstructing borg?
Justine love that Bearded Kevin and Jen are making Korean barbecue. Yum.
Not much focus on Bryan and Laurine's dish, which means they must be safe. Justine holds up her hands in a V for Voltaggio victory.
Judges' Table
On the top: Laurine, Bryan, Jennifer and Kevin
We didn't see enough of either team to know who would win. Lame, Bravo. Winning dish is Korean barbecue! Jennifer's sauce wins! She wins a $10,000 gift card from Macy's and says she'll buy Kevin a suit for his hard work. We wish Kevin would have won again so we could hear his triumphant "Ta-da!"
Bottom: Michael, Ash, Eli and Ashley
Ash says playing second fiddle to Michael is like washing paint brushes for Picasso, then in the next breath says he thinks he can give it a good run. Michael V. is embarrassed by being compared to such a legend and slowly backs away.
Ashley isn't good at defending herself, and Tom lists a bunch of problems with their dishes. Ashley didn't cook the prawns well enough, and the gnocchi were too salty, which Eli may have ultimately been responsible for but never fesses up to the mistake.
Shocker of the evening: Ashey goes home! Wow. She's disappointed. Undercooked prawns did her in. She cries, and we are also shocked she's going home. She stood behind what she did for the most part. Guess it wasn't good enough for the judges in the end.
Predictions
Who's going home next: Justine thinks Jerkface Mike's number is up. She thinks it's time for another surprise elimination (that, and she's just sick of his jerkfacedness). Liz thinks Ash dodged a big bullet this week and should have been sent home based solely on his overly cheesy Picasso line. We've heard judges in past seasons say the competition isn't "Top Sous Chef."
Favorites: Justine's really digging Michael V.'s tattoos this week, but she's still Team Bryan. He shows up, works hard and isn't dramatic about it. Liz may be changing loyalties. While Michael V. will always have a place in her heart, Bearded Kevin's versatility and streak of impressive performances is making an impression on her. Yes, folks, she may go for the beard.
Which Voltaggio brother do you think will go home first, since tonight's episode showed us at least one of them is human? What dishes do you think best embody the umami experience? Is Top Chef product placement getting out of hand, or does it make you wish you had a $10,000 gift card to Macy's?
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, Top Chef
Comments
What is up with Justine's irrational hatred of Jennifer? Did she steal her puppy? It's making Justine look like a rhymes with witch, quite frankly. To me, Jennifer acted like a consummate professional. She didn't sit around and whine, she got to work -- and ended up winning. Tom Colicchio's blog pointed out Jennifer actually had a fever. Which makes Justine's dislike seem all that more petty.
Lou -- I don't think my dislike of Jen is irrational. Sure, I am sympathetic that she was sick this episode, but in previous shows, she's been the biggest complainer. In the ranch episode, she was upset the cheftestants weren't told immediately what they'd have to cook with, and in the magic episode she has a meltdown over deconstructed lasagna because she’s “classically trained” and “doesn’t do” deconstructed food.
I'm sure she's a fine person, but as as contestant on a cooking show, she's done more whining than I want to put up with.
Perhaps it's because we spend so much time together, but Liz doesn't like Jen either. --Justine
Posted by: lou | October 8, 2009 7:45 AM
Umami = the 5th taste, or savory
(as opposed to the big 4: salty, sweet, sour, bitter)
Kikkoman sauces tried to jumpstart (or cash in) on 'umami' a few years ago in their commercials (featured mostly on the Food Network if I remember correctly). Here's one that try's to be particularly descriptive of the term: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=724gCQQhkSw
Thanks, Bill. I was so annoyed when JFM described umami as, well, umami. So not helpful for those who didn't go to culinary school. --Liz
Posted by: Bill | October 8, 2009 7:46 AM
"What's that expression, just deserts?"
Actually, it's just desserts. :)
Ash should have gone home before Ashley. He didn't do anything.
Hey Bonnie -- It is in fact "just deserts" (like the dry place, not the sweet stuff), according to Language Authority Bryan Garner. Thanks, Amanda, for pointing out that we were wrong in the original rendering. -- Justine
Posted by: bonnie | October 8, 2009 1:58 PM
For what it's worth, Tom Colicchio says on his blog that Jen only talked about how sick she was because "she was asked point blank by the camera crew." It makes me wonder how much of the perceived whining and complaining is provoked by the crew. And I also hope JFM goes home next. He gets jerkier and more arrogant by the week!
Thanks for pointing out the clever editing, Jen. I don't get to read Chef Tom's blog as much as I should, and I do love his insight into the behind-the-scenes action. And we're glad you're a member of the JFM hating club. --Liz
Posted by: Jen | October 8, 2009 2:35 PM
You two sound like so much more fun to watch "Top Chef" with then my two cats - can I come over next week?
I think Ashley would have survived elimination had she been up against anyone other than Michael V...she's had some strong dishes but no way he was going home last night.
I think Laurine, Robin, Ash and Eli are all going over the next few weeks, and it doesn't really matter in what order. As much as I would love to see JFM go, the jerks always seem to hang around too long on these shows.
Go Team Bryan!
Liz points out that her basset hound, Fudge, is more fun to watch with than any cats.
Now that that's out of the way, I'm impatient for them to get through the eliminations of the subpar chefs -- I'd rather watch five episodes with the top four cooking their hearts out than wait around to see who goes home first, Laurine or Robin.
Also, super excited to watch Team Bryan crush Team Michael! --Justine
Posted by: Lindsay | October 8, 2009 3:10 PM
I'm amused that JFM couldn't even name the other four tastes: he said "spicy" instead of bitter.
JFM hasn't earned his title (solely) because of his attitude. Jerky people can also be dumb. --Justine
Posted by: Baltofoodie | October 8, 2009 4:33 PM
I don't really see Jen as much more of a whiner than Mike V. He whined on the ranch just like Jen did.
I just tune out Mike I. Did he say he was from New Jersey?
I have to say I think Bryan will outlast his brother. I like that he is getting a little fiesty. During judging, when some of the other chefs wanted to talk about the bottom four in the little pantry they sequester them into, he pretty much stopped their conversation. I suppose that was out of respect for his brother. I think they should make him talk more.
I think Bearded Kevin is going to win the whole thing. As long as he doesn't get overly confident! He seems genuinely excited to be there and consistently does well. And, of course, he has a fun beard and makes the most perfect little squeals of joy.
I hope Bearded Kevin realizes what a catch phrase he's made out of a simple "Ta-da!" for me. I say it any chance I can get. Dinner's ready...ta-da! A new blog post is up...ta-da! --Liz
Posted by: Jenny from NJ | October 8, 2009 8:39 PM
I agree completely about the prediction of Ash going home next. Despite what he said at the judge's table (after his awkward praise of Michael) it seems like he has accepted the fact that he won't go much farther in the competition. He seems like a nice guy but if you want to win this thing you've got to take the lead.
I would love to see JFM go home for being a conceded... well jerk. But he makes good TV. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him complaining about his fellow contestants. I was just surprised to see that Eli is the one clashing with Robin next week.
One last thought, I am really pulling for Bryan. He just avoids all the drama and cooks good food. Even in the stew room when they were talking about his brother's dish he side stepped the topic and just let the judges do their thing.
Kirk -- To me, keeping JFM around is like how they kept Hung around during his season, except the main difference is that Hung proved he could cook. He just wasn't likeable. JFM hasn't proved to me that he's an awesome cook yet, or that he even knows the basics (Eggs Florentine, anyone?) And Bryan's the consummate professional (insert obligatory swoon here) --Liz
Posted by: Kirk from Cincinnati | October 9, 2009 7:33 AM
sorry, gals, but i like jen just fine. she seems like a good worker who knows what she is doing. and i still go back to the time when they put her in charge (during the Air Force challenge) and she kept it together without being a jerk (at least that's how the editing was done). And speaking of jerks, do you secretly hope that JFM reads this blog?
sorry to see ashley go home. what they should have done was announced the top 4, the bottom 4, and then thrown robin out anyway.
go team volt (either one at this point)
Maybe I just don't like her personality. Or that she doesn't have a personality. (I know that comment is going to inspire a lot of hate mail...never expected to see this much Jen support). I wish they'd almost kick out everyone who's not that good, since the Final Four is so clear-cut, and have them compete out the remaining weeks. --Liz PS: I absolutely hope JFM reads this blog then grants us an exclusive interview to try to disuade us from thinking he's a JF
Posted by: dkh735 | October 9, 2009 2:41 PM