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Liveblogging the Top Chef Finale
We’ve made it through Clay, Sandee, Micah, two Saras, and a bunch of other people I don’t really remember or care about. We’ve also made it through two wars, IQF, the Smurf Village, disasters on sea and air, dinner at the Elks, and dinner made from elks. And now, we’ve finally made it to Top Chef: Miami: Aspen, and it’s going to be coming to you (almost) live. I’m a liveblogging virgin, so please be kind. And if you can’t be kind, please be quiet. For the occasion, I’ve lined up a festive meal for myself of an applecore amuse bouche, vanilla lobster tail, reinterpreted meatloaf, raw jerk chicken, broccolini, prosciutto cigars, black-and-blue elk, yogurt cheesy poofs, and of course everyone’s favorite -- salmon -- all stored in the fabulous, handy Glad family of products. (There you go, Glad people. I did it just like you asked, so you can go ahead and send me that check now.) And of course I’ve got my big bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin (ditto for you Bombay). I plan on drinking whenever Padma does, so who knows if I’ll even be able to type after the Quickfire. This should be, if not coherent, at least interesting.
Across the blogosphere, Hung or Casey are the odds-on favorites, but here, we’ll only let ourselves celebrate if the self-proclaimed “Big Gay Chef” wins. He might not be crowned Top Chef, but here at AfterElton.com, Dale will always be Top. Liveblogging starts after the jump a few minutes before 10PM EDT! Ready, set, cook. And may the best big gay chef win. 11:16 PM EDT: Hung tells Padma he's excited to have "so much support from America." Which is why a whopping 12% of Americans voted for him in the text message poll. 11:15 PM EDT: Tom says he's glad Dale found his inner chef and then gives him a big but. But his undercooked lobster dish sucked. After about a four hour pause, Padma finally announces that Hung is Top Chef. It's not sweet, funny openly gay Dale, but at least, according to Hung's audition tape, it's a Top Chef who "goes both ways." I'll take it. Now I'm off to binge on Doritos and M&Ms. 11:09 PM EDT: Cut to the live portion in Dale's hometown of Chicago. The judges are wearing the same clothes, like they want us to think they magically teleported there direct from Aspen. Padma says they'll announce who's Top Chef right after the commercial, because you know Bravo couldn't turn down the chance to get in one more Bertolli commercial. 11:00 PM EDT: Judging. We learn Hung should really be on acid. Also, Dale's lamb and Hung's duck, according to Tom, are dishes they should "carry with [them] always." Wouldn't that start to smell? Howie's horrible history with overcooked pork products seems to have doomed Casey by proxy. It's actually looking good for Dale here, because I don't think Hung did himself any favors with that chocolate cake. If this season has taught us anything, it's don't cook a dessert unless there's a gun pointed at you. And is the last thing you want to say to the judges before they make a decision that you wanted to "play it safe" on your final course? 10:57 PM EDT: Ted just said to Dale, "You are a decadent boy." I bet he says that to all the boys. 10:50 PM EDT: Dale and Casey both seem to have redeemed themselves with their final courses (lamb and steak). And I'm sure the judges are thrilled to have just what you'd crave as a side dish with lamb -- chocolate cake, Hung's surprise dish. Rocco and Tom almost come to blows over the cake. Rocco dug it, Tom thought it threw the meal off because it wasn't in keeping with all the Vietnamese heritage stuff he forced him to make. I guess you can't have your cake and Asian too. It's still anybody's to win, I think, as we head to judges' table. Let the nitpicking begin! 10:47 PM EDT: Tom just said Dale's third course is "terrible." Oh no! And that was just a warm up for criticism of Casey. "Her peach might be perfectly roasted but this pork belly sure isn't." Meanwhile, Hung's Duck Sous Vide (or Duck cooked in a Ziploc baggie as we learned this season) is winning raves, although it looks pretty unappetizing on the plate. Brian seems totally out of his element here. He can't cook food like this, and he can't even adequately talk about food like this. 10:45 PM EDT: Two courses in and the judges are loving Dale's second course, which Michele B. (who's actually a decent judge, I think) notes was impressively his surprise dish. Yay! Honestly, all the food looks pretty amazing here and is getting mostly positive comments. Only major problem so far is Casey's overuse of roe. 10:35 PM EDT: With an hour of prep time to go, Tom calls them out and tells them they've got to prepare an extra dish. Punk'd again! Dale says he wanted to deck Tom. I'm guessing this isn't the first time he's said that, just the first time it's been out loud. For help they get losers. They draw knives and Casey is stuck with Howie. She says this means an extra set of hands in the kitchen. And any number of bodily fluids in her entrees. Also, if I were her, I'd keep him away from any pork products, given his history of over/undercooking. Hung gets Sara, and decides on that classic Vietnamese dish: chocolate cake. Dale's with CJ. They seem like they'd be a good team since I don't think they hate each other's guts. I wonder if the winner has to take their sous chef to the Alps with them. That would really suck for pretty much all of them. 10:29 PM EDT: Chef Tom comes into the kitchen for his regular psych out. Dale, whose green bandanna matches his green T shirt beautifully, talks about how he had problems with boiled milk for his gnocchi. He sure has a bad history with dairy products. Hung just told Tom he's making "ocean-scented rice." I'm guessing he got that idea from Kramer, mastermind of "The Beach" cologne. 10:27 PM EDT: My brother in law says he can't see how Dale can possibly win at this point. My partner says he can't see how any of them can possibly win. We imagine Padma saying, live in front of their entire families, "Please pack your knives and go. All of you." 10:26 PM EDT: Breaking news! Hung says he is known for his Asian influenced cuisine. None of which we saw all season until Colicchio told him he'd better up the Asian factor. Also, being told you have no soul is like being run over by a truck. 10:20 PM EDT: Dale said his gnocchi dough came out like chewing gum. Mmmm. Chewing gum gnocchi. I'd so eat that. 10:19 PM EDT: Hung and Rocco are talking about opening a restaurant together. Meanwhile Dale just called Todd English his "prep bitch." This whole thing is like a culinary Sadie Hawkins Dance or topsy turvy day at the office where the bottoms finally get to boss around the tops. 10:16 PM EDT: Rocco's pretty. 10:10 PM EDT: Time to pick sous chefs with the sacred drawing of the knives ritual. They all think they're going to get duds from earlier this season, meaning Micah, Clay or Howie. The sous chefs arrive by ski gondola, and as the doors open, it's just like Mystery Date. Who will get a handsome eligible doctor, and who the nerd, I wonder? Doors open and it's Rocco DiSpirito for Hung, who gets all weak at the knees seeing him. It's perfect for Hung, finally being paired with someone who truly understands IQF. i wonder if Rocco's brought any Bertolli frozen meals with him. Casey gets some chick (Michele Bernstein) and Dale gets Todd English. Doesn't he design clothes or hotels or something? 10:07 PM EDT: Ski-lift to the top of a mountain, and my anti-outdoors sentiment aside, it is pretty freakin' gorgeous. But I'm wondering if the high altitude means they'll need to follow special instructions, like the back of the brownie mix always has. Padma and Chef Tom explain that their task is simply to cook the best meal of their lives using whatever ingredients they'd like. Unlike past years, they'll be cooking and serving head to head. Casey and Dale better watch out in the kitchen for Hung and that knife. They have 35 minutes to plan their menus. Camera pan across the table and our first view of the dreaded salmon. Now they're all tasting the raw food to see if it has flava. If any of them bite into a raw duck or cow, I'm stopping right now. Hung has taken Chef Tom's criticism last week to heart and is going all out Vietnamese, like he had any other choice. Lots of overlap among the three -- everybody wants to make foie gras or prawns. Think out of the box, people! Back to Aspen and the taped portion. Woo-hoo! One minute in and a shirtless Dale. Oh, Hung's shirtless too. 9:59 PM EDT: Testing, testing, 1-2-3. So this is live blogging, huh? I can say anything and those pesky editors have no power. Like this: Arrowsmith rules! Huh, what do you know. The editors actually do read this.
Submitted by on Wed, 2007-10-03 23:17. |
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Dude looks like a lady
We never sleep, Frank!!
:)
Really looking forward to this...Finally - a Great FInal Challenge!!!
"Cook the Best Meal of Your Lives"!
Who would have thought it would take almost 2 years to come up with this idea?
GayIthacan
Theists reject 4977 of the 4978 proferred Gods. I merely reject 1 more.
How Hung tastes...Oh, Steven
Fun
Wow, I don't think I have
Wow, I don't think I have ever been wrong so many times in one finale before. Going in I thought Casey had it (first ever female top chef), but after editing I thought Dale had it. :( I don't think a winner has ever been edited so bad before...
Dale did great.
I've not liked Hung for most of the show for his appalling attitude. When played it safe and was called out he'd get away with it including the finale desert the judges agreed didn't fit with his dishes and while technically great was unimaginative. The beginning of my dislike was his repeated belittled the judges' competence to understand his dishes. He also had poor sportsmanship when he'd break something.
From the glowing comments, I really thought Dale had a shot at winning but I knew in my head they'd been positioning Hung to win for weeks and it made me sick.
I had expected a better showing from Casey but am thrilled Dale put his best effort in and to me he was Top Chef.
It was inevitable....
I was not surprised Hung was named (crowned) Top Chef. It was Casey's to lose, and she did. (I think the stench of Howie was her downfall, along with those "overcooked pork products.") If I recall, one of the judges (Tom?) said in a previous episode that Hung would say or do whatever it took to win. Obviously, he did--he took the criticism that there was not enough "Hung" in his dishes and did what he needed to do to win. But in the end, Dale should have won because he took more chances. True, one or two of the final dishes may not have worked, but two of them were praised to the hilt. Obviously, the judges wanted perfection across the board. But we haven't seen the last of Dale (or Casey, for that matter). They'll be back on Bravo.
BTW Fun, some Las Vegans (myself included) have managed to save our money quite nicely. Not all of us spend our nights in the casinos, you know.
Finally, a fitting finale!
This is what ''Top Chef'' should be: Giving chefs great ingredients, and letting them have at it. No gimmicks. But just good dishes, left to their own imagination. And I'm glad that Hung won. No, he won't win any prizes for Mr. Popularity or being warm and fuzzy, but the show was about the best CHEF who whipped up the best dishes. Something that was pounded into us, through the editing, was that Hung was TECHNICALLY the best chef, but he lacked heart. Clearly, he had the best kitchen skills, and he won BOTH challenges at the French Culinary Institute. The guy can cook. Interestingly, Ted Allen says in his blog at Bravotv.com: ''I never had agreed with the notion that Hung's food lacked heart or soul. Ever. You could see it in every knife stroke, and taste it in (almost) every dish.'' Allen adds that Hung's detractors were reacting to his depiction as less than ''cuddly''; mostly ''the product of editing.''
I thought it was unfair of Tom Colicchio to say that Hung somehow hadn't shown enough of his Asian influence. Because he's Vietnamese? Geez, what's Dale's ethnicity? Or Casey's? Why did it matter? That would've been like saying to Dale: ''Could your dishes be a little gayer?'' Or saying to Casey: ''Could your dishes be a little more feminine?'' I kinda found it funny that Colicchio (or was it Todd English) who said that Hung didn't take more chances 'cuz he lacked ''confidence.'' Boy, if there's anything that Hung doesn't lack, it's confidence.
It was a pleasant surprise to see Dale do so well. Hung had won 4 Quickfires and 2 Eliminations; Casey won 3 Quickfires and 3 Eliminations. Dale won 2 Quickfires, but hadn't won ONE Elimination, until last week. (Brian won 3 Quickfires and 1 Elimination.) Dale didn't strike me as being at the same level as Hung and Casey. And given the editing, I thought it was possible that Dale could've upset Hung, but I guess he was done in by his ''inedible'' lobster dish. Also, tho' the judges creamed over his scallop dish and Dale conceived it, but it was C.J. who cooked it perfectly. By the way, Dale doesn't lack confidence either. In his interview with AfterElton.com, he candidly says, ''I am the best chef on the show.''
I'm disappointed that this wasn't Casey's hour, especially since she had scored so well in recent shows. I really thought it was gonna be a showdown between Hung and Casey, and that ''Top Chef'' might have its first female winner, but it was not to be. Congrats to Hung! Can't wait to see the ''Top Chef'' reunion. I bet Tre wins the viewers' prize.
I Get It
I been hearing a lot about Tom's criticism of Hung's lack of Asian influence in his dishes and how offensive that is. I don't think it's offensive at all considering that he has training in French and Asian cooking. Plus, he said he is known for his Asian cooking. So why haven't we seen it? Hung is very smart. I think the lack of Asian influence in his dishes was a move to pander to the judges sensibilities. It wasn't until Tom questioned him as to why there was no Asian influence did he change. Three of his final dishes were Asian inspired, the fourth surprise dish was not. I think Hung prepared the three Asian dishes during the time off between episode 13 and 14. When the chefs were told to make a fourth dish Hung was unprepared and fell back on pandering to their sensibilities so not to risk anything.
Dale did cook a Polish meal awhile back and Casey cooked a couple Texan meals.
I'm actually betting that Casey wins the viewers' prize. If you would have asked me two weeks ago I would have said Tre. I think Casey has built a connection with the audience that Tre hasn't because of his distant character.
Mike S. I was joking. My real point in saying I hope he uses the money wisely is that I think if he started his own restaurant it would fail. Dale made a good point in his interview with AfterElton, there is a difference between a cook and a chef. Hung is a cook. Throughout this competition he has shown no leadership skills which are critical to being a chef. He has shown plenty of skills in being a great cook.
Asian influences
I could be wrong, but I don't think Hung's Asian influences were ever an issue throughout the season, until practically the episode before the Aspen finale. After Tom Colicchio mentioned it, only then did Hung feel the necessity to highlight any Asian influences. Obviously if Colicchio makes a comment like that, you'd be stupid to ignore it. But again, look at Casey's bio. It says her cuisine ''incorporates Asian and Mexican cultural influences,'' but I didn't see Tom grilling her about where they were.
Sorry, but I can't buy Dale's statement about how Hung's a great cook, but not a great chef. Hung's got terrific kitchen skills, and one of the heads of the French Culinary Institute said Hung's the chef he'd hire. Read Rocco Dispirito's blog at Bravotv.com about serving as his sous chef, and you'll get an inside look at just how prepared and detailed Hung is. And Hung was named ''Top Chef'' by the judges. If Dale dislikes Hung as a human being, I get it. But to me, it's petty to say Hung's not a great chef.
And Who Colonized Vietnam?
The French.Which of course Hung did not show as his influence. Never mind that he's sous chef at Guy Savoy. Never mind that he prepared quite a lot of French Cuisine, no, because it wasn't specifically Vietnamese ASIAN, well then, there was no Hung in it until last night.
Yeah, Hung knew how the game was played. Dance for the judges and you get the prize. So he did. End of story.
Those who say he didn't deserve to win or that he just pandered have obviously never watched Top Chef before and don't know how the game is played.
Those who say he's just a cook, not a chef, are letting their dislike of his personality prejudice their judgment.
And the guy Hung was hugging at the end, I believe was Marcel from Season 2.
It would have been great if Dale had won. But don't throw sour grapes. He didn't ace the exam. Hung did. Period.
Influenced
Janette, I watched season one and three and a few episodes of season two. I know how the game is played and Hung played it very well.
No, the Asian man he was hugging was not Marcel (he isn't Asian). The guy was atleast five inches taller than Hung, thin, and wore a grey t-shirt.
WW, we all know how talented Hung is with his culinary skills. What I'm saying is can he inspire others to do the work that he wants? We never saw that on the show. Remember when he was paired with Joey in the supermarket challenge and knew that the food should be separated overnight yet never said a word?
I actually like Hung more than I did in the beginning of the season when I didn't like him at all. We now know why he does the things that he does and it's not as annoying.
I'm glad Hung won
Credibility?
There are a lot of legitimate arguments that you can make for Hung, but the credibility of Top Chef isn't one of them.
For the show to be credible, the two/three best chefs should be in the finale and that hasn't been the case for any season of Top Chef.
''Can he inspire others?''
Evan, perhaps part of your criteria for the Top Chef is: ''Can he inspire others to do the work he wants?'' Frankly, I don't remember Tom Colicchio or any of the others ever bringing that up at Judges' Table, at least concerning Hung. In the finale, Sara says she had no problem working with him. And according to Rocco Dispirito in his blog at Bravotv.com, he loved being Hung's sous chef: ''To say he put me through my paces is a gross understatement. I was running around and having a ball. I only wanted to do my best for him.'' Rocco says Hung had no hesitation directing him how to butcher the duck and crisp the skin. Rocco even made a mushroom ragout, which Hung asked him to do over (!). ''In a kitchen, communication skills are as important as knives; Hung's were impeccable.'' ... Was Hung perfect? Nope. None of them were. They all faltered here and there. But at the end of the day, Hung was best overall.
TV shows are edited for drama and conflict. Hung was the ''bad guy.'' As viewers, we can judge personality (or what we're shown). Sadly, the one thing we can't judge on any cooking competition is ultimately the food: how it tastes. For that, we have to take the word of the judges who actually ate the dishes. That's what really counts.
The Only Choice
Oh come on, Hung was portrayed as he was on the show. He rubbed everyone the wrong way. Even the judges that were there for only moments were turned off by him.
The winner is given $100,000 to open their own restaurant, that implicitly means the owner and top chef need leadership skills. Although the contestants led a team of chefs, it was not a real world experience since all the chefs were forced to work for the contestants. If Hung opens his own restaurant the workers will not be forced to stay there.
Looking at the entire season I think Hung was the only choice for Top Chef. Dale did not do well in the early going. Casey was inconsistant and faultered in the finale.
Not the real world
Hung's never gonna win any popularity contest, but even his fellow contestants had to acknowledge he was the one to beat. Between the sense of competition and Hung's own prickly personality, the drama was built-in. I would only add that not ALL the judges were turned off by him; certainly not Andre Soltner nor Sirio Maccione nor Rocco Dispirito, who actually worked side-by-side with Hung.
However, I do agree with you that it's not a ''real world'' experience. But since a number of the contestants already are executive chefs (like Brian and Casey) or executive sous chefs (like Hung and Sara), they already have some leadership skills. Whether or not they're enough to open their own restaurant, only time will tell.
If it were up to me, however, I'd make a major change in the judging for ''Top Chef 4'': Make it a blind tasting. Just let the judges sample the dishes, without knowing who cooked them. Sometimes I feel they read things into the plates, based on who's behind them. If it were a blind tasting, it would be more objective.