“Sin City Vice” left a bad taste in my mouth – or should I say it left me ablaze with apathy? With the glitz and hoopla of showgirls dancing through yet another Top Chef kitchen spiced with the allure of chances to win a lucky gold chip worth $15,000.00 the episode fell flatter than Erik’s ill-fated souffle in Season 4.
And Tom Colicchio really should not be a pitchman for any product; after his ad for Diet Coke, most of my friends are switching to Diet Pepsi. The Quickfire was the usual “Mise En Place” relay race so beloved by Tom and Padma. Shuck 15 clams? Check. Peel 30 prawns? Check. Clean 5 lobsters? No problem. Clean and “french” a prime rib into 2 chops? But of course!
This season started with 17 competitors with one chef not having to compete so there could be 4 teams of four. Teams were assigned, the usual bragging ensued about skill and technique and the race was on.
Somehow, this season opener just did not shine. I wasn’t actively drawn into the show and I usually am, trust me; last season I loved “Team Euro” with Stefan and Fabio and of course, with the majority of people, loved to hate Hosea and Leah. But no chefs endeared or outraged me in this under-seasoned amuse-bouche.
The Blue team won and the 17th chef who sat it out (Robin) was offered a chance to cash in her $15,000 chip to compete and she declined.
They then used the relay race: the contestants had to use whatever mise en place ingredient they worked with. At the end of the day, one of the Jens won with a clam dish and also received a $15,000 golden chip.
Elimination saw them with $150 each to shop and 2 hours to cook a dish reflecting their own “vice.” With the James Beard and Michelin chefs, and the other award-winning heavy hitters this season boasts, there was not an awful lot of technique displayed.
Arctic char and fennel seem to be the new ingredients of choice. One chef (Jesse) whose vice was, oh, bourbon made a “tipsy chicken.” Laurine’s contribution was bacon doughnuts with a beer sauce.
Maybe I an jaded; maybe the show is about to jump the proverbial shark – ooh, that would be a good challenge: “jump the shark” and then cook it. Anyhow, the usual vices involving whiskey and smoking and procrastination were involved and again, I think the show should be called “Top Scallop” or at least “Seafood City.”
Of course, we have one openly proclaimed gay chef and I am not homophobic, just wondering when Team Rainbow will be in full formation. Also competing are 2 brothers, one a Michelin recipient and the other a James Beard winner, who live on opposite coasts and profess that they do not have much contact at all. There are also several contenders with huge chips on their shoulders (no, not the betting kind) and I was really waiting for this episode to sizzle. And that is what disappointed me so much: it wasn’t interesting to watch and I say this after having hungrily viewed every episode of the previous 5 cycles and the all-star holiday cook-off. It’s just sad. Or maybe I caught them on a slow night. I’ll be able to tell you more this week.
Maybe they’re all trying a new strategy and playing it close to the vest for the first few episodes. But in Las Vegas, we all expect a bit more. So many previous contenders worked in Las Vegas (Elia and Marcel come to mind) and they cooked with zest and I admit that Marcel while a pest, was also a colorful addition to that Season (not to mention Otto and the Lychee Conspiracy of Season Two).
Judges’ table also left me cold: the usual comments about baby food on a plate and blahness and blandness which was a shame, since Wolfgang Puck was a guest judge. He may have become over-commercialized, but he was a bright culinarian back in the day (he still is) and he deserved far better dishes to judge. The bottom four knew what had gone wrong with their dishes and served up a litany of what went wrong or failed. But isn’t the point of this show also that they learn a little humility? And I will never understand what possessed Hector to fry the heck out of a steak – poor execution. Eve’s seafood was underseasoned and overcooked and Jesse’s chicken was completely dried out.
Kevin emerged the winner and Jen Z., after her flop of badly cooked zataan, was told to pack her knives…and go.
Normally this show revs my cooking bug 150% and I love to watch and learn technique on the fly. Not this time. For the first time Top Chef didn’t leave me wanting more. But I will hope for better this week!
