Normally on Top Chef - what happened to Gabri - happens to the women chefs. They voice an opinion and get ignored or railroaded into cooking something they didn’t want to or working on an idea they don’t think is good. But Gabri is a man so that throws a wrench in my gender dynamics theory. I don’t think Tom is a bully or even rude, I just think he is kind of Germanic in his speech and that comes across as bossy or brusque. I actually think the show could do a lot more to give us insight into how hard it is for the chef’s to be doing all of these challenges in a language that is not their first. I think Gabri said when they were giving him instructions that he didn’t even know those words? I used to go to Germany for work, don’t really speak German at all, but I would be exhausted at night just from trying to figure out the conversations around me. Even when they were in English, but sometimes heavily accented. So I am really impressed with all of the chefs and how well they are doing and how little conflict they are actually having.
I actually think Buddha comes off as more condescending and bossy than Tom.
Also - almost felt like Tom had a death wish when he picked India as his street food.
You need to be an alpha dog to be a chef.
And a room of all generals and no soldiers, it has to be tense sometimes.
I am seeing as this season progresses that the language barrier is becoming more of a burden. At first all the Spanish speakers were a group and I think it helped them. Now that we have paired down, languages are becoming more an issue.
Buddha is definitely condescending at times. But I think that the other chefs know that he’s more talented than them and so they let him lead. We will see next week how that works.
Restaurant Wars, my favorite challenge. Buckle up!
Ahh yes I was thinking that was restaurant week next week! The previews I thought wasn’t as obvious as usual, but 8 left usually = restaurant week.
I wonder if this “international” version is the first of it’s kind, being led by the American judges. Has any other country hosted a TC International version??
Sometimes it’s fun trying to play the “who’s getting the winner’s edit?” At this point I’d have to give the tricky edit - if there is one to try and mislead you - to Tom.
As I said from the beginning I love Tom. And I kind of like the “edge” on him they have portrayed. He reminds me of a much more “gentle” Stefan -remember him???
See Chef Slowick. Also see Chef Paul (Hunger).
I just finished watching the restaurant wars episode. I had thought Tom was a bit ruthless in a previous episode, but I really think so now. He was trying to throw blame on Nicolle for slow service, yet he was the one who decided the pace of how they would seat people.
Of course, as a Sara fan, I got a kick out of her reaction to being left for last pick 
I ate at her restaurant, Freight House, earlier this week with 3 friends. Three of us had a spinach & bacon salad followed by the ribs she made at “Highclere Castle” which were on the appetizer menu. There were 3 ribs and they were amazing, but I don’t think you would want more as they are on the sweet side (pecans, biscuit streusel, chocolate buttermilk). One friend had the English pea soup and it looked wonderful as well. Too many good options.
When we got there Sara’s family was eating - her parents (I have known her mom, who is delightful, for many years), husband & her two little girls. Those girls are precious and the oldest stayed behind with Sara after the rest of the family left. Sara was teaching her to interact with the tables as she circulated and to ask guests if they were enjoying their meal - SO cute! I enjoyed Sara on her Kentucky season, but I’m liking how she is competing even more this go round. She is a supportive team member and delivers solid performance. I like all of the chefs who were on her team this week.
I did really hate to see Nicolle leave from the other team. Not sure I would miss any of the others had they been the ones packing their knives.
I may have this wrong. Since Buddha was in the bottom 3 (Highclere), he’s won either the challenge or the quick fire since. 
He was emotional about that win, from his mentor. It was touching. And the winning team was just that, a team.
I really liked Sarah and team. They worked well and respected one another
I wonder how Gabri’s dish would have tasted with the cauliflower. I am surprised that wasn’t brought up at Judges Table.
I wonder if this is a case of editing. Did someone share he didn’t get his cauliflower? Or did we just not see that?
I didn’t feel Tom was in the wrong this episode. I mean, at judges table she is the one who quickly mentioned it was him who suggested the slower start serving - which with the edit we saw, the rest of his team agreed with.
In RW, they need to work as a team, but the team almost always has a leader. And that leader often does go home when the team fails. In this case though, Tom seemed to have the best food on his team.
I liked her very much- really anyone on that team could have gone home - besides Tom, the 3 had less than perfect food.
I never watch the show in real time— too late for me! But regarding last week’s show, I am always surprised how chefs on these shows always seem to screw up rice. But then again, I see them making the rice and not measuring water/rice properly and just winging it. With basmati, unless you are doing it Persian style (boil like it is a pasta in a big pot of salted water until Al dente and then a long steam time which they don’t have the time), you really need exact measurements.
I like all the remaining chefs and was sorry to see Nicole go last week and the two that went last night. Too bad it is only men left! I didn’t quite follow but it seemed Sarah wanted to keep the lamb in longer but maybe listened to her partner?
Not unexpected to see Buddha wining so much. Wondering who will make it back from LCK!
Double elimination this week (Wellingtons) - oof.
I don’t think Sarah and Amar had any more time to leave the lamb in?? Too bad because the judges liked their flavors.
Watched this morning. Gabi benefited from the fact that Buddha had made lots of Wellingtons in the past. I do think that it’s very small errors now that have you eliminated. Seems like lots of good cooking there.
Is Padma pregnant? She looked so in the quickfire. Or was it the dress she was wearing?
Padma has stated in an old interview I read that she starts every season off at one dress size but by the end she’s getting a little snug in her clothes. It’s likely the episodes are filmed back to back and no real time to take a break between daily large salty meals. That being said, she was wearing a form fitting dress that showed off her very natural normally shaped female figure. Doesn’t mean she is pregnant.
I thought Parma’s dress was unflattering.
I am sad about who was let go this week. I felt like this week Tom took it too literally, perhaps an occupational hazard working on a cruise ship. His dish seemed rather boring.
I wonder who is coming back from LCK- I have a feeling it’s Sarah.
I often listen to the first few minutes of Sara’s live Instagram sessions on Fridays. This week I listened to the whole thing as it was with Kelsey and they dished the dirt on the whole process of how the chefs are allowed to interact with each other off camera, who they have sign NDAs from among friends & family (evidently Sara did it with her husband and Kelsey and those two talked frequently as they got updates from Sara), lots of other tidbits.
One of the things that they talked about was how the staff plucks the plates for judges and the one that goes to “food porn” for pictures. The chefs don’t get to choose which plates go to judges and Sara & Kelsey speculated that had the judges gotten the end pieces of the lamb Wellingtons which were cooked more, things might have gone differently. It was unfortunate that time got them on that particular element of the challenge as their flavors were evidently very good per feedback.
I have accessed the last few LCK episodes online and fast forwarded to the end just to see who survives. This week it was Sara. Something in my gut tells me she may be back, but I don’t know why I think that. Maybe just wishful thinking 
I think Gabi made it another week because he was paired with Buddha, who basically told him what they were making and was constantly checking up on him. He was basically a sous chef in this episode.
I’m hoping Sara makes it back in, but the way the other chefs seemed surprised at who came back, I think it’s Chevel (sp?).
Unless I missed something, Last Chance Kitchen did not show which chef makes if back to the finale. I assumed it was meant to be a teaser until showtime next week.
Someone correct me if I am wrong.
You are correct. I have a feeling the chef coming back will be Charbel.
@sevmom That is my guess also, but I could be wrong!
My only clue for who is coming back is the preview; there’s a shadow behind the curtain that looked too tall to be Sarah but that could be misleading.
Re the lamb, Beef Wellington is supposed to rest for 10 minutes before serving. I’m guessing like all roasts it continues to cook and absorb the juices. So they likely took the Lamb Wellington out under the same assumption rather than roast it until the last minute. Probably very little difference either way.