Topic: Top Chef New York Season 5

[marigold]

  Toby Young's Blog:

The Weakest Link

Who in their right mind would launch a new restaurant, particularly in today's economy? Restaurants are a bit like Broadway shows in that the failures vastly outnumber the successes and anyone investing in them is almost guaranteed to lose money. Indeed, it is such a tough business that the lifespan of a particular restaurant should be measured in dog years rather than real time: a restaurant that has stayed open for 10 years is the equivalent of any other business surviving for 70.

I have to confess, if I was reviewing either Sahana or Sunset Lounge - the two restaurants cooked up by the remaining contestants in last night's episode - I wouldn't rate their chances. These days, it's not enough to offer good food and great service in the right location; you've got to be original, too. And the problem with both Sahana and Sunset Lounge is that there are hundreds of almost identical restaurants in New York City.

They both offered pan-Asian cuisine, possibly in a misguided attempt to impress Stephen Starr, this week's guest judge who owns Buddakan, Morimoto, and a dozen other modern Asian restaurants. Done well, this food can be mouth-wateringly good, but it is all too easy for the region's distinct flavors to become muddled up and watered-down and you end up with a generic mish-mash. That was true of Sahana and Sunset Lounge.

Many people watching the show last night will have thought that Leah ought to have gone and concluded that the only reason she remains is because the producers want to keep alive the romantic subplot involving her and Hosea. In fact, the producers don't try and influence the judges' decisions one way or another and the reason Leah survived is because she was lucky enough to be a member of the winning team. That was largely due to the quality of Stefan's desserts. In effect, Leah was saved from elimination by the fact that Stefan was on her team - which is ironic, considering she picked him last.

Were we right to eliminate Radhika? I think so. She wasn't the weakest cook on her team - that prize would have to go to Carla, at least on this occasion - but she was the weakest link. As team leader, Radhika had to bare some responsibility for the failure of Carla's desserts -- and if you couple that with the fact that she was a very lackluster front-of-house presence, she deserved to go. With the benefit of hindsight, Radhika should have put Carla in charge of meeting and greeting - a job she would have done well - and volunteered to do the desserts herself.

After three episodes of judging Top Chef, it is clear that there is no such thing as a "safe" contestant. No matter how good a particular chef is, he or she can have an off night and that is enough to send them home. In the end, it is less about culinary skill than it is about character - about how you react under pressure. I have no doubt that Radhika is an excellent chef, but in last night's episode she dropped the ball.

Link: http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/blogs/index.php?blog=toby_young&article=2009/01/who_in_their_right_mind#breadcrumbs

[marigold]

Top chef Burning Questions:

Radhika: Not Bitter

Bravotv.com: First, Padma announces that it's Restaurant Wars, what was going through your mind?

As with any challenge, I'm very anxious, but this is probably more exciting than any other challenge posed. I know that because I'm the executive chef at a restaurant, I have an advantage over the contestants that are caterers, hotel chefs, or sous chefs. I feel confident in my food and that's what the competition is about. I'm also immediately thinking "Who's going to be on my team?" Everyone left is super talented, but everyone also has their faults. My mind is literally spinning at this point, but in a good way.

Bravotv.com: Have you been waiting for this all season?

I actually had been waiting for the finale all season with Restaurant Wars coming in at a distant second. But, I've always dreamed of opening my own restaurant, as most chefs have, so it makes for a great challenge. It came later in the season than for last season's chefs, so I was a bit thrown off when Padma announced it. But I was definitely excited.

Bravotv.com: What was the inspiration for your dish? Were you surprised that Mr. Starr chose it?

Starr wanted a dish that would blow him away and convince him to open a restaurant with us. I immediately thought of my homemade roasted spice mix which was in my secret ingredients. I picked a very buttery fish (black cod) to season it with and four of my very favorite ingredients ... chorizo, cream, saffron, and spinach. He loved it as much as I do and chose me as the best of the two Quickfire Challenge winners (the other being Leah).

Bravotv.com: Why did you choose the team you did? Stefan seems to really rub you the wrong way, did you two get along at all?

I was given the first choice of the remaining six contestants. I chose Jamie first because I have a lot of respect for her talent. She's practical, she's just the right level of bitchy, she knows good food, and we work together well. Next I chose Carla because she's also very sensible and has a deep passion for food and being the best. Next I chose Jeff. He's a great chef, but I honestly chose him because the only other choice was Stefan, which brings me to the next subject.

Stefan is a very talented chef. He's also an @$$hole. Not in a bad way, that's just who he is. Now that we are done with the show, I consider him a friend and respect him as a chef, and I think he would say the same for me. But on the show, he had a few people who he rubbed the wrong way with his confidence and unrelenting vision (I guess that is nicest way I can say that he is cocky and stubborn). From early on, I knew his attitude was something that I couldn't deal with. One episode I called him the devil, another we fought in the stew room, and another he accused me of bashing his dish because I somehow knew it was his. Maybe it was my downfall, but I thought the best thing I could do, was to try to keep his attitude (and talent) on the other team.

Bravotv.com: Why did you choose front of house?

The others on my team seemed pretty reluctant to do that job, so I stepped up, even though I was very nervous about it and would have rather been in the kitchen. I also convinced myself that it would be better for me to be in front so I could explain my concept and attach a genuine face and passion with the product.

Bravotv.com: What did you think your responsibilities were? Do you think you upheld them?

I knew I had a lot on my plate, especially since people lie, cheat, and steal to get reservations for Top Chef Restaurant Wars. That means huge expectations and incredible pressure. I had to make sure the serving staff was well informed and represented myself and the chefs well. I think they did that. The big thing about being in the front of the house is that you have to constantly give the impression that everything is going just as you planned. In the kitchen, something goes wrong, you react, and you go with it. But in the front, no matter how bad things are going, you can't let the customers see it. I've been told you can read my emotions all over my face, so for that reason I probably would have been better in the kitchen. If I had it to do over again, I would have put Carla and her smiling face up front.

Overall, I was just proud to make it as far as I did. And best of all, the concept and name of my restaurant were inspired by my beautiful niece Sahana (which means strong, powerful, and resilient). For me, this episode is bittersweet. I was booted, but I was able to express my style of food and create a beautiful restaurant inspired by my family and do something for my niece that the judges can never take away.

I tried my best to accommodate everyone on the show. I know I don't have an aggressive personality, but in my mind humility and kindness go much farther than sarcasm and pompousness. My life will go on after Top Chef. I may have appeared too polite and timid to the guests, but I'd take that as a fault any day.

Bravotv.com: What did you think of the dishes you put out?

I was upset initially that I was eliminated from Top Chef, not having actually been judged on something that I'd cooked. But I did think that my teammates' dishes were very good, with the exception of Carla's desserts. he had performed well in the dessert area in previous challenges and I thought because of that her desserts would sing. I was mistaken.

Bravotv.com: What did you think of the judges' reaction?

I wasn't really surprised by their reactions, but I was surprised by their decision. Toby "the imperialist" Young totally insulted me by saying he felt like he was at a funeral. He's all about shock value, which works for him I guess. It got him the job I guess. Padma was lovely and cordial as always, and had some good insights. Tom sounded frustrated with me and disappointed. I never got the impression he liked me much, maybe that's just his way. I would have liked it if he would have pronounced my name correctly at least once. (Listen to how Padma says it, Tom). Starr was sad to see me go, I think. He loved my food and knows I have a talent. Call me Mr. Starr!!

Bravotv.com: Do you think your team should have won? Do you think someone else deserved to go home?

I think we should have won based on the fact that our food was better overall. Leah's fish was raw and had bones in it! I brought a spoon to the table 40 seconds late and I go home!? I'm not bitter, I promise. I think every episode, there are several options for who can go home. It comes down to what the judges want and what they feel is best for the show, and my personality doesn't offer as much drama as some other contestants. Yes, I think we should have won. We were the better team.

Bravotv.com: Where can your fans find you and your cooking?

I'm still cooking my @$$ off at Between Boutique Café & Lounge in Chicago at 1324 N Milwaukee where patrons can judge my food for themselves, including the weapons of mass destruction soup. I also have a Web site where fans can keep up with me and read my reactions to the show. It's RadhikaDesai.com.

Thanks so much Radhika!

Link: http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/blogs/index.php?blog=burning_questions_2&article=2009/01/radhika_not_bitter#breadcrumbs

[marigold]

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

NEXT WEEK ON THE VIEW

TUESDAY, JAN. 27 Padma Lakshmi

[TexasLady]

Thanks Marigold. Extra scenes!! 

Little lamb what did you think about tonights episode I would have sent Radhika home for not ever stepping it up and taking responsiblity Carla for her lack of respect towards Tom the judges and everyone who dined and had to eat her love cake and finally Leah I probably got a hundred reasons why, that leaves us with a top 5 in my ideal world 

I agree, Radhika didn't step up, she stepped backwards. She allowed Jamie to be the leader but still had the responsibility for the restaurant. I think she was so nervous that it didn't register that she wasn't really doing her part in the front of the house, nor did it even dawn on her that Carla was asking for advice and direction when she was still preparing the dessert dishes.  At that point, they could have gone a different way. Carla's reasoning was hilarious to me. She was sending love out.  (Except it tasted awful.)

I really don't see Hosea as that strong a chef, certainly not a leader even though he's won 1 quickfire and a 2 challenges.  I thought it was petty when he said that Stephan was probably sabotaging the other chefs.

I would have been more than happy to see Leah go home, if for no other reason than she (probably) lost her professional status with the other chefs, she didn't focus on the challenge that's for sure.

The dumbest move of all for Rhadika and Leah, not choosing Stephan first. He's the strongest one there and proved it by expediting and doing desserts, saving his yogurt when the cooler wasn't cold by improvising with ice. (Something that Carla could have done but didn't.)

Who are your favorite 5 Marigold?

[apskip]

Texas Lady,

As a knowledgeable viewer I am offering my thoughts on your top 5 question. I agree that it isn't Leah or Carla, both of whom should be eliminated soon. I think the top 5 are:

Stefan (who chose desserts so he could do his own thing and not get into the bind Hosea predicted)
Fabio
Jaime (I pikced her before Top Chef 5 based on her background)
Hosea
Jeff

[TexasLady]

Texas Lady,

As a knowledgeable viewer I am offering my thuoghts on your top 5 question. I agree that it isn't Leah or Carla, both of whom should be elimnated soon. I think the top 5 are:

Stefan (who chose desserts so he could do his own thiing and not get into the bind Hosea predicted)
Fabio
Jaime (I picked her before Top Chef 5 based on her background)
Hosea
Jeff

Apskip: I always value your opinion because you are so knowledgeable. (And modest I might add.) I agree with your top five.

For me, Stefan has stood out from the first quickfire, which I believe he won. (3 Challenges, 2 Quickfires.) Fabio also is a standout. (Won 2 Challenges, no Quickfires.)

I think Jamie is a very good leader as well, she does it easily and her team mates don't even realize it. (3 Challenges, no Quickfires.) I can't say she stood out for me until the past few weeks though.

Hosea, 2 Challenges, 1 Quickfire and Jeff, no wins but still deserves to be in the top five.

[marigold]

Ok Padma I have read endless articles suggesting she is a gold digger. Up until now I really thought it was frivolous.

What on earth at a vivacious 38 do you have in common with a man nearly 70 years of age.

An interesting article about the gold digger:  http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/01/leggo_my_padma.html

[marigold]

Your absolutely right TL I really enjoyed reading your post

Why did they choose Stefan last he works hard and is a great cook I think they feel threatened by him because they know he could win this. I don’t how much of it is a matter of Stefan being a jerk and difficult to work with Jamie did get him to work with her on the previous episode. I think Stefan’s assertiveness can be mistaken for being a jerk and hard to get along with but it can be a good quality to have or you end up walking around looking like Radhika where you can just see she lacks confidence.

At the same time honestly Stefan does need to tone it down a bit he can’t be as stubborn and unapproachable as he is. It’s ideal to enjoy the company of your team and co workers so I think he needs to work on that.

Fabio is soooo charming you can’t help but smile when you see him it’s a great quality to have and is something that Stefan really lacks that said both men are really good cooks.

As I previously stated I would like to see Leah and Carla go next and I would love to see the remainder as final 5 that would be a great group and I would love to see who comes out a winner.

I have no idea who will win it but I am really looking forward to see who does.

[marigold]

An interesting article an interview with Radhika:

Top Chef Exit Interview: Episode Nine

Halfway through our hometown season of Top Chef, the producers turned up the heat and gave us Restaurant Wars. One team offered up great food, terrible desserts, and nonexistent service. The other offered bony, undercooked cod, nasty amuses-bouches, and coddling service from the likes of Fabio. This being Top Chef and ostensibly a cooking competition, the judges chose good service over good eats. Though Carla was to blame for not one, but two, awful desserts, the judges' ax fell on the head of team leader Radhika Desai, a devastating loss given that she had won the Quickfire. And even though she thinks food always trumps service, she didn't sound too sad on the phone today.

Watching the episode last night, what was your first thought?
I was just looking forward to winning the Quickfire.

Was it an accurate representation of what happened, do you think?
Yeah. I was definitely fragile and running around. I could have managed things better.

Were you overwhelmed?
I was completely overwhelmed. It was a lot of things to do in a little bit of time and it was a lot of pressure.

It’s interesting that you and Leah won, because you’re two of the younger contestants. Do you think if someone else had been running the show you wouldn’t have been eliminated?
In hindsight, I should have designated Jeff or Jamie, who are stronger personalities, in the front of the house. I would have rather been in the kitchen cooking. But it was my concept and they were a little hesitant to take that role, so I took it.

Do you have any front-of-house experience?
Very, very little. I worked in restaurants for a long time, but I’ve never been directly responsible for doing that, no.

When you heard some of the judges’ criticisms about how you should have been more present or at least been around to say good-bye, had those things even crossed your mind?
Not at that point. I did want to serve them good food and give them good service. I didn’t want to be all over them at the table. Maybe that came across as neglecting them, but that was not my intention at all.

It’s upsetting because your team had better food.
They preferred the service over the food. If they would rather be served raw fish with scales in it, I can’t help that.

Do you care more about service than food?
No, of course not. For me, food is number one.

Do you disagree with their decision?
Of course I would have wanted to stay on the show longer. But I was the leader. It was my responsibility to carry the team to win, and I didn’t do that. So if you look at it that way, I did deserve to go home.

So what did you learn on the show? Do you feel like you changed as a chef?
I’m trying to become a lion and not be a lamb.

What was your favorite challenge?
This was it. Even though I got eliminated, this was the most challenging and the most fun to watch. I was excited that I won the Quickfire and that I was able to have [the restaurant] be my concept.

You work and live in Chicago, which is another great foodie city. How do you think it stacks up next to New York?
The chef and food community is a little bit smaller [in Chicago], so it’s more friendly. In New York it’s so competitive and overwhelming, and I don’t feel like it’s that way here, even though there are so many great restaurants here too.

What about your opinions on the judges? Were there any that you really liked or disliked?
Some criticisms were better-taken and more constructive than others. Gail was only there for a few episodes, but she seemed more genuine than the other judges. And Tom is always honest. No bull****.

What about Toby Young? He seems kind of ridiculous.
I’m sure he has an awesome palate and he’s a great food critic, but for whatever reason he just made some really not — it didn’t seem constructive. It was a little bit insulting.

Do you have any advice, based on your experiences, for future contestants on the show?
Just work hard, be really confident. Be confident in yourself and your food. And don’t take **** from anybody.

Link to the article: http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/01/top_chef_exit_interview_episod_4.html

[marigold]

An interview with Radhika:

Top Chef Elimination: Was It Fair?

It wasn't her cooking skills that got sweet-faced, soft-spoken Radhika booted from Top Chef last night. It was her management skills that left the judges unimpressed. "Rad" was told to pack her knives after she failed to lead her team, Sahana, to victory over Leah's Sunset Lounge during the all-important restaurant war.

But isn't Top Chef about cooking good food? So why on earth did Leah get to stay despite serving undercooked fish to the judges? Maybe it's because Leah makes better television—she and fellow cheftestant Hosea have been getting quite cozy even though they have significant others back at home.

I caught up with Radhika this morning from her home in Chicago, where she's executive chef at Between Boutique Café & Lounge, to dish on her elimination...

What happened last night? You so didn't deserve to go home.
I just didn't do a good job of managing my team, and they didn't like the fact that I didn't cook anything.

Yeah, but Leah served them undercooked fish! She could have poisoned the judges.
Bad service, undercooked fish and scales…But it's not just about cooking. It's managing the front of the house and everything else.

Do you think the producers kept Leah and Hosea because of the possible romance drama they're bringing to the show?
It's a TV show, right? I'm not gonna say one way or the other why, but it's a TV show.

Are they a couple now or are they still with their boyfriend and girlfriend back home?
I know they're good friends, but that's all I know so far.

Totally off the subject, but Oscar nominations were announced this morning. What's your favorite movie of the year?
Slumdog Millionaire! I'm going to try to get the cast here so I can cook for them [laughs]. It makes me feel like going back to India. My family lives in all those areas that they showed. It's inspired me to go back.

Link: http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b80294_top_chef_elimination_was_it_fair.html

[apskip]

The authors of the above 2 interviews with Radhika are off the mark in my opinion. While cooking great food is the primary objective of regular episodes of Top Chef, that is not true for Restaurant Wars. The cheftestants are told up front that food, design, decor, and service are all important. As I recall hearing it, the main course food was marginally better for Sahana, but it was not a huge margin. The authors neglected to mention Hosea's braised beef, which was the dish I heard talked about as the best. The desserts of Stefan obliterated the desserts of Carla. Design/decor was even in my judgement. The service/front of the house for Sunset Lounge was clearly superior. It looks to me like Sunset Lounge won 2 of the 4 categories and was only a slight bit behind on another. The conclusion of that authors that Sahana should have won ignores these facts(facts because those are the judges' expressed views and not just mine).

[marigold]

Another interview with Radhika:

Top Chef's Radhika Talks "Restaurant Wars" Loss

Radhika Naren Desai made the mistake of becoming her team's leader during Wednesday's "Restaurant Wars" challenge on Top Chef; trying to "make people happy" may have been what landed her on the chopping block. Naren Desai, an executive chef from Chicago, tells TVGuide.com why she decided to take on the front-of-house duty, what was behind her defeated appearance at the Judges' Table and why she was so good at "Quickfires."

TVGuide.com: Why did you let Jeff stay in the kitchen if you initially wanted him on front-of-the-house?
Radhika: He was just a little reluctant and really wanted to be in the kitchen. I just wanted to make people happy and didn't want to force him to do anything he didn't want to do, which, in hindsight, I should have. I had very little experience with front-of-house work but thought that because it was my concept, I'd be able to explain it and pull it off. It definitely wasn't easy and really was exhausting. I did the best I could under the circumstances.

TVGuide.com: What was going through your head during Judges' Table?
Radhika: I was just really exhausted. I just talked to my mom and she was like, "You looked really tired — almost relieved." I was really tired because it had been a long couple of days. At that point, I just couldn't fight anymore. I was the leader and was responsible. Even though I didn't cook anything, with "Restaurant Wars," you have to be able to do everything. The other teams' dessert and Fabio's personality saved them. If the judges would rather have a good jokester personality and eat raw fish, then I don't know.

TVGuide.com: You often did well with Quickfires, but not the Elimination Challenge dishes that followed. Why was that?
Radhika: I don't know. I did what I thought was good. I guess I'm better under pressure with the quick, right-away dishes. I mean, when you have immunity, of course you want to do really good food, but a lot of the pressure is taken off when you're not going home. But that didn't mean I put any less effort than into it.

TVGuide.com: Initially, you said you didn't want to be pigeonholed as the Indian chef, but often used those flavors. What changed?
Radhika: Nothing changed. I didn't want to be the chef who makes Indian food, and I didn't do that. I made food influenced by my culture in different ways, and that's what I wanted to express. I wanted to take what I learned in life and transform it into something modern, original and my own idea.

TVGuide.com: What was the hardest part of the experience?
Radhika: The not knowing. The first few minutes before going into a challenge were the hardest part. All I'd think is "I hope I don't throw up" or "I hope I don't look like an a--hole on TV." [Laughs]

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Chefs-Radhika-Talks-1002042.aspx

[marigold]

I had very little experience with front-of-house work

I don’t think Radhika has a valid excuse she keeps stating she has never tended or lacks experience in the front of a restaurant

Good grief surely she must have gone to restaurant sometime in her life and witnessed what happens it’s no excuse.

Let’s face it Radhika didn’t want to do anything during the challenge.

Had she of choose to cook she would have hid behind a cob of corn for hours and that’s all you get out of her.

[apskip]

........

[apskip]

Top Chef 5 Episode 9 Recap
 
Padma introduces the chefs to Steven Starr, a restaurant entrepreneur, the Guest Judge for the episode. He says that Restaurant Wars is about Food, Design, Décor, Service, and Ambiance. It starts with a Quickfire challenge of creating a concept for a new restaurant and making food to match, all in 30 minutes. The winners will each head the Restaurant Wars teams. Here are the concepts and signature dishes:
 
Stefan - "old stuff from Europe"; fried white asparagus with trout, asparagus salad, white asparagus soup
Fabio - complete Mediterranean meal of appetizer, salad, main course; tuna and swordfish carpaccio, roasted vegetable salad, filet mignon sandwich (Steven says needs salt)
Hosea - Mediterranean seafood; shrimp with morel mushroom cream sauce, garlic potato puree, poached asparagus
Jeff - simple and fresh; grilled salmon w/ sunchoke, artichoke puree, grilled corn and asparagus salad
Jaime - seasonal cooking; Chilean sea bass w/ creamed corn, bacon, peas and garlic scape(flower stem for those like me who did not know what this is and thought it sounded strange)
Radhika - no articulated concept that I could discern; pan-seared cod, butter braised corn, spinach, chorizo w/ cream sauce (Steven says good seasoning)
Leah - Asian; tempura poussin w/ soy sauce and rice wine vinegar (Steven says tasty)
Carla - homemade rustic foods; cod seared in tomato oil with Italian salsa and mache green salad (Steven says it need salt)
 
Before this started, Jaime stated that she did not want to win because the winners would be in charge for Restaurant Wars and the head of the losing team almost always is eliminated.
 
Fabio and Jeff did not have to worry about that, as they were rated Worst by Steven Starr. The winners were Radhika and Leah. Radhika picked Jaime, Carla and Jeff, Radhika picked Hosea and Fabio and was left with Stefan as the unwanted last pick. You would think Stefan is plotting some kind of revenge against both team heads for their reluctance to pick him. Watch what happens, as BRAVO says. Hosea tells you to expect sabotage by Stefan.
 
There is a brief interlude where the TV audience is shown Hosea and Leah canoodling the prior evening. it looks pretty intense although Hosea claimed that nothing ultimately happened. Leah's statements lead you to infer that something did. The significance of this is that both are now on the same team and there is going to be some reaction to whatever happened. It is going to create a more strained atmosphere on their team because both Hosea and Leah came into the competition with significant others back home.
 
The concept selected by Leah's team is Asian Influence. The concept for Radhika's team is Middle Eastern/Indian, the Old Spice Trade. Next are the key decisions on who will do what. Leah and Hosea want to work together, so the only possibility is one be exec chef and the other Sous chef. Leah should be and chooses to be Exec Chef. Fabio wants to showcase this skills outside the kitchen, so he elects Front of the House. Stefan chooses to do desserts, where he will be able to be independent and not piss anyone off. Radhika chooses the Front of the House role for herself because nobody else wanted to do it. Jeff and Jaime share the Exec Chef and Sous Chef roles but as best as I can tell they are co-equals. Carla is doing desserts, which is her specialty.
 
The menu chosen for Sahana (Radhika's team) is:
Whole wheat naan bread with garlic oil
Curried Carrot Soup w/ smoked paprika oil and raita
Grilled Scallops w/ chickpea cake, masala tomato sauce and arugula salad
Cinnamon and Saffron Braised Lamb Shank w/ Israeli couscous
Seared Snapper, White Lentil Tabouli, tomato water and pea shoots
Baklava Cigars
Spiced Chocolate Cake, Crème Fromage and Cashew brittle
Frozen Yoghurts (Fig and Mint)
 
The menu chosen for Sunset Lounge (Leah's team) is:
Amuse bouche - vegetable rolls with mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, sweet chili sauce
Sashimi Two Ways(tuna and salmon, radish salad, yuzu vinaigrette
Grilled Beef Short ribs w/ ginger, vegetables and  beef demi-glace
Coconut Curry Bisque w/ shrimp dumplings
Seared Black Cod, fresh vegetables and Chinese cabbage
Chocolate Rice Parfait, Grape Jelly and Pineapple
Lemongrass and ginger Pannacotta, peach puree, ginger honey
Frozen mango, bitter chocolate and mint lollipop
 
The process for Restaurant Wars is brutal:
1. Plan Menu for 30 minutes
2. Shop for Décor at Pier One with $5000 per team (note - both teasm did well and there was no commentary shown on them as a negative factor for either team)
3. The next morning, spend $3000 each team split between Whole Foods and Restaurant Depot.
4. Prep for 6 hours at Bridgewater, which is possibly realted to Starr
5. Sahana cooks first, then Sunset Lounge
 
In the shopping, Jeff finds two boxes of lamb shanks in the freezer. Prep starts. There are small bones that give Leah fits in trying to get them out neatly. Hosea comments that she did it wrong, as you should debone before portioning. In the kitchen there are serious equipment problems. Isn't it amazing how this can happen for a major challenge? Do you think maybe some elves were sent in the night before to screw up burners and make a freezer non-functional? Anyway the freezer problem affects both Carla and Stefan as both have sorbets. Carla elects to pray that they will freeze to be enough right. Stefan takes action and creates what looks like a non-stove double-boiler of ice to freeze his sorbet. Leah knows at plating that her cod is a lousy dish.  Carla, master of desserts, had problems not only with the sorbet which is understandable, but also with chocolate cake, which should have been a no-brainer for her. She asked for help from Radhika, who was not able to help her with a not-sweet-enough problem.
 
The Front of the House competition between Radhika and Fabio is instructive. Radhika is introverted and tentative and does not create the right aura for her team. Fabio does fabulous, which matches his prediction that "I'm in the front of the house; we can serve monkey ass in clamshells and they will like it." Strong statements for sure, but he proved to be justified in his self-confidence based on his thick extrovert personality leavened with grace and charm. Radhika spent too much time in the kitchen, leaving the host role vacant. Tom and Padma decided to teach her a lesson she would never forget by just having the Judges Table individuals leave without a goodbye from Radhika because they did not want to wait for her to appear.
 
The Judges Table discussion summarized by Tom to:
Sahana wins the food by a slight margin.
Sunset Lounge has a big win Front of the House.
Sunset Lounge has a huge win in desserts,
The Judges decided to let the tally of the diners' comment cards decide the outcome. It went by a small margin to Sunset Lounge. They picked Sunset Lounge as the close winner. Leah had to take a lot of flak for her cod dish, rated by all to be the worst dish. Stefan is judged the Winner of the evening and wins a set of General Electric appliances.
 
The losers team is called out. Jaime and Jeff had to explain who did what, but they are off the hook because their dishes were better than the other team's. It is between Carla and Radhika for elimination. Carla messed up the dessert that was impacted by the freezer chaos, but she also messed up a chocolate cake. She was asked why she didn't ask for more help. She responded that others were busy and all she could do was send out her desserts with "a lot of love" accompanying them. That comment really inflamed both Steven Starr and Toby Young. Radhika was told she she should not have been the Front of the House. She said that there was nobody else to do it, but was reminded that she had the option as head of directing Jeff to do it.
 
The decision was a difficult one that could have gone every way. Radhika was asked to "pack her knives and go." by Padma. What I think is most important is that both of the team leaders were short on experience and that definitely had a negative impact on how their teams functioned. Leah was lucky, as the vote  for Sunset Lounge was close. Radhika had a difficult time doing something unfamiliar and her team's failure was strongly influenced by her lack of leadership and individual performance.
 

[marigold]

............

[apskip]

.........

[marigold]

...........

[TexasLady]

Ok Padma I have read endless articles suggesting she is a gold digger. Up until now I really thought it was frivolous.

What on earth at a vivacious 38 do you have in common with a man nearly 70 years of age.

An interesting article about the gold digger:  http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/01/leggo_my_padma.html

UGH, what a snarky gossip piece. Who knows why someone is attracted to someone else. Love that purse though!

[TexasLady]

The authors of the above 2 interviews with Radhika are off the mark in my opinion. While cooking great food is the primary objective of regular episodes of Top Chef, that is not true for Restaurant Wars. The cheftestants are told up front that food, design, decor, and service are all important. As I recall hearing it, the main course food was marginally better for Sahana, but it was not a huge margin. The authors neglected to mention Hosea's braised beef, which was the dish I heard talked about as the best. The desserts of Stefan obliterated the desserts of Carla. Design/decor was even in my judgement. The service/front of the house for Sunset Lounge was clearly superior. It looks to me like Sunset Lounge won 2 of the 4 categories and was only a slight bit behind on another. The conclusion of that authors that Sahana should have won ignores these facts(facts because those are the judges' expressed views and not just mine).

I agree with your assessment Apskip, the guests also gave Sunset Lounge more votes if I remember correctly which also went into the consideration for which restaurant was better. Fabio was his charming self and no doubt his winning ways set the mood for success and Stephan finished it off with wonderful desserts.

The other teams' dessert and Fabio's personality saved them. If the judges would rather have a good jokester personality and eat raw fish, then I don't know.

(re: Top Chef's Radhika Talks "Restaurant Wars" Loss

Oh I don't agree with this at all! He didn't save them but he was a major part of the ambiance and care for his diners.

[TexasLady]

I've been thinking about Radhika. I think she said it in one of her interviews. She was tired and the responsibilities got to her. I wish it had been someone else, Carla or Leah, but in the end, Radhika really isn't experienced enough to take on running a restaurant and it was only a matter of time before she was eliminated.

[tory]

jmo but radich looked like she was over it last night.. i am glade carla stayed over her she was realy trying to get help..also what adout the cheating going on, no one has mentioned that.. i feel bad for every one the chifs and the ppl they cheated on . those 2 got caught up in a moment and did try to take it bk.. but i wonder what ends up happening...ooooohhhhh

[TexasLady]

jmo but radich looked like she was over it last night.. i am glade carla stayed over her she was realy trying to get help..also what adout the cheating going on, no one has mentioned that.. i feel bad for every one the chifs and the ppl they cheated on . those 2 got caught up in a moment and did try to take it bk.. but i wonder what ends up happening...ooooohhhhh

I think she was relieved in a way. She'll probably have regrets when she gets a little more rested. I didn't like seeing what happened between Leah and Hosea, I'm sure they both regret it. It did have an impact on the challenge, you could see that it also affected the others. It is understandable on a human level but not professional.

[marigold]

Hosea Blogs:

Hosea Responds
Jan 23, 2009 2:28 PM

First things first: None of us signed any contracts forbidding contact with the other cheftestants. We did not break any rules.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to offer my apologies to anyone who was offended or upset by my actions. It is impossible to explain what life is like under these circumstances to anyone who has not experienced it. It may have been the pressure, the stress, or just the surreal-ness of living in a bubble for six weeks, but sometimes you don't act like yourself. I am an honest, caring, and good person. My dearest friends and family know me for who I am. The public knows me as someone who cheats on his girlfriend. I'll have to live with that. I just hope that anyone out there who is easy to point the finger looks deeply inside themselves and can honestly say they haven't ever wronged someone. Or done something that they're ashamed of. Cast the first stone. Do I regret it? You bet. Did it throw off my game? Of course. Have I thought about it every day since? Yes. What can I do? Nothing. When I returned home, I told my girlfriend - one of the sweetest women on earth - what happened. She was willing to forgive me. Our relationship was never the same. We are no longer together. So I have to live with my mistakes and try and grow as a person from it. I am still very happy that I participated in Top Chef. It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot. I hope that it is my food and not my actions that are remembered once the show is over. I came to New York to cook. I made some great dishes and made some wonderful friends. At the end of the day, it is still all about the food.

Link: http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/blogs/index.php?blog=burning_questions_2&article=2009/01/hosea_responds

[tory]

ty maragold it does sound like it was a caught up in the moment thing..i understand the gf trust is a big thing for sure i took bk a cheating huby only to have him cheat again. i got 3 awsome kids and a younger and hotter hubby after it was all over but i would not wish it on my worst enamy. can we say over share lol..