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sevenswells) wrote2011-04-02 05:48 pm
sevenswells) wrote2011-04-02 05:48 pm
Entry tags:
Top Chef, France & US, and NIPPON ICHI!
I'm SUCH an idiot. I've stayed up all night just to finish that food porn one-shot and now I'm completely worn out. Hopefully though, it'll be up as soon as beta and brit-picking are done.
In order to perfect my knowledge of sushi for that fic, I've been watching a Japanese drama called Shouta no Sushi, adapted from a shounen manga of the "educational type". From an artistic standpoint, the show is really INCREDIBLY BAD. The actors are atrocious, the plotline so cliché it would make the guys who write articles on TV Tropes cry, I won't even comment on the editing, the filming and about every other aspect of making a TV show that they're failing at. There is one theme song repeated over and over throughout the episodes, and it's pretty terrible too. Because it's adapted from a shounen manga, the main character's goal is to become the number one sushi chef in Japan, so his motto is "NIPPON ICHI!" ("number one in Japan!") which is bad enough, and he keeps repeating it throughout the show, about 50 times per episode -- the worst being when the other characters start yelling it too. It's like when they keep repeating the episode's title in Glee (e.g., "Funk", "Home"), only ten times worse.
And yet, despite all that, I'm still watching. Why? Because from a culinary standpoint, I'm actually learning stuff. Of course most of it is very exaggerated, but watching the show, you can understand why sushi business in Japan is deadly srs bsns.
Seriously, though... I'm watching an incredibly bad drama only because it makes me learn more about sushi. I'm hopeless, aren't I? =___=;;;
On the finale of Top Chef US:
-YAAAAAAY Richard won! \o/ I was rooting for him, and I'm glad Mike didn't get the title; he really was a bit of a jerk. Richard totally deserved his victory, and he looked so cute, crying and smiling like he's never smiled before during the competition and being all ~*emotional*~ when he used to be so stressed out throughout the whole show! Awwww... I liked what he said about his new food philosophy being about pleasure and the customer, too
-This said, foie gras ice-cream, Richard? Really? I love foie gras, but using it for dessert sounds like one of the worst ideas ever!
-Hubert Keller as a guest judge! Oh I love Hubert, he's so gentlemanly! He was one of my favourite Top Chef Masters contestants, with Jonathan "Obi-Wan" Waxman. I liked Art Smith too, I was happy to see him again, although he was far less sassy here than on his season of TCM.
-And speaking of Top Chef Masters, a new host?! I kinda liked Kelly Choi, but I hope we'll see very soon what the new guy is worth. And is it just me, or does he really look super gay?
-HAHAHA Spike's ~*~***craftiness***~*~! How could the judges not spot him trying to be ninja, lurking around their table? It looked soooo not subtle at all! And the jet-ski reservations! How very professional, way to go, Spike! XD
On Top Chef France:
Two women and one man for the big finale on Monday, and my favourite, Stéphanie Le Quéllec, is among them. The other two candidates I think are kind of weak, but Stéphanie has had a bit of a losing streak in the last two episodes and was always saved in extremis, so I hope she doesn't break under pressure; as I said, I'd actually like to see her win this.
She's the kind of candidate that doesn't take too much risks and sticks to clean and perfectly executed dishes, but the judges have been pushing her hard lately, saying that she was neither daring nor original. So she tried to take risks, but it never really paid off, hence her being on the bottom repeatedly, and then on her very last challenge which was kind of win-or-die, she really stepped out of her comfort zone, building a dish around exotic fruits to accompany salmon, which isn't her usual style at all, and she nailed it. The judges said it was the best dish they'd tasted in the competition, one of the most successful dishes they'd tasted in general, and that it was the kind of food that made you feel *happy*. This coming from judges who are possibly the harshest of the Top Chef franchise around the world (hey, they're French, they have to live up to their reputation of being rude and snooty), it was really impressive.
What I love the most about Stéphanie is the way she talks about food and the dishes she's preparing; it's SO SO SEXY. She's not particularly good-looking herself (well, not exactly repulsive either), but as soon as she steps into the kitchen, she becomes a goddess. I could listen to her talk about food all day (if I could restrain myself from pouncing her right away).
So even if the other candidates aren't as skilled or interesting in my opinion, I'm still looking forward to the finale next week. We're still watching it like it's a football game, and it's really fun and exciting.
Go, Stéphanie! \°0°/
In order to perfect my knowledge of sushi for that fic, I've been watching a Japanese drama called Shouta no Sushi, adapted from a shounen manga of the "educational type". From an artistic standpoint, the show is really INCREDIBLY BAD. The actors are atrocious, the plotline so cliché it would make the guys who write articles on TV Tropes cry, I won't even comment on the editing, the filming and about every other aspect of making a TV show that they're failing at. There is one theme song repeated over and over throughout the episodes, and it's pretty terrible too. Because it's adapted from a shounen manga, the main character's goal is to become the number one sushi chef in Japan, so his motto is "NIPPON ICHI!" ("number one in Japan!") which is bad enough, and he keeps repeating it throughout the show, about 50 times per episode -- the worst being when the other characters start yelling it too. It's like when they keep repeating the episode's title in Glee (e.g., "Funk", "Home"), only ten times worse.
And yet, despite all that, I'm still watching. Why? Because from a culinary standpoint, I'm actually learning stuff. Of course most of it is very exaggerated, but watching the show, you can understand why sushi business in Japan is deadly srs bsns.
Seriously, though... I'm watching an incredibly bad drama only because it makes me learn more about sushi. I'm hopeless, aren't I? =___=;;;
On the finale of Top Chef US:
-YAAAAAAY Richard won! \o/ I was rooting for him, and I'm glad Mike didn't get the title; he really was a bit of a jerk. Richard totally deserved his victory, and he looked so cute, crying and smiling like he's never smiled before during the competition and being all ~*emotional*~ when he used to be so stressed out throughout the whole show! Awwww... I liked what he said about his new food philosophy being about pleasure and the customer, too
-This said, foie gras ice-cream, Richard? Really? I love foie gras, but using it for dessert sounds like one of the worst ideas ever!
-Hubert Keller as a guest judge! Oh I love Hubert, he's so gentlemanly! He was one of my favourite Top Chef Masters contestants, with Jonathan "Obi-Wan" Waxman. I liked Art Smith too, I was happy to see him again, although he was far less sassy here than on his season of TCM.
-And speaking of Top Chef Masters, a new host?! I kinda liked Kelly Choi, but I hope we'll see very soon what the new guy is worth. And is it just me, or does he really look super gay?
-HAHAHA Spike's ~*~***craftiness***~*~! How could the judges not spot him trying to be ninja, lurking around their table? It looked soooo not subtle at all! And the jet-ski reservations! How very professional, way to go, Spike! XD
On Top Chef France:
Two women and one man for the big finale on Monday, and my favourite, Stéphanie Le Quéllec, is among them. The other two candidates I think are kind of weak, but Stéphanie has had a bit of a losing streak in the last two episodes and was always saved in extremis, so I hope she doesn't break under pressure; as I said, I'd actually like to see her win this.
She's the kind of candidate that doesn't take too much risks and sticks to clean and perfectly executed dishes, but the judges have been pushing her hard lately, saying that she was neither daring nor original. So she tried to take risks, but it never really paid off, hence her being on the bottom repeatedly, and then on her very last challenge which was kind of win-or-die, she really stepped out of her comfort zone, building a dish around exotic fruits to accompany salmon, which isn't her usual style at all, and she nailed it. The judges said it was the best dish they'd tasted in the competition, one of the most successful dishes they'd tasted in general, and that it was the kind of food that made you feel *happy*. This coming from judges who are possibly the harshest of the Top Chef franchise around the world (hey, they're French, they have to live up to their reputation of being rude and snooty), it was really impressive.
What I love the most about Stéphanie is the way she talks about food and the dishes she's preparing; it's SO SO SEXY. She's not particularly good-looking herself (well, not exactly repulsive either), but as soon as she steps into the kitchen, she becomes a goddess. I could listen to her talk about food all day (if I could restrain myself from pouncing her right away).
So even if the other candidates aren't as skilled or interesting in my opinion, I'm still looking forward to the finale next week. We're still watching it like it's a football game, and it's really fun and exciting.
Go, Stéphanie! \°0°/
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Sinon j'espère vraiment que Stéphanie va gagner Top Chef fr 0// je suis du même avis que toi la concernant (bon, j'ai raté les deux derniers épisodes à cause de mes devoirs de tarée ...). Elle m'aurait presque fait manger du steak de cheval ;___;
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I was surprised that Hubert Keller has apparently never eaten at Humphrey Slocombe, a San Francisco institution that scoops, among other things, foie gras ice cream.
That said, I've been on the edge of my seat throughout the entire finale and YAY RICHARD!!! He deserved it the most--he's clearly a better chef than Mike--but I was so, so, so afraid he'd choke at the last minute. But he didn't! YAY!
Sorry if this came across as really weird. . . I came here from Sherlock fandom and I also happen to be mildly obsessed with Top Chef, ah ha ha ha.
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I'm just a bit sad that Jay Rayner was sacked, I always loved his comments at judging. I'm gonna miss hearing the British accent too ;___;
This said -- INDEED, YAY RICHARD!!!! ^0^
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As for Richard, I have no idea how/why I got so attached to him, because I almost certainly saw him on his own season and. . . don't remember him at all? And yet this time around I almost bit the cat, I was so anxious. (I guess a lot of it was that I didn't want Mike to win, because he was a jerk and also just an inferior chef.) Whew! I hope he opens his own restaurant now.
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I never have to yell at anyone for being a idiot on TCM.
Good to know that there are other people out there who have the same behaviour as me in front of the television. =D No, seriously. I get crazy when I watch cooking shows: http://sevenswells.livejournal.com/62484.html
Hahaha OMG Ludo! Pepe le Pew! He didn't impress me with his cooking skills at all when he was on TCM, but he sure was entertaining! XD
I think Richard has changed a lot since his season on Top Chef. He was more focused this time, and also I felt like he really put all his heart and creativity in every single thing he did... that's why I said his victory was very emotional; it really was redemption for him, because he lost in such a silly way the first time.
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Ludo was SOOOOOO HILARIOUS. I have no idea if he's always like that or if Top Chef edited him that way, but I couldn't stop laughing. "Now you can tell your friends you met a nice Frenchman!" Fwahahahaha. And Rick Bayless is just all :3 :3 :3 I like Mexican food! the entire time. ILU Rick Bayless.
Were you as enamored of Fabio's bromance with Richard as I was? I laughed myself sick at the part where Fabio said that Richard reminded him of his ex-wife.
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Dude, totally! What about the part where Richard won the ticket to the Bermudas and he promised he would definitely give one ticket to Fabio and then go with him and his own family??? I squee'd out loud, I swear!!
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Those two. If I were at all predisposed to RPS I would be all over that, but it's almost too easy. The ex-wife comment! The ticket to the Bermudas! The Professor and the strange Italian immigrant! And when Fabio got eliminated and Richard was all "DDD: IF ONLY HE HAD TALKED TO ME." Oh, Richard. Don't blame yourself. Poor Fabio! "Burger? I can't even pronounce burger!"