Top Chef Watch: Singapore: As American As Dial Nutriskin?

Top Chef season eight has had a vaguely consistent American theme throughout its run. I’m not saying that every challenge bled red, white, and blue; but, I think it’s fair to say that the overall theme of this season has been one of patriotism, more or less. So, what better place to have the finale of Top Chef: D.C. than in a place as American as Swiss Cheese: Singapore. Huh? Does Dial Nutriskin own Singapore? Because I have absolutely no idea where this came from. The last four Cheftestants should have been cooking in the White House, not in a Wok.

On the bright side, once you get past the fact that the new locale holds no significance to the D.C. theme, you begin to realize how many great opportunities Singapore has to offer in the way of challenges. The Quickfire Challenge had the remaining chefs (Kevin, Angelo, Ed, and Kelly) cooking classic Singaporian (eh?) street food in booths that had clearly just been transplanted from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Ed’s stir fry noodle dish with lobster gave him the victory, and immunity, in the Quickfire Challenge. Well deserved, but to be honest, all of the dishes looked awesome.

The Elimination Challenge gave me another reason to groan tonight: it was a team challenge. While this team challenge was better executed than most, I think it’s time for the producers to sit back and let the chefs do their own damn cooking. Then again, did I just win an Emmy for best reality show? Perhaps they know what they’re doing after all. Yet, the Amazing Race was the incumbent, so maybe it doesn’t take as much as one would think…

Jacob’s Pick: Angelo

Anything with lamb is an instant winner for me, and its presentation certainly did Angelo a few favors in my book. His lamb tartare not only looked edible (a whole season of this fancy-ass food hasn’t changed my palette much), it actually looked appetizing. All of the dishes appeared to be masterfully prepared, but my inner bias left me wanting to see more of Angelo’s dish.

Judge’s Pick:
All of the cheftestants prepared two dishes, and Ed’s winning dish was actually…wait for it…a dessert? His banana fritter was described by head judge Tom Colicchio as the “perfect stoner food.” I, being a straight edged individual, have absolutely no idea what he means by that. If he means that this food could be adequately prepared on hot stones, then I agree with him. But if he is speaking of the devil’s grass, I’m afraid that I can not stand by him, as much as it pains me to type it.

Pack It: Kelly

Well, somebody had to go home. Earlier this season I predicted Kelly and Andrea’s demise from the competition, and it appears that I misjudged Kelly. She proved to be a great competitor, despite being more boring than a sack of potato skins.

The finale of Top Chef is next week, and I for one am excited to see who will end up on top. Ed has had a remarkable hot streak, but Angelo has been the favorite all season long. I don’t mean to count Kevin out early, but I just don’t see him as the same caliber of chef that Angelo and Ed are. But who knows? Strange things happen on Top Chef, and Kevin taking it all would not be the strangest.

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