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Big “Top Chef” news! Returning for its 20th anniversary season in LONDON! This is an all-stars INTERNATIONAL season featuring winners and finalists from global iterations, including some of the American winners. “Last Chance Kitchen” is also returning with an all-new season.
Host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons are all returning.
Premieres on Thursday, March 9, 2023, on Bravo with an entire season of supersize episodes airing Thursdays from 9-10:15 PM/8-9:15c. Episodes will be available the next day on Peacock.
Beginning Thursday, March 16, 2023, Bravo’s Emmy-winning digital companion series is back, and Tom Colicchio returns to host Season 12 of “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.” “Last Chance Kitchen” will allow the eliminated chefs to go head-to-head to try to cook their way back into the competition. Presented by BMW of North America, each week’s episode will be available on BravoTV.com, on demand, or wherever you stream Bravo’s “Top Chef” at the conclusion of each week’s episode.
The winning chef will be crowned “Top Chef” World All-Star, taking home the grand prize of $250,000 provided by the Saratoga® Brand, a feature in Food & Wine, and an appearance at the 40th-annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado.
ReplyRoster of this season’s contestants:
Samuel Albert (winner, “Top Chef France,” Season 10)
Luciana Berry (winner, “Top Chef Brazil,” Season 2)
Sara Bradley (finalist, Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Season 16: Kentucky)
Dawn Burrell (finalist, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 18: Portland)
Ali Ghzawi (winner, “Top Chef Middle East & North Africa”, Season 3: Lebanon)
Tom Goetter (finalist, “Top Chef Germany,” Season 1)
Nicole Gomes (winner, “Top Chef Canada,” Season 5: All-Stars)
Victoire Gouloubi (finalist, “Top Chef Italy,” Season 2)
Charbel Hayek (winner, “Top Chef Middle East & North Africa,” Season 5: Saudi Arabia)
Buddha Lo (winner, Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Season 19: Houston)
Dale MacKay (winner, “Top Chef Canada,” Season 1)
May Phattanant Thongthong (finalist, “Top Chef Thailand,” Season 1)
Begoña Rodrigo (winner, “Top Chef Spain,” Season 1)
Gabriel Rodriguez (winner, “Top Chef Mexico,” Season 2)
Amar Santana (finalist, Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Season 13: California)
Sylvia Stachyra (winner, “Top Chef Poland,” Season 7)
ReplyCopy URLDon’t know any of the foreign chefs, so they’ll be new discoveries for me. Really surprised that Dawn is back, considering that she couldn’t plate a dish in the allotted time to save her life during her Portland season. The competition won’t be any easier this time around. She was almost a de-facto judge for Houston though, so it’s clear her profile has greatly increased in a short period of time. Good for her, but partial side-eye to the convenience of it all with the show wanting us to both ignore her season’s serial sexual harasser winner G–e and the shameful fact that no black woman has won the flagship competition series in 17 years and 20 seasons. The internet never forgets. The latter doesn’t look like it will change this year either.
ReplyCopy URLEpisode Title: “London Calling”
Synopsis: To celebrate the landmark 20th season, Emmy winner “Top Chef” returns for an international showdown in London, England; sixteen competitors, including previous winners and finalists from global iterations, face off in the fiercest showdown the culinary series has seen.
Discuss.
ReplyCopy URLGreat premiere. The talent this season is no joke, though I think I would have liked things kicked up a notch with an all-winners international edition. That would have been fierce. Sad to see the French chef go home, but it seemed like a justified elimination. It was sort of telegraphed from the beginning with him saying how he just had to make it to the finale in Paris b/c of his nationality like it was a given. Also rooting hard for Dawn this season, but she struggled even in this first episode. It would be great if she went the distance as the firat black female winner on the 20th anniversary season, but she’ll really have to step her game up to accomplish that feat. Previews also look incredibly intense for the season! “Last Chance Kitchen” starts up next week.
ReplyCopy URLAlso not familiar with the non-American contestants, so looking forward to getting to know them! I already really like Ali and Nicole.
I’m with Atypical and rooting most for Dawn because the raw talent is undeniable and it’s absolutely insane that in 20 season there hasn’t been a Black female winner. But she’s falling into her old timing traps, even without the extra hinderance of the accidental water vegetable sabotage. I hope she can finally get over that barrier to just really pare down and edit her dishes into something manageable…if she could fix that Achilles heel she’d be unstoppable.
Otherwise, also rooting for Amar. I love him, he just seems to have such a genuine joy to be cooking no matter what.
Great opener! Excited for this season.
ReplyCopy URLEpisode Titles “Rice, Rice Baby”
Synopsis: In the quickfire challenge, the remaining chefs are challenged to make an amuse-bouche with unexpected ingredients that must fit on a Ritz cracker; the competition heats up as the chefs head to Alexandra Palace, where they must create rice dishes for 100 guests; another contestant is eliminated from the competition.
Discuss.
ReplyCopy URLTough break for Dawn! I was hoping she would go the distance, or at least not be eliminated so early. Luckily, she prevailed in “Last Chance Kitchen,” so she’s still in the race, for now. The early contestants rarely go the distance, so the odds are stacked against her. The rice challenge was great, and it continues to be an Achilles heel for chef after chef in this competition (along with desserts). Also nice seeing May win the quickfire challenge and score highly in the elimination challenge. She’s an early standout and one to look out for in the coming weeks.
ReplyCopy URLOh I was hoping Charles would win the last chance kitchen – oh well! Perhaps I am the only one glad to see Dawn out and hope she stays out?
The only one who is rubbing me the wrong way this season is Victoire. She has a superior art to thou attitude.
So looking forward to Restaurant Wars – it’s always my favorite episode every season.
ReplyCopy URLEpisode Title: “Cheeky Pints & Pub Bites”
Synopsis: In lieu of a quickfire challenge, Tom and Gail surprise the chefs with an old-fashioned pub crawl around central London; in teams of two, the chefs are tasked with re-creating and elevating a classic pub dish; in an unexpected twist, two chefs will pack their knives.
Discuss.
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