Top Chef Recap 5.11: Le Bernardin

February 5, 2009

I'm bummed: The person I was rooting for was asked to leave during last night's episode of Top Chef. After the remaining six cheftestants were treated to a decadent lunch at guest judge Eric Ripert's New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin, they were asked to recreate a dish. Did you catch the show? To discuss in more depth (warning spoilers ahead), read more.

Is Carla underestimated?
Have you ever filleted a fish?
How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge?
How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch?
Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin?
Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste?
Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate?
Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not?
Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple?
With only five cheftestants left, who will win?

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Ultress 4 years 14 weeks

oh...and i might be in love with fabio. a little bit.

Ultress 4 years 14 weeks

1. Is Carla underestimated? incredibly, YES!! like many of the above, i disliked her from the onset but over the weeks, she's been able to show off her skills and i'm going to take a wild guess that impressing eric ripert ain't an easy thing to do. i was actually surprised she lost the elim challenge to stefan who had the easiest dish of the night. 2. Have you ever filleted a fish? yes, once, and never again. first of all, i hate the taste of fish, secondly, what a pain. 3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? unrespectable. you just do. not. give. up. lame--which pretty much sums her up. 4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? not bad! as much as i think hosea's a loser for hooking up with leah, the dude looks good. and ditto for stefan and fabio. 5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? if they were thinking on their feet and able to recall past seasons, YES. 6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? she had the disadvantage probably because she put herself there. from the onset she allowed herself to be uninspired by that dish and it obviously affected her performance to the point where she was so behind she didn't have anything ready for him to give feedback on. 7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? YES. 8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? obviously. other agendas resulted in the ridiculous decision to send her home. there's no defense for this...the producers should just fess up to their BS. 9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? obviously. 10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? as obnoxious as stefan is....i hope he wins. he's clearly the most gifted. if not stefan, then Carla. she's a little kooky, but she can delivery the goods. down with leah! and her whining incompetence.

yvettecq 4 years 15 weeks

Is Carla underestimated? yes, I think so but I don't think she's among the strongest. Have you ever filleted a fish? no! How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? i thought for sure her goose was cooked - oh how wrong i was. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? just like any other average person. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? no. could it be that the Bravo crew collected their knives and brought them along? Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? yes. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? yes - it had the fewest ingredients. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? yes, i wish leah was the one to go. hopefully next week...fingers crossed. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? yes With only five cheftestants left, who will win? would love to see fabio but suspect it will be stefan. so much for the american chefs!

ilanac13 4 years 15 weeks

1.YES YES YES. for the first few shows, i had no faith in her, but learning now that she's a french trained chef - that makes it more interesting to me. i can't wait to see what she does - and i have a feeling that she may surprise us in the finale...when she gets there ;) 2. GOODNESS NO and i hope i never will. 3. i feel like she does that a lot - and hopefully she'll realize that it really does make her look like she's not worthy of being on the show and in the competition 4. to be honest, i didn't even pay attention to that - i knew what the challenge was going to be and that's what i paid attention to 5. after watching the show for the previous seasons, i don't know how they couldn't figure that one out. 6. maybe...although she knew what she did wrong and that wouldn't have changed even if Eric did taste it. 7. yes - it had the fewest components 8. yes and no. i thought she'd last at least another episode, but i guess the judges were just tired of her. 9. no - i think that they figure hosea will be fan favorite or something... 10. i kind of feel like carla might..i don't know why - and i CERTAINLY wouldn't have said that a few weeks ago, but she's surprising me.

eshellmoyer 4 years 15 weeks

I have to say it, I was rooting for Jamie to go home after what she said about the food at lunch. It was just so cocky and ungrateful. That challenge was a wonderful learning experience and an opportunity to be around great food that many chefs would die for and she said she was bored with the food. Most people don't even get the chance to eat at Le Bernardin let alone cook there. It also didn't make any sense. What does inspire her? She's claimed that it's cooking beautiful ,simple food with fresh, seasonal ingredients, which is precisely what they do at Le Bernardin, but somehow that food bored her. Searing scallops over and over again seems to be her culinary point of view. Also if I go to a restaurant and something on one of the dishes is inedible, that's the dish I'm sending back, not the dish with a strange sauce. After all, Top Chef is about being a viable chef, and chefs that send out food that simply can't be eaten don't become top chefs or Top Chefs. *Full disclosure, I did ask to go to Le Bernardin for my Birthday this year and it is still four months away, so yeah, I resent people being "bored and uninspired" by the food there.

ann418 4 years 15 weeks

The eels freaked me out. And I cracked up when Carla said she wanted to be Eric's dish when she grew up. I thought they sent someone home last season for a huge mistake they made in the Quickfire, but I can't remember who. I really think Leah should have gone home, but if Jamie's celery was as inedible as all of the judges said on their blogs, then I understand why she's gone. I bet Leah will go next week, and Stefan, Fabio and Hosea will be in the finals. Stefan is probably going to win, which will only inflate his gigantic ego.

verily 4 years 15 weeks

1. Is Carla underestimated? I think so. She's so warm and goofy that I think people forget that she's a serious chef. 2. Have you ever filleted a fish? No, and I'm sure that the world thanks me for it. 3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? I think she should have at least tried. She got one done, didn't she? 4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? Eh, they looked alright. I wasn't really focused on how they dressed. 5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? Of course. Surely they realize that everything they do has a catch at this point. Or they've watched the previous seasons of Top Chef. This challenge was done before (but with only one dish to recreate). 6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? Slightly. She should have gotten some feedback like everyone else. But in the end, she screwed up several components of her dish that Eric could not have commented on. 7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? Absofreakinlutely. Carla should have gotten that win because she nailed it and hers was much harder. 8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? Leah should have gone because she screwed up the sauce and the fish. 9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? I think the relationship is over now. They could have concentrated more on the fact that Stefan kept kissing Jamie in this ep. 10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? Stefan, easily. I think it will be a battle of the baldies in the end with Carla as the third person. Things don't look so good for Fabio based on the preview for next week.

misshouston 4 years 15 weeks

1. Is Carla underestimated? She's inconsistent -- either brilliant or a total disaster -- so I can't really say. 2. Have you ever filleted a fish? No. That's why God gave us supermarkets with seafood departments. 3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? Typical whiny Leah. 4 How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? Meh. 5 Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? They didn't appear to but they sure should have. There ARE no "just a relaxing lunches/dinners/nights on the town" at Top Chef! 6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? I don't think it would have made a difference. 7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? Yes, he was smart to choose it. 8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? True, but if your dish makes the judges gag, it doesn't matter what you did right. 9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? I'd say yes if either of them had a speck of personality. Yawn. 10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? Stefan's been on a roll since Week 1; it's his to lose.

Stacey Cakes 4 years 15 weeks

I'm so glad that Jamie is gone. She seemed so cocky and sure that she was going to win everything.

Pallas Athena 4 years 15 weeks

1. Is Carla underestimated? Sometimes, yes. 2. Have you ever filleted a fish? I have never cooked or filleted anything. 3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? I'm still surprise that Leah is here. She is a whiny whore. 4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? I think Jamie could have looked nicer, but they all looked beautiful. 5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? I hope they did. I think that a few of them did. 6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? He didn't? 7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? Yes. Apparently lobster is easy and him and Hosea knew the ingredients already. 8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? HELL YEAH! I'm soooooo upset about that!!! 9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? Probably! 10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? Beats me. I hope it isn't Hosea or Leah. I don't care if it is Fabio, Stefan, or Carla.

teegaall 4 years 15 weeks

Carla is a bit underestimated. She's a good chef but I don't think she's necessarily worthy of the Top Chef title.

lylpookie 4 years 15 weeks

1. I think she is underestimated because she comes off a little crazy at times. I still remember the "GAAAAAAAAAAAAIL! Where are you GAAAAAAAAIL!" 2. Nope, I wouldn't stand a chance. 3. I'm surprised she didn't go because she gave up and it doesn't seem like she cares anymore. 4. That was their best? 5. If they were smart, they would know. 6. Maybe, but I think she was doomed when she said "I wasn't inspired by any of this." 7. Yes, but he won the quickfire so he was smart. 8. YES!!! The dish was about the seafood...she got it right. 9. Haha, the boyfriend and I suspect that's why they kept them there. 10. Stefan

jopperma 4 years 15 weeks

First, those eels were terrifying.... Second, JAMIE OVER LEAH WTH? I yelled at the TV... it is pure insanity that Leah is still there at all and then they had a chance to send her whine-y butt home and they sent Jamie home instead! Booooooo....hisssss

shmoo15 4 years 15 weeks

Ugh! Leah should have been cut like three weeks ago. Top Chef FAIL!

nancita 4 years 15 weeks

I am really bummed that Jamie left. She is clearly the better chef than Leah. I think they should have stuck with their original argument that at least she knew how to fix her mistake and Leah did not. I think it was a bad decision that makes me really dislike this season.

ktownpolarbear 4 years 15 weeks

I think Leah should've been gone since her sauce was so off the mark, and she gave up the quickfire. Seems like she's staying b/c it would be a good dramatic plot for the show.

POPSUGAR Entertainment 4 years 15 weeks

My boy and I have a longstanding joke (that's also kinda true) about Eric Ripert always picking the hot girl to win, so I guess with that said, I'm not surprised Leah stayed. But I am disappointed — and I really did think that properly cooking the fish should have been enough to save Jamie. I think all the chefs could have properly done their sauces with a recipe or more guidance, but cooking the actual fish is fundamental. I was really shocked when they called her name — I thought Ripert would save Leah and Hosea would go home. I get a kick out of Carla, honestly, and she's my favorite of those remaining — not the best chef, necessarily, but the one I enjoy watching most. I honestly never would have guessed that her training was in classical French cuisine . . . I do think Stefan had the easiest dish of the challenge, because the only element he really had to observe and redo himself was the hollandaise (and that wasn't perfect!). But he's shown himself to be a savvy game-player, so I wasn't surprised he picked it. It's starting to look more and more inevitable to me that Stefan is going to win. The only person who I think could really outcook him head-to-head is Jamie, mostly because their styles are so different, and with her gone, I don't know who can really compete with him — the others are so inconsistent.

dmartinxoxo 4 years 15 weeks

Leah frustrates me terribly, I hate when she screws up and does that immature pouty face and talks like the neural synapses in her brain started failing. Jamie was a much better chef and did not deserve to get sent home. I think that this was a Bravo influenced decision in order to stretch out the so-called "sexual tension" between Hosea and Leah. Grrrrr. I really want to believe that Tom Colicchio wouldn't allow this, but the heavy handed product placement reminding me that the Chef'testants cook on GE Monogram appliances and eat Quaker Oats while on their T-Mobile sidekicks are convincing me otherwise.

divinelight 4 years 15 weeks

I really wanted Jamie to win. I cannot stand Leah and she seemed so apathetic this week. I really loved this challenge though. I think it was one of the best they've ever done.

aimeeb 4 years 15 weeks

I need to catch up on this one!

megln1022 4 years 15 weeks

1. Carla was able to pull out some o fher classic training last night and leave the "love" aside. if she continues to do that then yes she might have been underestimated in the beginning. 2. i don't eat fish so i never have! 3. I don't like Leah so I definitely didn't like her giving up. Especially later on when she got to stay. 4. that was their finest? 5. haven't they had similar challenges in past seasons? they definitely should have had an idea 6. probably- he seemed to try and give contructive tips to everyone else 7. well he won the quick fire so he had the right to pick the easiest. 8. well Hosea got his sauce close to perfect so i wasn't surprised to see him stay- however Leah completely misinterpreted the sauce in her dish. i really wanted her to leave 9.i would hope not but it is reality tv so anything for ratings 10. i was rooting for stefan, fabio, and jamie but now i think it'd have to be stefan, fabio, and carla. keep a woman in there and i don't want it to be leah!

LaurenG22 4 years 15 weeks

Gosh, I hate Leah so much... the only ones who impress me now are Stefan and Carla (for some crazy reason). I can't see her winning top chef, but whatever. I never seem to see much skill out of the others, only drama and whining (leah, I am looking at you! :bossy: )

pharm_chick 4 years 15 weeks

omg they sent jamie home?!?!? noo.. and to reiterate everyone here, seriously her over leah?!??!?!

teegaall 4 years 15 weeks

1. Is Carla underestimated? 2. Haha no I have never filleted a fish. I wouldn't even know where to start. 3. Even though I'm not a big Leah fan, I was so disappointed in her for giving up on the quickfire. Top chefs do not quit! 4. I don't really remember how the chefs looked at lunch, but didn't Jamie wear a t-shirt? Or was that just when she was giving commentary? 5. Even if they weren't told by the producers, they had to have known if they've ever watched an episode of Top Chef. Contestants don't just get time to play without any work (except for the team that won the Thanksgiving elimination challenge and got to go to the Foo Fighters concert, but that was AFTER they had done all of the work). 6. I don't have anything to say about Eric not tasting Jamie's dish. I think I missed that part. 7. I wasn't paying enough attention to tell how hard Stefan's dish was. 10. I think Fabio or Stefan will win. Probably Stefan because although he can be kind of a prick, he kicks butt in the kitchen.

SweetSaucy 4 years 15 weeks

3. I really don't like Leah. She just acts like a quitter and doesn't take responsibility. I wish they'd kick her off already! 7. I don't know if Stefan's was easiest to recreate, but he's incredibly talented as a chef. He's cocky, but he can back it up. 8. Leah needs to go home. Hosea needs to go home. Jamie should've been in the top four. 10. I really want Stefan and Fabio in the top two. I think Stefan should win, with Fabio in a close second.

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