Who Do You Want To Win Top Chef?

October 3, 2007

This season of "Top Chef" is finally coming to a close. We've had fantastic judges — including Ted Allen, whose favorite cast member was Howie — some wild characters, shocking results and droolworthy dishes. We're down to the final three, and at this point I'm not sure who I'm rooting for. How about you? Who do you want to win?

Oh and if you can't wait for tonight, here's a quick clip to whet your palate.

37 Comments

SugarFreak 5 years 33 weeks

No Hung. Pleeeeeeeeeez!

POPSUGAR Food 5 years 33 weeks

cestlavie - apparently not, they're milking a final reunion show next week!

CestLaVie 5 years 33 weeks

Will this show ever end!

ad2121 5 years 33 weeks

For all you Casey fans, did you see how long it took her to chop an onion?

pinkcocoa 5 years 33 weeks

I want Casey to win at this point. Part of it may be that she is a woman and I'd like to see a woman win. Part of it is also that, as said before, while Hung may technically be a better chef and he has training, Casey has performed better than he has recently. Her cooking is more original and more 'spot on'. Hung has actually had quite a few mess ups throughtout the show. Casey seems to be more thoughtful about what she wants to cook and it produces better results ultimately. I have said this before, but the first 2 seasons had MUCH better chefs. This 3rd season has had a lot of amateurs, it seems to me. And it's not necessarily b/c the chefs aren't classically trained. I do believe that one can be an amazing, inventive chef without training. And one of the things that got me interested in Top Chef in the first place was that they did show an array of different types of chefs, trained and not trained. In the first season, they had caterers, natural food cooks, etc. I think it made the show much more interesting, and I think only having trained chefs can make it a little boring.

wackdoodle 5 years 33 weeks

Dale is a cutey thou! Like a chipmunk.

wackdoodle 5 years 33 weeks

As Bourdain said in his blog - Hung knows the show is a competition about being a chef not a personality contest. The reason classic taste persist is because they are good. Hung came to win. Casey and Dale obviously have terrific skills but there's always something slightly off. I think that's the formal education component. That's just my opinion. Personally to me all professional chefs are annoying as heck to me. Probably cause they know more than me about something so basic and they aren't afraid to tell me that I'm naive about food.

kikila 5 years 33 weeks

as much as i'd love to see hung's reaction if he won, i voted for casey cuz i gots to show my girl some love (although, if asked to vote solely on the basis of the photos above, then my gurl dale would get it)... is it just me or is anyone else waiting for padma & colicchio to hook up?? when they say "partner" in his bio, does that mean business-partner or partner-partner??

LaurenG22 5 years 33 weeks

I thought Hung should win when he DID win... I just think techinically he is much better. Casey has more heart but Hung has the skill.

kritin220 5 years 33 weeks

I miss CJ :( I wanted him to win from the beginning.

bp99 5 years 33 weeks

but wackdoodle, thats why i don't think hung should win. Classic flavors are classic for a reason--- that they repeat. Casey has shown she can use classic flavors (like all the good ol' TX cooking shes infused with her cooking) but also can do new things. In the boat/appetizer challenge, classic cooking became cliched cooking for hung, and his salmon mouse on cucumber got slammed, probably rightly so. His elitism mentioned above, as well as his overly complicated recipes, shows he cooks not to enjoy the food and the simple flavors of them, but because he needs an ego boost from people going "whaaaaa?". He's not talented, just insecure. If he wins, it's a fluke. These chefs are soooo close anyway. I think more importantly, i'd eat at Casey's restaurant anyday. Her dishes appeal to me more.

wackdoodle 5 years 33 weeks

Hung. I looked at their Bios on the Bravo website and he's the only one remaining who actually went to culinary school and got a degree. Why does that matter? Because culinary school teach the classic flavor combinations and techniques then you expand from there - you learn what goes well on the palate and what doesn't (see Howie's oily cigar). He's the only one who's traveled the world to try to learn as much as possible in the culinary world. He's the one with the most experience and proficiency. I'm actually surprised that restaurants are hiring executive chefs who haven't been to culinary school or apprenticed under major chefs for years. Perhaps that's why I find I enjoy eating at home more than at many restaurants now. Finally Hung's the only one who, with the exception of the freaky ice cream concoction, has made dishes that I would even consider tasting/eating.

rothchild 5 years 33 weeks

i would not mind if any of these three win but i am rooting for Hung. I just wish they didn't make him into the cocky villain of the show because he really isn't.

designergirl 5 years 33 weeks

Casey or Hung. Dale just really irritates me. He is always forgetting something or making excuses.

Ultress 5 years 33 weeks

I think Hung will win regardless who I like and why. I do think it would be fantastic for a woman to win...by all accounts, Casey's got an amazing palette and cerebral but heartfelt approach to food. And Dale I just want to hug. A good sauce is worth its weight in gold.

MindayH 5 years 33 weeks

I really want Casey to win. My problem with Hung is that he is a snob about what he cooks and who is cooking for. I think someone who is a "Top Chef" should be able to cook for people in all walks of life...and clearly Hung has no pleasure in cooking for people that fall outside of the "fine dining" realm.

AliCherri1 5 years 33 weeks

I was surprised so many ppl liked Hung, I think technically he is a good chef but his food has no soul. GO CASEY!!!!

ayanaphil 5 years 33 weeks

I like Hung.

veside 5 years 33 weeks

Casey from the remaining contenders --cos she's good, she's gotten better with the challenges, and she's a girl ! No female has won Top Chef yet (Lee Anne was my pick in Season 1) and it's encouraging blokes like Gordon Ramsay to bemoan the dearth of female cooks! \