Top Chef Tuesdays: S08 E09

Join me on my blog for Top Chef Tuesdays, as I recap each episode. I'm aware that Top Chef All Stars has already been airing in the US and we Canadians are a couple (*ahem - maybe more than a couple) episodes behind. So please, all you folks who are ahead of the watching, please, no spoilers. I'm recaping in my own personal opinion and it is all in good fun. Please join me in the comments.

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The chefs come into the kitchen and are faced with making a unique fondue as their quickfire challenge. Peeps, I don't know why, but I got really excited! Maybe because the last couple episodes were a snore or maybe I just love the idea and creativity associated with this challenge but I started clapping and cheering watching the chefs run a muck in the kitchen. I instantly messaged the hubby telling him we need to do a fondue get together with friends. FUN!

No immunity for this challenge and the chefs would be judging each other. Tiffany's apple fritter dipped into a hazelnut chocolate fondue was one of the bottom 3. Sounded boring to me too. Though, Fabi'oh's creme fraiche/fromage blanc/bourdain wine fondue sounded very delicious and promising, I imagined all the billini's topped with caviar weren't the best thing to dip. Little fish roe swimming against cheesy fondue currents, meh. I also was very excited about Mike's spiced lamb kebabs with feta cheese fondue. It looked so appetizing but he rounded out the bottom 3.

Angelo's endive with walnuts dipped into goat cheese fondue followed by a beet juice shooter just looked clunky to me but he actually was one of the top 3! Antonia's cream fraiche/fromage blanc fondue with smoked salmon on toast dippers sounded comforting. But it was Dale's "Pho-ndue" of beef and bread in pho broth that won.

I thought it was funny that everything I seemed to dislike/like were the opposite picks for winners and losers. But then, I'm not a chef or professional foodie. Still had fun guessing who would be the winner.

The chefs are told to head to Rockefeller Center and they find themselves on Late Night on Jimmy Fallon's show. Their elimination challenge is to cook one of Jimmy's favorite dishes for his birthday lunch.

I always think these kinds of challenges aren't fair. Making beef tongue delectable sounds much more challenging than pulled pork or chicken pot pie. I often think that they should have more challenges like they do on the show Chopped, where they are given the same ingredients and have to come up with something creative and delicious.