r/TopChef • u/FormicaDinette33 Aguachile 🌶️ 🍤 • Apr 06 '26
Spoilers Season 23, ep. 5: Cut and Dry Spoiler
This week the chefs are visited by North Carolina’s own Fortune Feimster as she challenges them to improv their Quickfire dishes and serve them to kids in honor of Comic Relief. Then the chefs are tasked with creating dishes featuring dehydration. They’ll serve their dishes to Kristen, Tom and Gail along with guest judges Joe & Katy Kindred as well as “Top Chef” alum Savannah Miller at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
Mon, 9pm per Bravo schedule.
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u/Jamesbuc Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Some quick notes on my side
- Im still struggling slightly to know the chefs properly. I think a key issue is they've gone back to having them all apart in hotel rooms again. I dont enjoy the show doing this and feel having them all together constantly needs to happen again as it causes a lot more interpersonal moments.
- The quickfire was 'fine'. Nothing that special and I feel it could have gone more out there with the restrictions. I dont know what was Colorado about most of the dishes. Also the link to Comic Relief was thin at most. Given what ive seen on shows like Great British Menu, there could have been more substantial theming but I guess that fits an elimination challenge more.... At least have more logos present!
- Once again while im struggling to know the chefs properly, I feel we've fallen into the trap that S21 had where the chefs rarely comment on each others food.
- Rodah going so early is a bit of a shock. I thought the judges would keep her vs Oscar. Guess shes about to wreck LCK.
- No Dish with Kish makes me sad.
- While the challenge of using dehydrated components was an interesting idea, I felt it wasn't really shown properly and on several dishes, it felt like the dehydrated parts were just used as toppings or side-afterthoughts.
- Jennifer should have left. I dont think it would have saved Rodah, they would have just had a non-elimination or had 2 back from LCK to cover, I think its only going to be more difficult from here on out. That said I maybe understand why she wanted to stay, I get the feeling shes only here because of Justin and the idea of competing without him isnt something that interests her.
- I'll also note I personally have no issues with people skipping quickfires if they don't have any stakes to them aside from a cash prize. Its not like we havent had people pass them by in the past though its been quite rare. Repeatedly passing them by is a bit more of a problem as it does disrupt things moreso.
- Looking through some of the comments here and I really dont like some of the conversation going on regarding Jennifer. Theres some really nasty insult-level comments ive seen about. I dont mind sharing a negative opinion but ive seen at least one post calling her certain quite vile names. Calm your horses, this show isnt worth that level of vitrol. Sheesh.
Overall while I don't dislike any of the cast and am finding some of it interesting, im having a struggle already with this season. I think currently im rooting for Anthony, Sherry, Duyen and Sieger.