The heat is on Top Chef Masters

BY CATH BENNETT

The best of the best will put their credibility on the line in the latest cooking show to hit our screens.

Top Chef Masters will pit 24 world-renowned culinary kings against each other in a bid to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice.

While creators didn’t pull together crowd pleasers such as Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson, they have gathered a selection of multiple award winning US-based chefs who have cooked for presidents and stars.

Among them is James Beard Award recipient Michael Schlow, a cooking show regular who didn’t think twice before agreeing to take part.

“The charity part was absolutely first and foremost, I think all the chefs involved will say that,’’ he says, adding his charity is The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care.

“The idea of not only doing this for charity but getting a chance to hopefully showcase some of our talents in a fun setting with our friends was enough for me.’’

As with regular Top Chef, each show holds two challenges – a quickfire test of the contestant’s basic abilities as well as a more involved elimination challenge.

The first six episodes will each consist of four chefs competing against each other, with the winner progressing to the next round and being awarded a cash donation for their charity.

The six winners of the heats will battle it out over the final four shows until the finale where one winner is crowned Top Chef Master.

Hubert Keller, the first ever guest chef at the White House – who has also appeared as a judge in several earlier series of Top Chef – has no concerns that his abilities may be tested throughout the show.

“It is true there is risk involved, but I think that by all of us having our own restaurants and businesses we’re running risks every day,’’ he says.

“I think it’s part of our lifestyle. And since I was a judge in three seasons in the past – and the first Top Chef was filmed at my restaurant in San Francisco, it’s something I could not have turned down.

“It’s good to get a feel of it, how it actually feels when you’re in their shoes and you’re really competing.’’

Filmed in Los Angeles, the show is hosted by Kelly Choi and, as with the regular series, it includes a star-studded line-up of judges.

Among them are How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris and 500 Days of Summer star Zooey Deschanel, who is gluten intolerant, vegan and doesn’t eat soy.

Also assessing the skills of the chefs will be past Top Chef winners as well as critics who haven’t even reached adulthood.

In the first episode Keller, Schlow, Tim Love, and Christopher Lee – who won two Michelin stars for his restaurant – are assessed by girl scouts.

There has been some criticism over the fact that Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio isn’t taking part – although he does serve as consulting producer.

But the other contestants believe this was the right decision.

“He would have been in a no-win situation. If Tom won the show then people would say it’s slanted and unfair, and if he lost he loses credibility as a Top Chef judge,’’ Schlow says.

Top Chef Masters will screen at 7.30pm on Tuesdays, the same time as Gordon’s Ramsay’s knockout competition Hell’s Kitchen, which airs on TV2.

But TV3 programmer Ben Quinn is confident they will win the ratings war.

“In terms of skill level, Gordon Ramsay himself wouldn’t be out of place as a contestant on Top Chef Masters,’’ he tells  The Buzz.

“One of the big differences between the two shows is that Top Chef Masters has a much stronger focus on the quality of the cuisine – primarily because all of the contestants are established successful executive chefs and restaurant owners.

“This is the ultimate in terms of a ‘restaurant review’ scenario for the chefs – so all these established reputations and egos are at stake in an industry where such things are regarded as highly important.

“While the ‘reputations at stake’ element adds the fire to the competition, the fact that the contestants are competing for contributions to a charity of their choice balances that out and adds a softer side.”

 Top Chef Masters premieres on TV3 this Tuesday at 7.30pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News