Comments on: ‘Top Chef Masters’: Neil Patrick Harris masters another TV genre

By: jane lewis

jane lewis — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:28:28 +0000

one thing i enjoy about top chef masters is seeing highly accomplished chefs having trouble with the equipment as john besh did in the mini challenge. it makes me appreciate what the cheftestants on top chef go through.

By: Cheffy McChefster

Cheffy McChefster — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:29:22 +0000

Not much in this episode was a surprise. I saw the Magic Castle part on Dinner Impossible with NPH (pretty good episode; is there anything Neil can’t do?).
Also, if Anita can best Mario (possibly the best Iron Chef aside from Hiroyuki Sakai, that dude is pure ninja in the kitchen) in his home court, then she can really do anything in my opinion.
Gail Simmons probably got her job from her partying skills and probably not her knowledge of food. I mean, NPH was even more articulate than she was. Does anyone think that she didn’t reissue her score after she realized that Anita’s broth was supposed to add the salt to the dish that she said was missing? And yes, I like that snarky British guy better, he’s snarky but fair – kind of like a Simon Cowell. Wouldn’t want the Judges table to turn into a Top Chef Masters love-fest now would we?
And Top Chef has always been about in-your-face product placement, but does anyone else feel that it’s more of a product turn off?

By: Yoja

Yoja — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:14:07 +0000

I enjoy this show because it is nice to see professionals/celebrities on a reality show that isn’t a joke. Do they take it as seriously as winning an Olympic gold medal? Probably not. But they definitely put in a much more sincere effort to win money for their charities than those jokers on Celebrity Apprentice, Get Me Out Of Here, etc. who are only there for the camera time. They take the challenges seriously, but not so seriously that you want to reach through the screen and throttle them like cheftestants Marcel or Hung.

By: Danny

Danny — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:57:28 +0000

Oops, I forgot. You rock NPH. Can we have a television show with just you and Jim Parsons…….please, please, please.

By: Danny

Danny — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:50:01 +0000

Why I love this show: the respect that all the chefs give to each other, their love of cooking and creating, and seeing them wilt under the constrictions of the challenges and still mostly succeed.
The biggest reason I love this show is that it has altered my whole perception of Top Chef. Again and again I have criticized the challenges on Top Chef(my favorite show ever) and have thought some challenges ridiculous (cook the Foo Fighters a Thanksgiving Dinner in summer, outside, using toaster ovens, microwave ovens and hot plates during a rain storm). But this show demonstrates that these challenges are indeed doable. In an hour I start working on a steak/red wine reduction concoction that I came up with – this show and Top Chef inspires and I think it makes all of us fans better, bolder and more creative amateur cooks.

By: Can'tCook

Can'tCook — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:13:34 +0000

Yes, this show is a delight in that everyone is so pleasant and professional. But you have to remember that these Master Chefs, unlike the regular cheftestants, only need to come in one day for a single quickfire and elimination challenge. I wonder how these Masters would do if they had to live w/15 other people in a house or lofts and have to go through these challenges for weeks? With all these famous and accomplished chefs, the drama and egos would probably be a lot more intense than with the regular competitors. Now that I would like to see!

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:33:44 +0000

LOVE this show so much more than Top Chef. I agree that it’s so nice to see these people actually cooking, with the entire show focused on the food. Personally I tune in to see what these chefs can create, not to get involved in their stupid personal dramas. I usually just change the channel during those segments of the show. Also I agree with Brenda, if you miss the first 2 minutes of the show (happens all the time) then you’ve missed the entire intro and connection to the chefs, who are in this show truly performers. Point being, I love Top Chef Masters even more than Top Chef.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:21:46 +0000

I’ve been to The Magic Castle twice as an invited friend of a member – that place is just phenomenal! I’d take a trip to L.A. just to go back again…

By: Jean

Jean — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:49:27 +0000

Funnily enough, there was a magic/circus/dining/entertainment place near where I lived in Tokyo. It was a fun experience – once – but kombu (sea kelp) never was. Too slimy and fishy for me.
I agree with you that the best thing about this program is the camaraderie the chefs usually reveal – at least the ones who aren’t trying so seriously hard to “win”.

By: CaroleH

CaroleH — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:05:33 +0000

I enjoyed this episode a lot more than some of the others. Gael Greene fascinates me, so I enjoy watching her as much as the contestants. At least these chefs are trying hard to win money for charities & that tempers their personal feuds. Even the losers win charitable contributions, just not as much as the grand prize winner. Has anybody noticed how all the chefs seem to know each other, like they meet at chef conventions or something? I realize they know each other by reputation, but some of them are obviously good friends as well. I’m a big John Besh fan & I was hoping he would really wow them. But having seen Anita Lo & Besh in prior Food Network competitions, I know what they can do, & she is also very creative. Besh was the runner-up when Michael Symon became an Iron Chef. I get upset with all the snarking on “Top Chef,” but I keep on watching. I slao enjoy “The Fashion Show,” but refuse to get into the Housewives from Helltown USA.