The Chef Show Season 1 Episode 2: Avengers Atlanta Review

The Chef Show on Netflix, Episode 2

Fish and Chips (kind of)

Talk turns to food in London, but Choi has never been there. Anthony Russo takes a dig at Brexit, saying that the only reason British food has changed over the last few years is that European chefs managed to move there and make their own kind of food. We don’t get to see Holland’s reaction to this, unfortunately.

Can’t talk about London without talking about Fish and Chips. Everyone at the table loves it but, as Downey Jr notes, there are places in London that will tell you to stay away from touristy spots because they don’t have the authentic fish and chips experience. Holland agrees because there are a number of family shops that have their own particular recipes for fish and chips, which, along with a pint, you have to enjoy by the river. Keep that in mind next time you go to London.

And now it’s time for dessert! Lots of different kinds of desserts so the group decides to pace themselves. A wise choice because wow, that’s a lot of food.

Mojo Pork Carnitas Style

Chef Ford made such an elaborate meal for Favreau, Choi, and friends, and it’s time to return the favor. Pork has been cooked overnight for 15 hours and is going to be served with a bowl of very aromatic rice.

While Choi instructs Favreau on how to cut the fruits and vegetables, I love how all the restaurant chefs just stop working and watch them. It must be strange to hand over their kitchen to a non-chef. Meanwhile, Choi is making a version of the Kogi vinaigrette, which has a lot of ingredients. Apparently, Choi changes his recipes all the time but they always taste good. Maybe don’t try that at home unless you’re really sure of your skills. But The Optimist’s staff get a delicious meal of rice, pork, and salad, and that’s all that matters.

Avengers Tidbits

There’s obviously a lot of talk about Marvel films on The Chef Show but Favreau also mentions how he and Choi met, and how he essentially followed Choi around to convince him to help out with Chef. Interestingly, Choi was reluctant to do so.

With some coaxing from Downey Jr, Choi explains that he didn’t really think he needed to do this for Favreau, but knew that if he could elicit an authentic performance out of Chef, he would do the culinary arts proud. And thus, Chef and The Chef Show were born.

I loved all the chat about Holland’s ability to do flips and his own stunts. And the banter between him and Downey Jr is fun. Looks like everyone’s enjoying themselves.

Tips for Home Cooks:

·       Chefs can be a bit OCD, and though you don’t need to be so thorough and precise in your cleaning routine, do remember to stay hygienic in the kitchen.

·       Most cheeses melt all over the griddle, but not Kraft cheese, which holds its shape even when heated.

·       Steps to cutting a lobster – boil first, pull off head, pull off claws, slice body in half, scoop out the meat.

·       Restaurant kitchens use a lot of butter and salt. Do not try this at home.

Final Thoughts

There wasn’t nearly enough cooking, or Avengers, in this episode of The Chef Show, but the delicious food drove me mad with hunger. I have no idea how anybody can eat that much; but with such great food, how can the stomach complain?

There’s clearly no structure to be followed in The Chef Show—it’s more about the experiences that Choi and Favreau have. I have to admit, as exciting as it is to see Downey Jr, Holland, the Russo Brothers, and Feige in this episode, my favorite moments are still the ones shared between Favreau and Choi. They have this easy-going, proud teacher-eager student relationship that is fun to watch. I hope we get to see more of that in upcoming episodes.

The Chef Show is streaming on Netflix internationally.