Much like Guy Fieri has become the de facto face of Food Network, the same can be said of Chef Gordon Ramsay and FOX. He already headlines MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen as well as numerous other series and now you can add the brand new Next Level Chef to the list.
The series, which Ramsay is executive producing as well as starring in, also features Food Network mainstays Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais as mentors. They will oversee a group of young chefs as they compete in what could be the most unique kitchen ever seen on television.
The set is actually three separate kitchens, one stacked on top of the other. But wait, it gets better. As you go down each level the kitchen has fewer and fewer bells and whistles. And the contestants have no clue going in which one they are cooking in.
The top floor has everything a chef could ever ask for or want. It is a chef’s paradise. The middle level is a step down, but still has all the basics a chef is going to need. It’s not fancy but it will get the job done. Meanwhile, the bottom level, or The Basement as Ramsay calls it, looks like something from a 1950s diner.
The mentors give fans a tour of the set of the new series Next Level Chef.
You can actually see for yourself what we mean. FOX released a new video on YouTube where the mentors show off the three levels of the kitchen and just how bad the Basement really is.
The other twist? The ingredients the contestants will have to work with will be on a platform that rises and falls through all three kitchens. Which means the chefs working in Top Level will have first dibs on the bounty while the chefs in The Basement will be stuck with whatever is left.
Next Level Chef could be one of the most different cooking shows out there. I can’t think of any series that even comes close to doing something so out of the box and I’ve watched a ton of food television. Hopefully the contestants will be as interesting as the premise.
The series could also be exactly what Ramsay needs. Most people agree that this past season of MasterChef was one of the worst ever and as much as I enjoy Hell’s Kitchen, Ramsay’s shtick is getting a bit stale there as well.
Next Level Chef sounds like it could be just what the chef ordered. The new series debuts on Sunday, January 2 before moving to Wednesdays at 9 PM.
What do you think Guilty Eaters? Does Next Level Chef sound like something you would want to watch? Or will you wait for the next season of Hell’s Kitchen? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter and Facebook pages.